Paora & Dr Sarah Gardiner – Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi
Industry Med is a specialised provider of occupational health, injury management, and medical support services to large manufacturing, heavy industry, and infrastructure sectors.
They operate three fully equipped on-site occupational health clinics located at OJI Kinleith Mill in Tokoroa, Tasman Mill in Kawerau, and a telehealth hub in Tauranga’s Tauriko Industrial Area. These clinics serve as a foundation for their telehealth services, extending support to remote workplaces.
Dr Sarah and husband Paora founded the business 3 years ago and have been operating since 2021. As well as traditional occupational health on their large manufacturing sites, they essentially provide mini emergency departments on site with all employee primary care and health.
They also launched Aotearoa’s first fully remote worksite clinic in WPI Pulpmill in Ohakune, serving 260 employees with no GP in their town. It provides access to Doctors and Nurses who can help with everyday health services including mental health, ACC managing back to work after injury, prescriptions and referrals.
They take healthcare to the most remote and hazardous worksites in Aotearoa and this benefits their Māori workers hugely. The employer pays for all care and workers are not disadvantaged.
Paora says, “The support we have had from hapū, iwi and employees as well as unions in Kawerau, Ohakune and Tokoroa has been the key to our success.”
With recent support from Poutama, Industry Med were able to invest in much needed equipment and resources to help their mobile health teams get out to more remote areas and take health services to the workers.
Paora says, “We are innovating a nation wide network for health services to remote and at risk workers.”
“Being a 100% Māori owned business allows us to engage with the Māori economy as partners and collaborate on health projects that really impact communities.”
“Miraka and other Māori businesses who work with us, know the cultural safety and wellbeing in the work we do is new, and makes us stand out.”
To learn more about their services check out their video here.
