Peter Snow Award

This year’s Peter Snow Award honours Gayle O’Duffy for her decades of dedicated service to the Methven community, where she has been a cornerstone of care since 1982. A quietly determined and humble leader, Gayle’s influence has extended beyond clinical practice, serving as Clinical Lead – Rural for Pegasus from 2014 to 2024.

Originally trained in Queensland, Gayle embodies the values of rural service, compassion, and commitment that this award was created to celebrate.

Gayle exemplifies everything the Peter Snow Award stands for — dedication, integrity, and a deep understanding of what it means to serve rural communities. Her contribution over the years is immeasurable, and this recognition is richly deserved

Te Waka Kotahitanga Award 2025

Rachel Pearce of Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora has been honoured with the Te Waka Kotahitanga Award at the 2025 National Rural Health Conference, recognising her outstanding commitment to partnership and progress in rural health.

From her first week in the role, Rachel made her mission clear: to serve rural communities with integrity, purpose, and impact. A proud rural Australian now serving as Co-Director of Rural Health Commissioning in Aotearoa, she quickly earned the respect and trust of the sector by backing up words with action. She promised to be “the best bureaucrat she could be” — and she has more than lived up to that promise.

Rachel’s approach is marked by deep listening, open collaboration, and decisive leadership. She consistently creates space for rural voices to be heard and ensures those voices influence real change within the health system. Her commitment to true partnership, particularly with Māori providers and communities, embodies the values at the heart of Te Waka Kotahitanga.

The Te Waka Kotahitanga Award celebrates individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership, unity, and commitment to partnership in rural health. Rachel is a true embodiment of those principles — someone who paddles in the waka with us, not from afar, but shoulder to shoulder.