It is with great sadness that Mahitahi Hauora acknowledges the passing of our beloved former Director of Nursing – Primary Care, Rhoena Davis on 16 August 2024, and we send aroha to her husband Pat, her children, her moko, and her whānau.

At the start of 2024 we celebrated with Rhoena when she received the prestigious Peter Snow Award for 2023 for her contributions to rural Māori health, and at the end of July we hosted a ceremony marking her retirement and celebrating her remarkable career. Members of Rhoena’s whānau, Mahitahi Hauora staff, Board member Lynette Merle Stewart, CEO Jensen Webber, several of Rhoena’s nursing colleagues and representatives from the many organisations she has worked with over the years were in attendance. A Kapa Haka group from Whangārei Intermediate School gave a special performance in her honour. We will cherish the memory of this day.

Following her passing, members of our team gathered at Motutī Marae in Panguru to honour Rhoey and say goodbye. Our CEO Jensen Webber attended her tangi on 19 August, and those that were unable to attend gathered in person and via Zoom to sing a waiata and hold a minute’s silence in her memory.

Rhoey was proud and passionate about her work and leaves a lasting legacy throughout the healthcare landscape, as well as here in the hallways at Mahitahi Hauora.