High honour for Dannevirke health worker

Dr Janice Wenn has received the Honorary Fellow Award, UCOL's highest honorary award.

Former Dannevirke Hospital manager Dr Janice Wenn has been awarded UCOL's highest honorary award for her contribution to health.

She has gained the Honorary Fellow Award for her service to Māori health over a career that has spanned more than six decades.

Dr Wenn was the manager/chief executive officer of Dannevirke Hospital, working there between 1991 and 1994.

She said it was a difficult time, as this was when the hospital shut down.

During her time in Dannevirke, Dr Wenn was also involved with local Māori health initiatives offering guidance and helping them to get funding to support their activities.

Dr Wenn (Kahungunu ki Wairarapa) has been instrumental in leading Māori health in the Wairarapa for several decades.

She graduated as a nurse in 1955 and has been involved in health service development and delivery for 64 years.

She helped develop national strategies to address Māori health issues and improve healthcare access.

Dr Wenn was the Head of the Māori Studies Unit at Wairarapa Community Polytechnic and later led the faculty for Māori Studies, Art and Social Services.

She was instrumental in establishing Whaiora Whānui in 1998 after the people of Pāpāwai Marae, in Greytown, decided to create a health service that would reduce health inequities and empower whānau to take responsibility for their health and wellbeing.

Many UCOL nursing students have benefited from Whaiora through clinical placements and employment.

At the age of 74, Dr Wenn completed her PhD focusing on identifying core values underpinning Māori health. She then went on to work as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Massey University.

In 2014, Dr Wenn received the Māori of the Year for Health Award and in 2018 released her memoir Ko Mātakitaki te Tuatahi - A Sort of Life.

Dr Wenn received her award late last month at a Business Wairarapa event, hosted by UCOL.