The Roster Te Rārangi: Edition 17

Health podcaster's next step
This year has been a high-profile one for Scott Arrol with the launch of podcast Digital Health Insights with Scott Arrol, introducing influencers in healthcare, disability, mental health and social services. Mr Arrol, chief executive of New Zealand Health IT, the digital health industry’s peak body, is moving to Dementia New Zealand as its chief executive. NZHIT chair Kate Reid says, via media release, he has played “an integral role enabling a healthier New Zealand and creating a vibrant and connected health IT sector”. He was formerly a management consultant and a general manager, community services with Healthcare New Zealand.

Plunket nabs Dame Fran
Dame Fran Wilde has joined Plunket Whānau Āwhina as board chair. Dame Fran is best known as the Labour MP who sponsored homosexual law reform. She was recently deputy chair of Capital & Coast DHB and chair of its hospital system committee. A former Wellington mayor, she has chaired numerous organisations, including in the arts, infrastructure, housing, transport, human rights and international aid. To name just one current role, she is chair of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

Another string to his bow
Mataroria Lyndon (Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Whātua, Waikato), one of the hosts of TVNZ’s The Checkup, is equity lead at Northland’s primary health organisation (PHO) Mahitahi Hauora. A public health physician, Dr Lyndon recently added another string to his bow by joining the board of Aktive, the trust aimed at making Auckland the world’s most active city. Among other posts, he is a senior lecturer at Auckland School of Medicine, clinical director of new provider Tend Health, and board member for Northland DHB and the Health Promotion Agency.

Starting on the bottom rung
Warren Herring left school with a desire to help vulnerable people, starting on the bottom rung of the then Department of Social Welfare. He went on to become a WINZ regional commissioner. Warren was recently appointed chief executive of Hamilton-based Community Living Ltd (CLL), which supports people with intellectual disabilities and where he started three years ago as a general manager. Prior to this, he completed an MBA while in a senior position at NZ Post, then held management roles for a disability services provider and a retirement village.

Excellence in teaching
Soon to graduate in medicine from the University of Otago, Anastasia Shoebridge has just received one of the university’s Clinical Teaching Awards, noting her excellence in teaching as a trainee intern. Ms Shoebridge will be the New Zealand Medical Association’s Doctors-in-Training Council first-year representative for 2021, and is starting her first year of prevocational training in Christchurch. She hopes to pursue a career in surgery. She replaces Jibi Kunnethedam, now a house officer with Southern DHB.

Platform Plus in growth mode
Peter Gregory is the new general manager of Hamilton-based managed IT solutions provider Platform Plus, which serves PHOs, general practices and other health and disability sector organisations. The company also hosts the Indici practice management system. Mr Gregory led the telecomms arm of Trustpower in Tauranga from its inception in 2007. His move to Platform Plus comes as the company – infrastructure provider for primary care IT xcrania – purchases xcrania from its developer Pinnacle Ventures as part of a growth strategy. Platform’s profits go to the Community Living Trust.

Working on wellbeing plan
Sam McBride is dividing his time between consultant psychiatry and health policy, having recently joined the Ministry of Health and become a member of its new Clinical Advisory Group. Dr McBride is on a six-month, part-time secondment to help develop the Alcohol and Other Drugs Wellbeing Plan (Model of Care). Based at Capital & Coast DHB in Wellington, he is clinical lead of addiction services across Te-Upoko-me-Te-Karu-o-Te-Ika – Capital & Coast, Hutt Valley and Wairarapa DHBs’ mental health, addictions and intellectual disability services.

Health minister keeps Treaty role
New health minister Andrew Little and the rest of prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s Cabinet were sworn in earlier this month. Mr Little, head of the then Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union before becoming a Labour MP in 2011, previously held the justice and Treaty of Waitangi negotiations portfolios, and retains the latter. Chris Hipkins is minister for COVID-19 response; Peeni Henare, minister for whānau ora and associate health minister (Māori health); Ayesha Verrall, minister for food safety and associate health minister; Aupito William Sio, associate health minister (Pacific peoples); Carmel Sepuloni, minister for disability issues; and Marama Davidson (Greens), minister for the prevention of family and sexual violence.

Dr Reti's time has come
The National Party elected Shane Reti unopposed as deputy leader after Gerry Brownlee stepped down. Dr Reti, who has worked in Northland as a GP, lost the Whangārei seat he had held since 2014 and is now a list MP. He is the party’s spokesperson for health and for children. Leader Judith Collins calls him a hard-working, intelligent MP with all the skills needed to be an effective leader. In a media release, Ms Collins says his detailed examination and prosecution of the Government’s handling of COVID-19 helped improve the response for New Zealanders.

The accelerator month
November always seems to start accelerating from here on, upping the urgency in workplaces everywhere. Promising (with fingers crossed) to get a task done by Christmas becomes the norm. Many recruitment ads are giving short time frames for applicants, so act now if you want a change in 2021. If you are making a change, and it is all ticked off, I would love to hear about it. A brief update: GPs Tim Malloy and Angus Chambers have been confirmed as chair and deputy chair, respectively, of the General Practice Owners Association of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Please forward this email to colleagues who may like to subscribe free to The Roster Te Rārangi. Thank you to all who helped with the info for this edition!

– Virginia McMillan, editor; phone 021 914 699;
email vmcmillan@nzdoctor.co.nz