The Roster Te Rārangi: Edition 27

Mana from the very start
Tā Mason Durie (Rangitāne, Ngāti Kauwhata, Ngāti Raukawa Te Au ki te Tonga), holder of the Order of New Zealand, leads the Steering Group advising on an interim board that will oversee the Māori Health Authority’s establishment. Tā Mason will advise on the best leaders to provide quality governance support to the interim authority, and on how the authority will be accountable to the Government and Māori. The Massey University emeritus professor has influenced health and education for more than 40 years and is noted for his holistic mental health framework, Te Whare Tapa Wha.

An impact on child cancer
Monica Briggs obtained masters degrees in management and science and worked in health management in the UK, before starting work for the then Southern Regional Health Authority in 1997. Ms Briggs moved on to the Ministry of Health in 1999; more recently, she had seven years as Auckland Regional Public Health Service general manager. Newly named to join the Child Cancer Foundation as chief executive next month, Ms Briggs is leaving the Centre for Social Impact, which she has headed for two years. She is a past president of the Public Health Association.

Crucial cultural role
Ranei Wineera-Parai (Ngāti Toa Rangatira) joined New Zealand Health Group earlier this year as group executive cultural advisor. The role is aimed at consolidating the company’s Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership approaches and helping promote cultural confidence between clients and staff. The company's subsidiaries include Geneva Healthcare and HealthCare New Zealand. Ms Wineera-Parai, who qualified in law and management, worked for the Wellington regional primary health organisation (PHO) Tū Ora Compass Health for more than 11 years and recently co-led a Porirua/Kāpiti team following up family harm incidents.

A voice for general practice
Wellington GP Justine Lancaster has started work as clinical chief advisor and a voice for general practice at the Ministry of Health. Dr Lancaster supports the ministry’s primary care and chief medical officer teams by providing clinical oversight, strategic professional advice and stakeholder engagement. A GP since 1997, she chairs the Wellington Faculty of the Royal NZ College of GPs (RNZCGP), and is a member of the Primary Care Leaders Forum. Since 2018, she has been the NZ regional group clinical advisor for HealthPathways, a collaboration that produces guidance for referral and treatment processes.

Illness prevention top of mind
Rawiri Blundell (Ngati Porou, Kahungungu) is the new population health manager for the Hutt Valley PHO Te Awakairangi Health Network, taking pro-equity approaches to build prevention capability across primary care. Mr Blundell has worked in community, DHB and primary care organisations, most recently as a regional Māori health manager for Hamilton-headquartered Pinnacle Midland Health Network. He has significant experience in diabetes prevention, cancer prevention and early intervention, Māori health, whānau ora and research, alongside his knowledge of Te Ao Māori, says the PHO.

Focus on Pasifika in 'pipeline'
Auckland anaesthetist Elizabeth Dunn (Cook Islands) has joined the Pasifika Medical Association’s membership board, with the aim of increasing “the pipeline of Pasifika medical students graduating from medical school and getting them into specialist and leadership positions within the medical profession”. Dr Dunn graduated in medicine from the University of Auckland in 2007, working in London and then earning her anaesthetics fellowship at Counties Manukau DHB working with patients at high risk.

South Seas GP joins the effort
Maryann Heather, a GP based at South Seas Healthcare in Ōtara, is another newcomer to the Pasifika Medical Association’s membership board. Dr Heather is Samoan and holds medical qualifications from the University of Otago and the University of Auckland, where she lectures in Pacific health. She has a range of work experience in New Zealand, Australia, Samoa, American Samoa and China. She graduated as a doctor in 1998 and qualified in general practice in 2014.

Maharey to chair ACC
Steve Maharey CNZM has joined the board of ACC and becomes chair at the end of July, with the retirement after 10 years of Dame Paula Rebstock. Mr Maharey chairs educational institute UCOL, Pharmac and Education New Zealand. A Labour MP for 18 years until 2008, he was minister of education, social development, employment housing and child, youth and family. He went on to lecture in sociology at Massey University, then served as vice-chancellor until 2016.

Casting an eye over decisions
New Plymouth consultant urologist Hazel Ecclestone and Dunedin barrister Alison Douglass have been appointed as an independent panel to review ACC’s surgical mesh-injury claim reassessments. New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa reports that, on request, the agency is reassessing claims from people who alleged harm from surgery using mesh products, but were declined cover. UK-trained Dr Ecclestone worked with the pelvic floor multidisciplinary team at St Mark’s Hospital, London, and moved to New Zealand last July. Ms Douglass, a specialist in health and disability law, formerly co-chaired the ACC Research Ethics Committee and the Wellington Ethics Committee.

It's not just about products
Cushla Currie will take the reins from Medical Technology Association chief executive Faye Sumner in coming weeks. Ms Currie says she aims to keep increasing national awareness of the medical technology industry, and to work with the sector to improve access, achieve equity and support improved health and socioeconomic outcomes for Māori through advanced medical device technologies and support. The national manager at health products supply-chain company OneLink, she was formerly business development director at Auckland UniServices.

New head for pharmacy school
University of Auckland associate professor Shane Scahill becomes head of the university’s School of Pharmacy in July, with Jeff Harrison stepping down after five years. Dr Scahill joined the school in 2018 as an associate professor in clinical pharmacy practice. He previously taught health services management at Massey University and, for 18 years, ran his own business focused on clinical education of GPs and nurses and project management for PHOs. He was also an Auckland PHO board member.

Financial, medical strings to bow
The RNZCGP has appointed GP Daniel McIntosh to its board after he won an election against two other candidates. Initially a chartered accountant, Dr McIntosh graduated as a doctor in 2012, starting his career at Waikato DHB then taking an emergency medicine role in Sydney. He has worked in general practice in Mt Maunganui since 2015, achieving fellowship of the college in 2019. Dr McIntosh serves on the college’s Waikato/Bay of Plenty Faculty board. He is a former college board apprentice and has chaired the audit and risk committee.

It's a Shore thing
North Shore, Auckland-based 24-hour urgent care provider Shorecare has appointed Andrew (Andy) Dixon as clinical director. Dr Dixon has been an urgent care doctor at Shorecare since 2019, after 10 years in a Qatar hospital treating acute medical and orthopaedic conditions in elite athletes. A University of Auckland 1993 medical graduate, he qualified in the urgent care specialty in 2001. He is a former medical director of three urgent care clinics in Auckland and has worked in North Shore Hospital’s emergency department.

Whaddya know, it's Budget time
The flurry of health news emanating from the Government has increased, with the Budget scheduled for 20 May. The item at the top of this edition of The Roster Te Rārangi, at least, was an encouraging example. If you have never heard Tā Mason Durie speak on health, Google up some audio or video and I think you will find it uniquely insightful. And apologies to GP leader Vanessa Weenink for reporting she is an Army major. (She was one.)

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