Our team - Tara Road Medical Centre Papamoa

Dr. Marja Pankras; GP

MD DTH

Marja originally comes from the Netherlands. She has worked in the Bay of Plenty since 2003 as a GP and as an Accident & Medical doctor and is fully dedicated to her profession. Through her career she has built up a broad set of skills.

Her special interests are accident & medical care, children’s health, female (sexual) health and contraception. She is married and has 2 children. If she is not at work, you might find her in the gym.

Work history

She completed her medical studies in 1991 (NL). She later acquired a post-graduate Diploma in Tropical Health, surgery, gynaecology / obstetrics and tropical medicine (NL). She worked in Africa (Malawi and Tanzania) for five years together with her husband, Dr Martijn Haitsma.
In the UK she obtained her post-graduate degree in general practice (UK;2002) and has worked in general practice ever since.

Dr. Martijn Haitsma; Specialist GP

FRNZCGP, MB, DTH, member of Skin Cancer College of Australasia

Martijn comes from the Netherlands. He has worked in the Bay of Plenty since 2003 as a GP and has a special interest in skin cancer medicine. Through his career he has built up a broad set of skills.

His interests are children’s health, care of the elderly and healthy living; the pragmatic approach, with emphasis on the do’s and not the don’ts. He has a special interest in skin cancer and performs skin checks for which there are dedicated clinics.

He is married and has 2 children. If he is not at work, you might find him playing tennis or squash.

Work history

He completed his medical studies in 1991 (NL). He later acquired a post-graduate Diploma in Tropical Health, surgery, gynaecology / obstetrics and tropical medicine. He worked in Africa (Malawi and Tanzania) for five years together with his wife, Dr Marja Pankras.
In the UK he obtained his post-graduate degree in general practice (UK;2002) and has worked in general practice ever since.

Dr Clive Price; GP

MB

Clive is a General Practitioner who was born and trained in the UK, he has worked as a GP partner in south Devon for the last 5 years and also enjoyed working at local community hospitals and urgent care settings.

Clive has moved to New Zealand with his wife Catherine who is a local dermatologist, and his 2 children. He is a passionate surfer, and enjoys joy jitsu and Muay Thai boxing.

Work history

Clive attended peninsula college of medicine and dentistry, and qualified in 2014. He completed his foundation in Torbay, England. During the 3 years of his general practice training he had a wide exposure to all areas of medicine, Clive completed general practice training in 2019. He has worked as a GP partner in the UK prior to moving to New Zealand in October 2024.

Catherine Porter

Physician Associate

Cass is a Physician Associate from the US with seven years of experience treating patients in General Practice and Acute Care primarily in resource poor and rural areas of Pennsylvania and Minnesota.

Board certified in Lifestyle Medicine by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine , she is passionate about preventing, treating and reversing chronic diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes and heart disease with modifications in lifestyle.

Outside of work, Cass lives with her husband and son in Papamoa and is excited to be a part of our vibrant community. She enjoys baking sourdough, trying new plant-based recipes, running, outdoors, hiking, spending time with family and friends.

Andrew Demmitt

Physician Associate

Andy is a Physician Associate from the US with 11 years of experience in emergency medicine and interventional radiology. He is originally from Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating from the University of Kentucky with a masters degree in 2014, he completed a post graduate fellowship in Emergency Medicine at Albany Medical Center, a level I trauma center in New York.

Andy worked for 10 years at Piedmont Fayette Hospital in the Atlanta area before moving to Papamoa. He comes to New Zealand with his wife, 2 daughters, and 2 cats. In his free time, he enjoys hiking with his family, playing pickleball, and trying new restaurants.

Chassity M.

Physician Associate

Chassity is a Physician Associate from the US with 10 years of experience in emergency medicine in various settings and two years of experience in orthopedic surgery with a focus on the hand/wrist/upper extremity. She is originally from Roanoke, Virginia.

She arrived in New Zealand in August 2023 and worked the urgent care clinic at a rural clinic in Whitianga for over 2 years prior to moving to Papamoa.

In Chassity’s free time, she enjoys cycling, enjoying NZ’s beautiful beaches, and binging a good crime drama on television. She’s here in New Zealand with her partner and dog

Jasleen G.

Practice Manager

Jasleen is our Practice Manager.

With over three years of leadership experience across healthcare and corporate environments, at Tara Road Medical Centre, she oversees daily clinic operations, ensuring quality patient care in an efficient and welcoming environment.

With a conjoint in Bachelor of Health Science and Bachelor of Commerce from UoA, Jasleen brings healthcare operational expertise and insightful business acumen to the clinic. Jasleen is passionate about supporting staff and is committed to maintaining high standards of care while driving innovation and sustainable growth within the practice.