The Roster Te Rārangi: Edition 13

In the primary care driving seat
Nikki Canter-Burgoyne (Ngāti Kahu, Te Rarawa) is dividing her time between her Northland lifestyle block and Wellington, where she started last month as manager primary care with the Ministry of Health. Ms Canter-Burgoyne says she looks forward to driving whānau-led healthcare initiatives to improve outcomes and self-determined wellbeing. A former St John paramedic, she worked until recently for primary health organisation Mahitahi Hauora as care improvement and health care home lead. She is completing a master of science in health psychology in her spare time.

Celebrating primary care
The Health Media Ltd is looking for primary healthcare individuals and teams using smart ways to better understand patients and communities, and planning their services accordingly. Why? We want to celebrate them, says director Anna Mickell. The company is accepting entries in the 2021 New Zealand Primary Healthcare Awards | He Tohu Mauri Ora. “In the inaugural awards, presented in February, it was exciting to see projects and people working towards better health and wellbeing for Māori and high-needs populations,” Ms Mickell says. “We want to see initiatives building on this work.” Entries close 15 November. The Health Media is publisher of The Roster Te Rārangi.

A word in Pharmac's ear
One of several new members of Pharmac’s Consumer Advisory Committee is Dunedin law graduate Hazel Heal, whose campaigning successfully boosted awareness of hepatitis C and the importance of the drug that can cure it. Ms Heal founded Hep C Action Aotearoa, where she remains a part-time advocate for people with the condition. She is also a founder of Global Health New Zealand, an organisation involved in international issues around medicines access, population health and human rights. Ms Heal formerly worked for Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and the Otago Mental Health Support Trust. Fellow new committee members are Robyn Manuel (Ngāpuhi), Leslie (Les) Robinson (Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Maniapoto), Mary Schnackenberg, Tui Taurua (Ngāpuhi), Sione Vaka, Vivien Wei Verheijen and Janfrie Wakim.

Canterbury DHB patch-up
Gaps are being filled at Canterbury DHB, which has lost several top-tier employees, including David Meates, its chief executive of 10 years (see The Roster Te Rārangi, issue 10). Mr Meates left on 4 September. Peter Bramley, the Nelson Marlborough DHB chief executive who has a PhD in medicine, is filling in at the top of Canterbury DHB for a few weeks, after which the current acting chief executive of Waitematā DHB, Andrew Brant, will take over, again in an acting capacity (issue 11).

In Carolyn Gullery's shoes
Also at Canterbury DHB, Ralph La Salle is filling the shoes of former executive director planning, funding and decision support Carolyn Gullery, whose role included working closely with primary care. Mr La Salle is a former chief executive of Gore Health Ltd and of St John of God Hauora Trust. He led primary and secondary care integration at Nelson Marlborough DHB before joining Canterbury DHB in 2012 as a project specialist in secondary care. David Green is acting executive director finance and corporate services, and Paul Lamb, acting chief people officer.

'From factory to patient'
A new national procurement general manager, Rod Treadwell, starts next month at the DHB-owned NZ Health Partnerships Ltd. In a media release, Mr Treadwell highlights the importance of being able to manage, or at least track, products “from purchase to use – from the factory to the patient”. The positive outcomes make this worthwhile, he says. For the past six years, he has been executive director procurement at shared services organisation HealthShare NSW in Sydney. He formerly headed infrastructure supply chain at Spark’s predecessor, Telecom NZ.

Speaking up for public health
Jim Miller is the new face of the New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine, having replaced Felicity Dumble as president. Dr Miller is a medical officer of health and also environmental health manager for Toi Te Ora Public Health, Bay of Plenty DHB. He trained in public health medicine in Yorkshire, England, was a consultant in communicable diseases and environmental health in Scotland, and moved to New Zealand in 2007. He has worked at the Bay ever since, but has had short-term secondments to the ministry.

Nurses in high demand
Recruitment website Seek has reported that employers are looking for nurses more than any other worker. The company quotes BNZ senior economist Doug Steel as saying: “Health has been a defining theme of 2020, so it’s little surprise the industry is seeing an increase in demand for roles such as nursing [first in the rankings] and psychology [at 13].” Mr Steel expects this to continue for some time. Administrative assistants were the second most-needed workers, warehouse/distribution, the third, and developers/programmers, fourth.
Image: Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Recruitment hotting up
Many health and wellbeing organisations want to get new hires recruited before the end of the year, so watch out for tight deadlines on applications. Spotted recently: Mental health umbrella group Platform/Atamira Trust seeks a new chief executive, with the departure early next year of Marion Blake. Ms Blake, says the trust, “has led the organisation with distinction for 20 years”. Pharmac is looking for a Māori programmes lead to play a key role in its Māori equity work. And Hutt Valley DHB is advertising for a service planning and integration manager. To all readers and anyone who has helped me gather information for this issue, thank you. Anyone can get connected by subscribing for free to The Roster Te Rārangi, so please share widely! Much appreciated.

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