The Roster Te Rārangi: Edition 4

New on Nursing Council
Trans-Tasman health educator Dianne Wepa is a new lay member of the Nursing Council of New Zealand. Dr Wepa, of Ngāti Kahungunu, has written and presented widely on cultural safety and clinical supervision. She teaches courses such as Māori mental health at AUT in Auckland and first peoples’ health at the University of South Australia in Adelaide. A registered social worker with interests in mental health, youth health and Māori health, Dr Wepa is a member of the Lotteries Commission health research committee.

Cancer role for Otago professor
Noted public health physician, cancer epidemiologist and equity researcher Diana Sarfati starts on 1 July in a three-year term as chief executive of the Cancer Control Agency. Professor Sarfati has been in the acting role since last December and, for three months prior to that, was national director of cancer control. The head of the public health department at the University of Otago, she has PhD, master of public health and medical degrees. She holds several international roles, including with the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Primary care in the Bay
The board of primary health organisation (PHO) Health Hawke’s Bay – Te Oranga Hawke’s Bay has elected Na Raihania as chair. Mr Raihania is a member of the Hawke’s Bay DHB’s Māori Relationship Board and of the Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou board. He is a former Tairāwhiti DHB board member. The PHO’s new deputy chair is Nicola Toynton, who has been a GP in England and New Zealand for 35 years. Dr Toynton served on the UK’s General Medical Council and Royal College of General Practitioners.

Pharmacy leader chosen
Billy (William) Allan started last month as pharmacy manager with the Ministry of Health after a few weeks at the heart of New Zealand’s COVID-19 response, the National Health Coordination Centre. Mr Allan had an award-studded six years as chief pharmacist for Hawke’s Bay DHB. He was recently medication safety specialist at the Health Quality & Safety Commission. Beyond his day job, he has been a Pharmac board member, Pharmaceutical Society executive member and Hospital Pharmacists’ Association president.

Mātauranga Māori strengths
University of Waikato associate professor Māui Hudson researches the application of mātauranga Māori (indigenous knowledge) to governance and decision-making in new technologies relating to health, the environment and innovation. One of six appointees to a new governance advisory board for Stats NZ, Dr Hudson is co-author of ethical guidelines on Māori research, genomic research with Māori and biobanking with Māori. He is based at the university’s Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies.

Advising on mental health
The new clinical chief advisor in the Ministry of Health mental health and addiction directorate is Wellington psychiatrist Arran Culver. Dr Culver recently served as clinical leader of younger persons community mental health for Capital & Coast, Hutt Valley and Wairarapa DHBs and volunteered at Evolve Youth Service. He has worked in child, adolescent, youth and adult mental health, in kaupapa Māori and mainstream services, and in youth and adult forensic care. He was formerly deputy chair of the Child and Youth Mortality Committee.

Lecturer's new venture
Researcher Alesha Smith is a director of new company Matui, formed to produce resources that address medicines access equity and support responsible use of pharmaceuticals. Matui is contracted to Pharmac for this work and is a joint venture of The Health Media and Dr Smith’s company, Airmed. Dr Smith is a senior lecturer in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Otago. Her research interests include pharmacy, primary care, big data in health, health services research, health equity, quality use of medicines and e-learning. Disclosure of interest: The Health Media publishes The Roster Te Rārangi.

Southern alliances
A new chair, Stuart Heal, starts shortly at Alliance South, the partnership between Southern DHB and WellSouth primary health network. Mr Heal takes over from general practice academic and GP Carol Atmore. He chairs several business boards and is a past chair of New Zealand Cricket. A separate organisation, the South Island Alliance, brings together the five DHBs of “the mainland”. This alliance’s board has three new members: Sir John Hansen, of Canterbury DHB; David Cull, of Southern DHB; and Rick Barker, of West Coast DHB.

Leaving energy world behind
A new chief executive of health IT organisation Patients First starts next month. He is Mark Corbitt, who has replaced Helmut Modlik. Mr Corbitt has held tech leadership roles with Aurora Energy, Contact Energy and Delta Utilities. Also a former chief information officer for the then Housing New Zealand, he has recently worked with MidCentral DHB’s digital team on strategic planning. Patients First is owned by General Practice New Zealand and runs the GP2GP system that transfers medical notes.

The last word in GP education
The Royal New Zealand College of GPs has named Napier GP Kerryn Lum as its censor in chief. In the role, Dr Lum will be providing academic governance in education, training and assessment, and assisting with education strategy with attention to equity for Māori and health equity in general, says the college. One of its distinguished fellows, Dr Lum is chair of the college’s Hawke’s Bay Faculty. She practises at Tamatea Medical Centre and has been teaching GP registrars in Hawke’s Bay since 2008.

Who's recruiting? Please share!
So much change is afoot with health and wellbeing roles right now! I note the Social Wellbeing (formerly Investment) Agency is recruiting a chief executive, as is the Fred Hollows Foundation, while Tairāwhiti DHB has Auckland paediatric surgeon Anne Kolbe as acting chief medical officer. I’m waiting to hear about a new boss at the Association of Counsellors, clinical lead at primary mental health agency Fresh Minds, and chief Māori health advisor at Corrections. As always, I'd be happy if you forwarded this to anyone who interested in people on the move in health. Thanks – Virginia McMillan, editor: vmcmillan@nzdoctor.co.nz or 021 914 699.