Northland nurse wins prestigious Te Akenei Hei Māori health award
Maureen Allan, Te Rarawa, Ngā Puhi and Tainui, is the latest recipient of Te Rūnanga o Aotearoa NZNO’s prestigious
Akenehi Hei Award. The award is for a significant contribution to Māori health. A nurse with a long career community
health, a Masters degree in Nursing Business and current sitting member on the New Zealand Health Practitioners
Tribunal, Maureen Allan was presented with the award at NZNO’s annual conference in Wellington on Wednesday 17 September.
NZNO Kaiwhakahaere, Kerri Nuku presented the award, “This year’s recipient of Te Akenei Hei Award has an outstanding and
extensive nursing career which spans 30 years; Maureen Allan has worked across all health sectors including Northland
DHB, Te Tai Tokerau primary health organisation (PHO) and iwi health providers in the region. She has dedicated her
nursing career to working with hapu and iwi and is an inspiration to her whānau.”
“Maureen served a term on the Northland DHB board and seven years on a DHB advisory committee. She was the first manager
of Te Hauora o te Hiku o te Ika and spent eight years with Te Tai Tokerau PHO, establishing three adolescent health
clinics in Kaitaia and was the first Māori clinical integration leader at the PHO.”
“The Akenehi Hei taonga was created in memory of Akenehi Hei, the first Māori nurse to register under her Māori name.
The taonga can be awarded to anyone who has made a significant contribution to Māori Health,” Kerri Nuku says.
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