The Roster Te Rārangi: Edition 21

Ashley's charm offensive
Director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield has set up a new primary care reference group, which he chairs. New Zealand Doctor/Rata Aotearoa reports Dr Bloomfield as saying the General Practice Sector Group aims to ensure regular, transparent communication with the sector. The Ministry of Health told New Zealand Doctor attendees at the first meeting included: Rawiri Jansen, Rachel Thompson, Jeff Lowe, Celeste Gillmer, Samantha Murton, Jo Talarico and Jo Scott-Jones (general practice); Nick Chamberlain, Keriana Brooking and Cathy O’Malley (DHBs); Dr Bloomfield, Clare Perry, Don Matheson, Juliet Rumball-Smith, Rawiri Keenan, Monique Burrows and Nikki Canter-Burgoyne (ministry).

A commanding position
In 20 years with the New Zealand Defence Force, Maree Sheard was based in East Timor and Afghanistan, Ohakea, Linton and Trentham, and rose to lieutenant colonel and director of nursing services. The life suited Ms Sheard so much, she then served in the nursing reserve, and remains an honorary colonel commandant in the Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps. The former Middlemore Hospital, Kaikohe and Hawke’s Bay nurse moved to a senior nursing role with Whanganui DHB and lectured at Massey University. She recently joined Northland DHB as chief nursing and midwifery officer.

Another term for Dr Walker
Curtis Walker (Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Porou) was last week re-elected to chair the Medical Council of New Zealand for another 12 months. Dr Walker was first appointed as a council member in July 2015. He is also the kaihautu tuarua/deputy chair of Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa – Māori Medical Practitioners Association. In a media release, the council says he has a longstanding commitment to improving Māori health and is a strong advocate for health equity. He is a MidCentral DHB renal and general physician.

At the top of latest new agency
Health minister Andrew Little pointed to Hayden Wano’s 40-plus years’ service to the health sector, when announcing Mr Wano as chair of the board of the new Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission. Mr Wano (Te Ātiawa, Taranaki, Ngāti Awa) is chief executive of the Taranaki Māori development organisation and social and health services provider, Tui Ora Ltd. A Columbia University (US) and Massey University alumnus, he formerly chaired Taranaki DHB and the Health Sponsorship Council and was interim chair of the National Health Board, which ran from 2009 to 2016.

Around the board table
Joining Mr Wano on the board of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission – an independent Crown agency – are: Sunny Collings, Health Research Council chief executive, psychiatrist and former dean and head of campus at the University of Otago, Wellington; Alex El Amanni, lead addiction advisor at Kāhui Tū Kaha, a Ngāti Whātua not-for-profit provider of housing and mental health services; Kevin Hague, chief executive of Forest & Bird, former chief executive of West Coast DHB; Taimi Allan, chief executive of Changing Minds; and Jemaima Tiatia-Seath, co-head of school, Te Wānanga o Waipapa, School of Māori Studies and Pacific Studies at the University of Auckland.

Mental health office opens
And, lastly on the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, the first staff were on deck last week with Karen Orsborn their acting chief executive. Ms Orsborn headed the secretariat for the team that did preparatory work for the commission. She was formerly the Health Quality & Safety Commission’s director health quality improvement and deputy chief executive. The new commission is tasked with monitoring and reporting on the state of the mental health and wellbeing system, and advocating for system improvements and the collective interests of people who experience mental distress or addiction (or both) and those supporting them.

Reboot aims to strengthen
Podiatry New Zealand chief executive Jennifer Pelvin has been appointed to head the Federation of Primary Health Aotearoa New Zealand. Chair Steve Chadwick says Ms Pelvin has been appointed acting chief executive to “reboot” the federation “after a short period of reflection which will see the depth and breadth of its membership strengthened”. Ms Pelvin formerly chaired Allied Health Aotearoa, and represented it on the federation’s establishment board. Inaugural boss Jim Lindsay resigned over a year ago.

From the city to the regions
Anil Nair, director of Auckland City Hospital’s emergency department, has taken on study throughout his career, most recently adding medical administration to his bow. Dr Nair will shortly become chief medical officer at Tairāwhiti DHB, where Auckland surgeon Anne Kolbe has been acting in the role. Trained in Kerala, India, Dr Nair had his first New Zealand post at Christchurch Hospital in 1999. He has since qualified in emergency medicine, clinical epidemiology, health management and business administration, as well as medical administration. He has worked in Auckland for the past 20 years.

The 'whole of health' in the Bay
Tauranga GP Luke Bradford and Bay of Plenty DHB infectious diseases specialist Kate Grimwade are sharing an expanded, “whole of health system-focused” chief medical officer role at the DHB from this month. Dr Bradford co-chairs Western Bay of Plenty PHO, chairs the Primary Health Alliance, and is a member of the New Zealand Medical Association’s GP Council. As head of the general and acute medicine department, UK-trained Dr Grimwade was appointed leader of the DHB’s medical cluster in 2015. She is a registered internal medicine physician and a member of the Royal College of Physicians.

New and noteworthy
Not long ago, doctors echoed public outrage at the state of some of Counties Manukau DHB’s buildings. Now applications are sought for a director of infrastructure (property). Not normally a job in the public eye, but in this case…definitely. Elsewhere in the sector, a notable departure will occur later this year, with Faye Sumner resigning as chief executive of the Medical Technology Association of New Zealand after 30 years’ leadership. And doctors may wish to note the NZMA is seeking nominations by 26 February for several governance roles.

Open and active partnership
In the item at the top of this issue, Dr Bloomfield emphasises communication. He goes on to say on the New Zealand Doctor website (subscribe here) that the Ministry of Health wants to ensure it is engaged with the primary care sector and there is an open and active partnership with the sector and DHBs. “This is particularly important at the moment with the COVID-19 response, the COVID-19 vaccine campaign, and the Government’s pending decisions on the Health and Disability System Review. It is a time of change and uncertainty for GP practices,” he says. This uncertainty is widespread and is part of the reason The Roster Te Rārangi exists! Thanks to all for help filling this issue and spreading the word. Look out for us on social media and in your inbox. Share, like, follow and subscribe!

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