The Roster Te Rārangi: Edition 2

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Nau mai haere mai ki te pānui tuarua o The Roster Te Rārangi. Welcome to Issue 2 of your catch-up on “people news” in the health and wellbeing sector. It would be great if you could forward this to friends or colleagues, with the link https://www.theroster.co.nz/subscribe – thanks! And let me know who is new in your organisation: Email vmcmillan@nzdoctor.co.nz or phone 021 914 699. Ngā mihi nui – Virginia McMillan, editor.

Cycling rocks her world
Over-achieving cyclist Kim Hurst has landed at Hutt Valley’s Te Awakairangi Health Network as clinical director. Dr Hurst is a former World 24 Hour Solo champion and World 200 Mile Road champion, and has won several New Zealand mountain bike and cyclocross events. A director, GP and clinical manager at Silverstream Health Centre in Upper Hutt, she trained in Birmingham, UK, and was a Royal Air Force medical officer from 2002 to 2009 before settling in the Hutt. She has served on the network’s board since 2018.

Massey role for iwi health lead
MidCentral DHB deputy chair Oriana Paewai joins Massey University Council as an appointee of education minister Chris Hipkins. Ms Paewai is chief executive of iwi health and social services provider Rangitāne o Tamaki nui a Rua, based in Dannevirke. Formerly a health promotion advisor and Māori health manager at the DHB, she chairs Manawhenua Hauora, a consortium of iwi with manawhenua in Manawatū, Horowhenua, Tararua and Otaki districts.

Deaf community the focus
Jo Witko, who grew up in the Wellington Deaf community, has started with mental health not-for-profit Platform Trust in a new role funded by the Ministry of Health. Ms Witko is working towards equitable access to mental health and addictions support for the Deaf community, including work on recruiting Deaf people and building New Zealand Sign Language interpreter capability in mental health. Ms Witko has a masters in mental health counselling, and clinical experience in Deaf mental health services

New-look patient safety board
Collin Tukuitonga has held major roles at the WHO, the Pacific Community and the Ministry of Health. Late last year, Dr Tukuitonga was named associate dean Pacific in the Medical and Health Sciences Faculty at the University of Auckland. Now, he is a new government appointee to the Health Quality & Safety Commission board. So too are Tristram Ingham, University of Otago, Wellington senior research fellow and clinical epidemiologist, and William Harrison, Middlemore Hospital interventional cardiologist.

Back from across the Ditch
The new chief executive at Nelson Bays Primary Health was director of nursing at Healthcare New Zealand before heading to Australia in 2013 and leading hospital nursing services. She is Sara Shaughnessy, who in early June takes over from Angela Francis. Among Ms Shaughnessy’s strengths, says the primary health organisation, are integrated care and hospital prevention services in regional settings. She is director of integrated care at Mid North Coast Local Health District in New South Wales

Uniquely Pat Snedden
Founder of bicultural community health coalition Health Care Aotearoa, Quality Improvement Committee inaugural chair, former chair of both Auckland and Counties Manukau DHBs and now in his second stint as chair of Auckland DHB, Treaty of Waitangi negotiator, mover and shaker in housing and education: Pat Snedden has a unique CV. DHB bulk buyer NZ Health Partnerships Ltd has appointed Mr Snedden – who has been back as Auckland DHB chair since 2018 – to its board to represent northern DHBs. Other newcomers are Jim Mather (Lakes DHB chair), for Midlands and Sir Paul Collins (Wairarapa DHB chair), for Central. To read a profile of Pat Snedden, provided with free access to New Zealand Doctor, click here

Coroners' offices refuelled
Carla na Nagara was a coroner for 12 years before becoming director of the new Suicide Prevention Office in the Ministry of Health last October. The Law Society reports new appointees include Ms na Nagara’s replacement. They are: Donna Llewell, of Ngā Puhi, who worked for the Department of Conservation (Ms Llewell is appointed coroner for Rotorua); Bruce Hesketh, partner at Adams Hesketh (Rotorua); former district inspector for mental health and intellectual disability, Matthew Bates (Hamilton); and Robin Kay, of White Fox and Jones, a registered mental health nurse (Palmerston North).

Health insurer switches it up
Accuro Health Insurance will welcome Lance Walker as chief executive next month, after the retirement of Geoff Annals, formerly of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation NZNO. Mr Walker is boss of WellingtonNZ, the region’s economic development agency, and has also headed Cigna Life Insurance. The newest elected board member at Accuro, Erica Hodgson, is a former chair of the Occupational Therapy Board.