The Roster Te Rārangi: Edition 15

Hats they wear in primary care
Luke Bradford, a Tauranga GP who serves on the New Zealand Medical Association’s GP Council, is the new chair of the Primary Health Alliance. The alliance champions integrated, accessible and inclusive primary healthcare. Dr Bradford was on the executive committee, but stepped up when former chair Christchurch GP Angus Chambers resigned citing a conflict of interest: He is standing for election to the General Practice Owners Association board. Meanwhile, the alliance is considering whether to merge with the Federation of Primary Health Aotearoa. The federation aims to provide national leadership on key issues affecting primary health.

The poverty disruptor
The first assistant Māori commissioner for children, Glenis Philip-Barbara (Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Uepōhatu), has been appointed. In 2014, Ms Philip-Barbara co-founded the charity He Rau Aroha, which provides surplus goods to communities in need. In a Ted Talk, 5 Ingredients to Disrupt Poverty, she gives the “recipe” for running such an organisation. She is a former Māori Language Commission chief executive and former associate deputy chief executive of the then Child, Youth and Family. She co-owns Tiakina Ltd, a capacity-building/coaching company working with Māori.
Image: RNZ

Kiro to head Royal Society
Royal Society Te Apārangi, the independent not-for-profit organisation that advances and promotes science, technology and the humanities, will have Cynthia (Cindy) Kiro (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Hine) as ahorangi chief executive from next March. Professor Kiro was children’s commissioner from 2003 to 2008, when child poverty, stopping family violence and “anti-smacking” legislation were prominent in the role. Professor Kiro has a PhD in social work and social policy. Now pro-vice-chancellor Māori at the University of Auckland, she formerly headed Massey University’s School of Public Health.

Ill health forces change
Retired medical oncologist David Perez ONZM is acting chair of Southern DHB with the departure last week, for reasons of ill health, of former chair Dave Cull. Mr Cull, a three-term Dunedin mayor, was appointed chair by the then health minister David Clark last December. Dr Perez, also a ministerial appointee, had previously been a deputy commissioner overseeing the DHB. He is also a former University of Otago associate professor of medicine. From 2016 to 2918, he chaired the DHB’s clinical leadership group.

Pharmac and Te Tiriti
Trevor Simpson (Tuhoe, Ngāti Awa) starts later this month in Pharmac’s newly created role of chief advisor, Māori. Until recently, Mr Simpson has been the Health Promotion Forum’s deputy executive director and, prior to that, its senior health promotion strategist. He has also worked in Crown land administration, Te Tiriti o Waitangi settlements, Māori social work, and youth projects. A Pharmac media release says he will ensure the agency leadership receives robust Māori advice to inform and shape how it gives effect to its Tiriti commitment, including equity for Māori.

Psychology of climate action
A New Zealand psychologist has been selected to work with international peers on strengthening the role and impact of psychology in addressing climate change. Associate professor Taciano Milfont from the School of Psychology – Te Kura Whatu Oho Mauri at the University of Waikato has joined the American Psychological Association’s Climate Change Task Force. Dr Milfont established a lab dedicated to applying psychological principles and methods to understand and solve environmental issues. A reader in environmental psychology at the university’s Tauranga campus, he formerly led the Centre for Applied Cross-Cultural Research at Victoria University of Wellington.

First, you take Takanini
Māngere GP Neru Leavasa took out the new Takanini electorate in Saturday’s general election. Dr Leavasa earned his medical degree from the University of Auckland in 2009 after getting through metastatic bone cancer. He became a fellow of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners in 2014 and set up his own virtual consulting service, The Waiting Room, in August last year. He is a member of the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board.

Painting the Tron red
A former Fulbright Scholar to the US, Waikato doctor Gaurav Sharma earned a comfortable majority of the votes in Hamilton West, where he ousted long-serving National MP Tim MacIndoe. Dr Sharma works in general practice in Nawton, Hamilton. He graduated in medicine from the University of Auckland in 2012. He has a Masters in Business Administration from George Washington University in Washington, DC.

Electorate or list for Liz
Liz Craig fought a close race in Invercargill, where she was beaten by National’s Penny Simmonds but could yet win after special votes are counted. Dr Craig was a Labour List MP in the 2017/20 Government and served on the health select committee. She is ranked highly enough to return on the list if special votes do not go her way. Dr Craig taught indigenous health workers in Brisbane before training in public health medicine, qualifying in 2006. She established the New Zealand Child and Youth Epidemiology Service.

Holding on in Whāngarei
National’s health spokesperson, Shane Reti QSM, holds on by just 162 votes to his Whangārei seat, awaiting the final count against Labour’s Emily Henderson. However, Dr Reti is number five on National’s list so is expected to return to Parliament. He formerly served for three terms as a ministerial appointee on Northland DHB, and entered Parliament in 2014. At Harvard University in the US on a Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellowship in Health Care Policy and Practice, he researched the issues around personal health records.

Acting in the place of...
Toni Gutschlag and Robyn Shearer are among Ministry of Health leads in acting roles. Ms Gutschlag is the acting deputy director-general mental health and addiction, in place of Ms Shearer who has stepped across to act in the role Michelle Arrowsmith resigned recently (deputy director-general DHB performance support and infrastructure). Ms Gutschlag arrived at the ministry at the start of this year to become general manager specialist services, mental health and addiction, having held a similar role at Canterbury DHB for seven years. She earlier worked in planning and funding at the DHB. She is a former social worker.

Fast moving and dynamic
The ministry is seeking a principal advisor and a senior advisor in primary care. Here's what the advertising says: “Primary care is a government and ministry priority and the primary care team has a fast-moving dynamic work programme that reflects this.”
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– Virginia McMillan, editor; phone 021 914 699;
email vmcmillan@nzdoctor.co.nz