The Roster Te Rārangi: Edition 26

A profound impact
Jo Lambert arrives at the Stroke Foundation next month, taking over from Mark Vivian as chief executive. “Stroke has had a profound impact on my life through my parents,” says Ms Lambert, who has served on the foundation’s board for two years. Previously early learning manager for children’s charity Barnardos, she has also been chief executive of consultancy Maven. The foundation thanked Mr Vivian – who retires after 15 years in the role – and said he revolutionised its outpatient support and stroke prevention.

In familiar territory
Darrio Penetito-Hemara (Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Tamaterā, Ngāpuhi) is the new kaiwhakahaere matua, chief executive at Toi Tangata. An agency that develops, delivers and champions kaupapa Māori-based approaches to kori (physical activity) and kai (nutrition), Toi Tangata is familiar territory for Mr Penetito-Hemara, who previously had nine years there in senior roles. More recently, he was rautaki Māori (Māori strategist) at Healthy Families Waitākere. He replaces Megan Tunks (Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Te Whakatōhea), who is Māori lead, pou oranga ake at Toi Te Ora, the Bay of Plenty and Lakes DHBs’ public health service.

Managing from isolation
Tracey Maisey (nee Adamson) will replace Carolyn Gullery (The Roster Te Rārangi, edition 10) as executive director planning, funding & decision support at Canterbury and West Coast DHBs. Ms Maisey is working on national programmes for NHS England, and will be in managed isolation when starting her new job on 7 June. Acting director Ralph La Salle will rejoin planning and funding. Ms Maisey spent seven years in senior health management in Qatar, after three years as Wairarapa DHB chief executive.

The CMO is in the house
Helen Skinner, who leads older persons’ health and rehabilitation services at Canterbury DHB, steps up on 1 June as chief medical officer for the DHB. Sue Nightingale resigned from this post last August; Richard French is acting in the job meanwhile. Dr Skinner qualified in the UK in 1996, then specialised in elderly and general internal medicine. At Canterbury DHB for the past four years, she has been a member of numerous leadership groups.

Wellington, land of the free...
David Robinson is leaving MASH, a mental health, addictions and disability support NGO, after three years as chief executive, to join Wellington Free Ambulance as chief executive. Mr Robinson is a former Te Papa Tongarewa chief operating officer who has senior management experience in the New Zealand Army and Defence Force. A commerce graduate and MBA holder, he attended Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Programme in 2016.

First new boss in 30 years
Southern Cross Healthcare joint venture Active+ has appointed Mike Bignall as chief executive. Mr Bignall had seven years with ACC, most recently as rehabilitation manager, and has been a manager for Pharmac. He is qualified in psychology, economics and public policy. He will replace Active+ managing director Gill Webb, who leaves in June after 30 years at the helm. Active+ clinics offer preventive and rehabilitative services, including physio, occupational health, dietetics and counselling.

A Waikato welcome
Waikato DHB has welcomed Lisa Gestro to a new role: executive director strategy, investment and transformation. In 2000, Ms Gestro became the then Southland DHB’s first planning and funding manager. She held senior roles at Auckland and Counties Manukau DHBs, and her most recent role took her back south in 2017 as Southern DHB’s executive director, strategy, primary and community. Prior to this, Ms Gestro led a major programme at ACC.

Historic, but short term
Health minister Andrew Little appointed Sharon Shea (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngaiterangi) to chair Bay of Plenty DHB. Ms Shea, a consultant, becomes the DHB’s first permanent Māori chair. She has been interim chair since Michael Cullen’s resignation a year ago for health reasons. A former member of Auckland and Northland DHBs’ boards, she chaired the Māori Expert Advisory Panel for the Health and Disability System Review, and called for the new Māori Health Authority to have commissioning powers. As New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa editor Barbara Fountain discusses in the System Fix podcast, the authority will have such powers, but DHBs will disappear.

GP moves to deputy's seat
Newly selected by the minister to be Ms Shea’s deputy chair at Bay of Plenty is Geoff Esterman. Dr Estermam is a GP with special interests in paediatric and sports medicine, and minor skin surgery. He has been sole director and GP at Gate Pa Medical Centre in Tauranga since 1996, and has served on the DHB board since 2013. He is a former director of Western Bay of Plenty Primary Health Organisation (PHO).

Well prepared for Capital role
Lawyer Stacey Shortall (Raukawa) has been appointed to the Capital & Coast DHB board and will be deputy chair to David Smol. Ms Shortall is partner, dispute resolution and litigation at MinterEllisonRuddWatts. She has had experience on complex cases in New York and, early in her career, worked on Waitangi Tribunal claims. Ms Shortall has a master’s degree of law from Canada in indigenous self-governance. In 2019 and 2020, she was a semi-finalist in the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Award. She founded the charity Who Did You Help Today.

Professor's new job
He has been dean of the Otago Medical School, establishment board chair of Ngāi Tahu-led health service Te Kaika and, in 1990, co-founder of Porirua Union & Community Health Service. He has a PhD in primary healthcare but is a public health physician and professor. He is Peter Crampton, of Kōhatu, the Centre for Hauora Māori at the University of Otago, and he has been appointed deputy to Southern DHB chair Pete Hodgson (edition 23). Professor Crampton was a member of the Health and Disability System Review Panel.

Deputy mayor, deputy chair
A Tairāwhiti DHB board member since 2016, Josh Wharehinga (Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata, Te Arawa, Ngāti Wai) has been appointed deputy chair, under Kim Ngarimu. Mr Wharehinga is Gisborne deputy mayor and has been a district councillor since 2014. His community involvement has included organisations such as Feed Tairāwhiti, Gizzy School Lunches and Horouta Waka Hoe Waka Ama club. A father of six, Mr Wharehinga researched traditional Māori fatherhood for his master’s degree in applied indigenous knowledge.

A new voice for doctors
Alistair Humphrey will replace Warkworth GP Kate Baddock as chair of the New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA). A public health doctor and a Christchurch GP, Dr Humphrey was already an NZMA board member prior to his recent election. He has had 20 years as a medical officer of health at Canterbury DHB, is a former clinical governor of Waitaha PHO, and has been part of national groups on pandemic preparedness and climate change. He served in the Solomon Islands and in Australia with the Flying Doctors.

The NZMA team
Vanessa Weenink is the new deputy chair of the NZMA. Dr Weenink is a partner and GP at Papanui Medical Centre in Christchurch. A director of PHO Pegasus Health and a member of the clinical governance committee for Whakarongorau (edition 25), Dr Weenink is an Army major and has served in Afghanistan and East Timor. She chairs a primary care reference group for the NZ Defence Force. The other NZMA board members are Marlborough GP Buzz Burrell, Wellington otolaryngologist Cathy Ferguson and Auckland general practice owner Jan White.
Image: John Foster

Stay strong during upheavals
Just as The Health Media Ltd expected, 2021 is the start of upheavals in the health sector; that's exactly why we are here with The Roster Te Rārangi. Good relationships will remain the key to providing health and social care as new organisations are developed under the Government’s health reforms. So we hope The Roster can help strengthen connections throughout the changes. Thank you to all who provided information for this edition.

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