Current Vacancies
About our Nursing and MCA team
Our nurses and MCA's (Medical Care Assistants) are always looking for ways to build strong relationships and improve patient care for the community. They strongly believe in the mantra "Teamwork makes the dream work," and they excel at putting this into practice by utilizing each other's unique strengths and skills to provide you and your whanau with high-quality healthcare.
Our Doctors
Our team of healthcare professionals, which includes doctors, nurses, medical care assistants, and allied specialist, is dedicated to putting you at the center of your care.
We collaborate through TEAMS, drawing on a diverse range of knowledge, experience, and cultural backgrounds to make sure that your health journey is effective and patient focused.
You can trust that your team will work tirelessly together to provide you and your whānau with the highest quality care.
Dr. René Lenoir - A Team
René graduated with a Medical degree from Maastricht University in the Netherlands in 1997. He is a Fellow of the Royal New Zealand College of GPs with a special certification in teaching. René moved from the Netherlands to New Zealand with his wife and three sons in 2007 and started at Pihanga Health in 2010. Rene’s served as a rural medicine doctor in Ghana, West Africa for four years. René’s passion is all aspects of general practice and teaching future GPs in rural general practice. In 2018, René was key in establishing Pihanga Health as one of the rare certified teaching rural general practices in New Zealand. While at home in Taupō, René enjoys cycling, running, cooking (mainly eating ), reading novels, watching sports with his kids and enjoying the beautiful landscapes of Taupō/Tūrangi.
Dr. Caitlin Whitford - A Team
Caitlin has been a part of the Pihanga Health team since 2019. She graduated with a medical degree from University of Auckland in 2017. Caitlin has done a number of papers working towards a postgraduate diploma in Rural and Provincial Medicine and in 2020, she was awarded the inaugural Dr. Amjad Hamid Medal as the top candidate for cardiorespiratory medicine. Her primary interests in medicine include diabetes management, women’s health and cardiology.
Caitlin grew up in the small town of Tokoroa, where seeing doctors coming and going influenced her decision to pursue a career in medicine. She enjoys working in small communities because of their strong sense of community, where people come together in times of need and help one another.
When she's not working, Caitlin enjoys spending time with her family, playing football (aka soccer), gardening, and fishing.
Louise Blyth - A Team
Louise is a new member to the Pihanga Health team, but comes with over 16 years experience in a broad range of specialties.
She enjoys all aspects of general practice and the variety of primary care.
When Louise is not at work, spending time with her partner and kids is her top priority.
Tracey Liddell - B Team
Tracey is an experienced Nurse Practitioner who initially graduated from Waiariki Polytechnic in 1996 as a Registered Nurse. She completed her clinical Masters Degree and Nurse Practitioner training in 2019 through the Auckland University.
She has lived and worked in the Taupō Rohe for the last 19 years and has worked in both Hospitals and Primary Care/ Community settings. She has extensive experience in the management of Long Term Health conditions – in particular cardiac complaints, however can see all patients/whānau for all primary care concerns. Tracey is able to assess, diagnose, prescribe medicines and refer to specialists similarly to her GP colleagues. She aims to optimise health and wellbeing of people and whanau using preventative and holistic care strategies.
Tracey loves all the facets of her work but the thing that gets her up in the morning is helping and supporting people who have difficulty helping and supporting themselves.
When she isn’t working, you’ll find Tracey exploring the outdoors with her Husband and dog Scamp – the crazy fox terrier! She loves a good book and travelling.
Dr. Caro Bernard - B Team
Caro is a Belgian general practitioner (GP), who will be coming to New Zealand to live and work here. She will join the team at Pihanga Health as a locum. Caro completed her general practitioner training at Leuven University in Belgium in June 2023. Over the past four years, she gained experience by working in three different GP practices. Additionally, during her medical training, she worked at Leuven University Hospital in the geriatric and cardiology departments.
Caro loves the versatility of her everyday work as a GP and enjoys being close to the people she cares for. She believes that a healthy lifestyle is a key element in health and disease and tries to integrate this aspect into a holistic healthcare approach. Although she didn't receive training in traditional healthcare remedies, she has a great interest in herbal medicine and hopes to learn a lot about this subject during her time at Pihanga Health.
In her free time, Caro enjoys outdoor activities such as walking, running, biking, kayaking, and multiple-day hiking trips. She will be joined by her partner Roel during her time in New Zealand. When she is at home, Caro enjoys reading, painting, drawing, cooking, and taking care of her multiple plants.
Dr. Jane Seeley - Locum
Jane Seeley obtained her MBChB degree from Otago in 1986, holds a Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and a Fellowship of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (FRNZCGP). She was born and raised in Hamilton and is married to Tim. Together, they have three grown-up daughters. Jane worked as a family doctor in Glenfield Auckland for 25 years before taking up a position relieving regular GPs and NPs one week a month at Pihanga in 2022. She has a keen interest in young families, all tamariki, and addiction. Jane enjoys spending time in Tūrangi, where she can appreciate the beauty of the Tongariro River and the nearby Kaimanawas and Central Plateau grand wilderness.
Tonya Cockcroft - Prescribing Pharmacist
Tonya has recently joined Pihanga Health as a prescribing pharmacist. She graduated with a PharmD from the Medical University of South Carolina (USA) in 2009 and in 2019, she undertook additional studies at the University of Auckland to be granted prescribing rights. Tonya will be working closely with the team to support the practice with repeat scripts and managing patients with chronic long-term conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases. She has a special interest in older persons’ health and believes in a holistic, person-centred approach to healthcare, particularly in an interdisciplinary environment.
Tonya’s position is supported by Anahera Pono (CPCT) funding, and she will be working on quality outcomes for the patients and their Whanau at Pihanga Health.
Outside of work, Tonya loves to travel. She recently spent a month in Rarotonga on a volunteer trip where she conducted a community-wide survey on people’s understanding of antibiotics. This work helped develop information and education on good stewardship of these medicines. She also loves to dive, garden, and spending time with her family.
About our Admin Team
Our admin team is the backbone of our organisation. They work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the smooth running and operation of Pihanga Health. On any given day, our admin team helps over 70 patients with questions, appointments, and special requests, to name a few. No matter how stressful their day gets, they always greet anyone who enters Pihanga Health with a warm smile and provide the best service possible.