Meet the executive team members of Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand. Government appoints new Director General of Health Stacey Kirk 14:47, May 22 2018 RACHEL THOMAS/STUFF DHB chief executive Dr Ashley Bloomfield has been made Director General of Health.. She is a voluntary Chair of World Vision New Zealand. Covid-19 Omicron: MPs pay tribute to director general of health Dr Consumers should seek advice from a health professional and not act in reliance on any statement contained in the information provided. Dr Sarfati is currently the Acting Director-General of Health and Chief Executive, Ministry for Health, a role she has held since July 2022. [3] Andrew is a public health physician and previously held positions as Associate Chief Medical Officer for Waitemat District Health Board (DHB), and as Clinical Director, Health Gain for Auckland and Waitemat DHBs. Dr Jones has worked in public health for more than 30 years and has been part of the DHB executive leadership team as Health Improvement and Equity clinical director. Send your photos, videos and tip-offs to [email protected], or call us on 0800 . The ministry is also having farewells this week for. He has specialist qualifications in Medical Administration and General Practice. Northland . Dr Sarfati will act in the role until a permanent appointee takes up the Director-General position. Dr Mark Jacobs is the Director of Pacific Technical Support and WHO Representative to the South Pacific. In that regard, and in fairness to the Director-General, ministers need to be thinking about severing the umbilical cord that binds them sooner rather than later, and certainly well before May 2023. But the Health Act 1956 also provides that so long as the Director-General is a qualified medical practitioner, he or she can exercise the same powers in an emergency as a local Medical Officer of Health, but on a national basis. The role of director of public health was previously held by Dr Caroline McElnay, who resigned in April. Media queries: Grahame Armstrong 021 940 457 or [email protected]. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. This website is intended for a NZ health professional readership. Specializing in Health Promotion, and Public health project designing, service delivery and leadership. Margies career spans over 20 years in executive roles in the public sector in Wellington and Auckland. Her work has been focused on health systems, addressing inequity in health and cancer. Award-winning author and writer Steve Braunias brings you the best literary coverage in NZ with reviews, essays, and yarns to entertain and inform you every Saturday. As our journalists work to ask the hard questions about our recovery, we also look to you, our readers for support. Although based in the Public Health Agency, Dr Jones will also provide public health leadership to the National Public Health Service, the incoming Deputy Director-General for the Public Health Agency, Dr Andrew Old says. Caroline Ann McElnay QSO (/mk.lne/) is a medical officer in New Zealand. Sundays at 1:30pm and Monday morning at 12:30am, Dr Nicholas Jones has worked in public health for more than 30 years, Nursing solution to health worker shortage shot down by government, Monkeypox case in New Zealand 'not unexpected', say authorities, 'Huge disappointment' - Nurse solution to healthcare woes shot down, Covid-19 surge: Return to red setting would not help, PM says, Covid-19 surge: Mask use, boosters more effective at fighting virus than red setting - PM Jacinda Ardern, Christopher Luxon's State of the Nation speech: Affordable childcare plan unveiled, Wairoa residents slowly returning to homes as number of red-stickered properties reduces, 'They pretty much said she was dead': Mm addicted to meth, turned life around for ppi, Writer in residency positions give financial help and a physical space to write, Heavy rain watch for Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and Rotorua, 'I've done it all' - Sir Rod Stewart on getting older and staying fit, Prince Harry: I always felt different to rest of family. "It has been an incredibly busy two years and Niki is one of the heroes of our Covid response.". Lorraine started her career as a registered nurse and then progressed into roles as a Nursing Leader and Nursing Director accountable for strategy, workforce planning, policy and primary healthcare delivery. [12][13] In 1997, he graduated from the University of Auckland with a Master of Public Health degree, with first-class honours. Dr Nicholas Jones, who is currently Clinical Director and Medical Officer of Health at Te Whatu Ora Te Matau a Mui, Hawke's Bay, will take up the role based in the Public Health Agency. Use of this site implies acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Statement. Fionnagh brings a clinical background to her work. Audio. Nor should they have been expected to instead a multi-disciplinary, cross-agency approach should have been taken from the outset, as called for in the previous National-led governments updated 2017 pandemic action plan, to manage all aspects of the Governments response. ", "Coronavirus: Ashley Bloomfield is the face of NZ's virus defence", "The face of the Covid-19 response: Who is Ashley Bloomfield? He is passionate about the health reforms and the unique opportunity offered for all involved to reshape the system to better meet New Zealanders needs. She has worked at University of Otago Department of Public Health since 2004 and was Associate Professor and Professor there from 2013. John began his career in the Department of Conservation in 1989 (working on Treaty of Waitangi policy and negotiations), before moving on to the Ministry of Education (Mori Education Group) in 1991. Peter joins us from Te Ptaka Whaioranga Pharmac (also a crown entity) where he has had three stints, most recently as Director Engagement & Implementation. Maree held several senior roles in the Ministry for Social Development in Policy and Service Delivery and in the Ministry for Children. Dr Colin Tukuitonga has served as Pacific Community Director-General since January 2014. Ashley Bloomfield - Wikipedia Dr Sarfati will. by section 111(1) of the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000 (2000 No 91). Contribute to Newsroom and support quality NZ journalism. He was appointed in this position in August 2021. If you can help us, please click the button to ensure we can continue to provide quality independent journalism you can trust. In other words, it would generally be expected that the Director-Generals advice would be accepted by the minister. Outside her financial career path, she has also taken a keen interest in sustainable development and business practices. He is based at the organisation's headquarters in Noumea, New Caledonia. The Deputy Public Service Commissioner has today announced the appointment of Dr Diana Sarfati as Acting Director-General of Health and Chief Executive, Ministry of Health. A new director of public health has been announced by the Ministry of Health. She is expected to announce her leaving while fronting the 1pm Covid-19 press conference tomorrow. Peter Dunne was the leader of United Future and served as a minister in former National and Labour governments. Salary: NZ$69,629 Renal Avg. [5], She was appointed director of population health for Hawke's Bay District Health Board. The ministry is also having farewells this week for director of public health Dr Caroline McElnay, and public health deputy director Dr Niki Stefanogiannis. [2] This was a national role and involved leading a sizeable team from Whangarei to Southland delivering operations, maintenance and capital projects to local government clients across the country. It inherited the functions of the former Health Promotion Agency including public health and population health policy, strategy, regulatory, intelligence, surveillance, and monitoring. That is all very well but the far stronger counter argument is that it is in precisely such circumstances that the normal rules should be adhered to ensure that the best decisions are reached. Salary: NZ$68,467 Patient Counseling Avg. The question will still arise then about his future role. Keep up with the play with LockerRooms weekly newsletter dedicated to shining a light on NZ women in sport, curated by Suzanne McFadden. He is also excited to work closely with the Mori Health Authority and the Public Health Agency. Caroline Ann McElnay QSO ( / mk.lne /) is a medical officer in New Zealand. Photo: RNZ / Anusha Bradley. Photo / Michael Cunningham. [14], Between 2004 and 2006, Bloomfield was the Ministry of Health's acting director of public health. From January to October 2021, Joe was the primary carelead for the COVID-19 Vaccination and Immunisation Programme, and in November 2021 he became the clinical lead for COVID Care in the Community. Sarahs management career has included policy, service delivery and operations, as well as leading and embedding organisational change. Diana was previously Tumuaki, Chief Executive & National Director of Te Aho o Te Kahu - Cancer Control Agency and prior to that shewas National Director of Cancer Control at the Ministry of Health where she oversaw the implementation of the agency. Post comments with a Newsroom Pro subscription. Dr Nick Chamberlain has been appointed Health New Zealand's national director of the new National Public Health Service. Dr Tukuitonga, from the Pacific island of Niue, was formerly the Director of SPC's Public Health Division. Director-General of Health appointed 30 November 2022 The Deputy Public Service Commissioner has today announced the appointment of Dr Diana Sarfati as Director-General of Health and Chief Executive, Ministry of Health. From January 2020 he was seconded to the COVID-19 response for the Northern Region of New Zealand, becoming the Chief Clinical Officer in February 2022. He led the health response to the Havelock North campylobacter outbreak, co-chaired the Healthy Housing Coalition, provided leadership and expert advice on environmental health issues such as water regulation, and was part of Hawke's Bay's Covid-19 response. [2], McElnay, one of seven children, grew up on a farm in Bushmills, Northern Ireland. Whilst CEO of the Brisbane North Primary Health Network (PHN), Abbe successfully led the organisation through two significant government reforms to transition from a Division of General Practice to a Medicare Local and then to a PHN that commissions primary care services for a population of over one million people. Asked whether he had been asked to have a role in the new health system, which comes into effect on July 1, Bloomfield said he was "happy with the role I had" because it was where he could add the most value. Prior to this, he has held a series of senior public health leadership roles. Historically, the role of the Director-General, as chief executive of the Ministry of Health, has been to ensure the ministry carries out its statutory functions, including the medium and long-term sustainability of the public health system and is able to offer free and frank advice to successive governments. [29], In late July 2022, Bloomfield ordered 14 territorial authorities including the Auckland Council, Hastings District Council, New Plymouth District Council, Rotorua Lakes District Council, Tauranga City Council, Waitaki District Council, Far North District Council, and the Whangarei District Council to add fluoride to their water supplies. Every morning, get a snapshot of Newsrooms top 10 stories delivered to your inbox. As New Zealand moves from crisis to recovery mode the need to support local industry has been brought into sharp relief. She has been an impressive leader at the Cancer Control Agency., Dr Sarfati has considerable experience and a sound understanding of New Zealands health system and has strong relationships across the sector.. Maree has had a wide range of experience in the public service, primarily in social sector policy relating to children, young people, families and communities. The Deputy Public Service Commissioner has today announced the appointment of Dr Diana Sarfati as Acting Director-General of Health and Chief Executive, Ministry of Health. Director, Intelligence - Dr Juliet Rumball-Smith. In addition, he wants to broaden the reach of public and population health through our work with iwi, Mori and Pacifica providers into all our communities and localities. McElnay, C., & Hawke's Bay District Health Board,. Dr Sarfati has a PhD from the University of Otago, is NZ College of Public Health Medicine Fellow and until 2008 was a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine. Niki Stefanogiannis - Public Health Physician - LinkedIn The Deputy Public Service Commissioner has today announced the appointment of Dr Diana Sarfati as Acting Director-General of Health and Chief Executive, Ministry of Health. His entire life had been dedicated to the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders . Media release from the Deputy Public Service Commissioner, Diana Sarfati has been appointed the role of acting director-general of health and chief executive, ministry of health, This content was supplied and paid for by Hato Hone St John, Acting Director-General of Health appointed, How to Treat: Te Tumu Waiora three years on, New chair appointed, pay parity discussed at general practice forum, Evusheld no longer recommended by COVID technical advisers, A long way to go for Tairwhitis Mori residents hit by floods, Fifty years of after-hours care for Auckland celebrated by Shorecare stalwarts, Preserving the highly-valued priority of independence, Webinar: Ideas on culturally safe consultations - A discussion on communicating to improve medicine access equity, Measles: Urgency needed to address inequity and close immunity gap, REFORM SHORTS: Short fix of health reform news, A cyclone and its aftermath: How primary care faced the challenges of Cyclone Gabrielle, Keeping the front door open: ensuring access to primary care for all in Canada | Canadian Medical Journal, Strep A home-test kits sell out after spate of UK deaths sparks panic buying | The Guardian. As the chief steward for the health system, the Ministry will continue to set the strategic direction for health and will be responsible for developing national policy, regulation and monitoring. Between 2015 and 2019 Dr Sarfati was co-head and then head of the University of Otagos Department of Public Health. Since 11 June 2018, he has been the chief executive of the country's Ministry of Health and the country's Director-General of Health. Acting Director-General Of Health Appointed | Scoop News He led the health response to the Havelock North campylobacter outbreak, co-chaired the Healthy Housing Coalition, provided leadership and expert advice on environmental health issues such as water regulation, and more recently was pivotal to Hawkes Bays COVID-19 response. In this role, Jeremy provides national leadership for the planning and delivery of capital projects across the motu. [12] From 2012 to 2015, he held leading positions across district health boards with Capital & Coast District, Hutt Valley, and Wairarapa. If, as the Covid-19 emergency legislation suggests, the Government was keen to emphasise the traditional relationship between Cabinet and public servants, it would have been more logical, not to mention more in line with the Health Act, to give more prominence to the Director of Public Health, as the statutorily responsible public official. His previous roles include: Chief Executive Officer of . Head of WHO Office - World Health Organization He served as the chief executive of the Ministry of Health and the country's Director-General of Health from 2018 to 2022. He has held DHB lead Chief Executive roles in Primary Care and Public Health. McElnay, whose last day is tomorrow and whose resignation was announced to ministry staff in February, has regularly fronted press conferences throughout the pandemic, usually when Bloomfield has been away. Our structure - Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand [1] She was the director of public health for the New Zealand Ministry of Health from 2016 to 2022, and chaired the Pandemic Influenza Technical Advisory Group, which advises the Ministry on matters concerning the control of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand. Find out more about how we operate on the Our Structure page of this website. Prior to this, Robyn worked for the Health Research Council and in the Ministry of Health in workforce development, policy and leading the Mental Health Group. [3][4][5] His mother was a schoolteacher, while his father was a lieutenant colonel in the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (Territorial Force) and a manager at Mitsubishi Motors in Porirua, and was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1974 New Year Honours. "Along with many others in the health sector she has worked tirelessly, sacrificing many nights, weekends and weeks away from family to ensure that throughout our response, there has been strong, clear public health advice which has kept us all safe.". He was a member of an Independent External Review of SPC in 2012. [21][22][23] When Bloomfield played for an invitational Centurions side in their 2020 rugby match against the Parliamentary team, children took placards to the game to support him. The Director-General of Health is a pivotal role leading a sector critical to the overall wellbeing of New Zealanders. She initially trained as a registered general nurse followed by qualification as a mental health and addiction professional. He was also a member of the Mori review group advising on the health and disability reforms. "Dr Jones is very well-respected in the health sector, and he brings considerable experience and knowledge with him.". Dr Diana Sarfati was appointed to the role of Director-General of Health and Chief Executive of the Ministry of Health in November 2022 having acted in the role since July 2022. Salary: NZ$69,671 Allied Health Avg. Margie has a BCom from University of Auckland and an MPA (Exec) from Victoria University of Wellington. Within Manat Hauora, Robyn established the Mental Health and Addiction Directorate team and led the DHB Performance Programme which established an intensive support programme to support DHBs with performance challenges. Salary: NZ$67,497 Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) Avg. I am delighted to have Dr Jones join the team and am very much looking forward to working with him.. Dr Dale Bramley - National Director, Improvement and Innovation Dr Nick Chamberlain - National Director, National Public Health Service Fionnagh Dougan - National Director, Hospital & Specialist Services Jeremy Holman - Chief Infrastructure and Investment Officer Rosalie Percival - Chief Financial Officer [30], Bloomfield is to become the first professor of a new Public Policy Impact Institute at the University of Auckland's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. She was Director of the Cancer and Chronic Disease Research Group at University of Otago. That would have meant many of the problems now so obvious could have been identified at the outset, and either mitigated or avoided completely, by people who knew something about them, rather than relying on health officials, with no relevant experience, no matter how personally dedicated they might be, to try to sort out. "Niki has decided it's time for a break and to spend some time with her family. How does the Director-General step down from the quasi-ministerial current situation he will have been allowed to enjoy for nearly three years to the more routine one, sitting outside with every other chief executive waiting for the Cabinets decisions on matters affecting their portfolios, rather than sitting inside the room actively participating anymore? The Director-General is also responsible for the assets and liabilities on behalf of the Crown that are used by or relate to the Ministry of Health; and legislation administered by the Ministry of Health. Jacinda Ardern says a change in Covid-19 traffic light settings would not make a significant difference on surging case numbers. Dr Jacobs was previously the WHO Representative to Lao People's Democratic Republic from . Andrew was a 2018/19 Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellow, and was based between the Clinical Excellence Research Center at Stanford University and the Social Interventions Research Evaluation Network at UC San Francisco. The departures of Bloomfield, McElnay, and Stefanogiannis raise questions about what impact their vacancies will have in a pandemic that shows no sign of ending, with possible resurgences in cases in coming months, including over winter, and new variants inevitably arriving here. As the Acting Director-General, Dr Sarfati has focused on implementing and embedding the health system reforms. Dr Nicholas Jones, who is currently Clinical Director and Medical Officer of Health at Te Whatu Ora Te Matau a Mui, Hawkes Bay, will take up the role based in the Public Health Agency. This included working for the National Hauora Coalition and Procare Health and Homecare Medical. [32], Member of the Order of the British Empire, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, University of Auckland's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, "Covid 19 coronavirus: Ashley Bloomfield stuns boy, 6, with handwritten response to letter", "Dr Ashley Bloomfield asked burning questions in final AM interview, reveals star sign", "Ashley Bloomfield's rise to the top the inside story", "Covid-19 coronavirus: Inside Dr Ashley Bloomfield's work and family bubble", "Hilary Barry shares photo of teen Ashley Bloomfield performing in 1983 school production of Oklahoma! "I think that is terrible, and it's something we need to do something about.". The Governments first focus throughout the pandemic has been political choreography, not the public health response, writes Peter Dunne. During this time, she grew Te Pou to be internationally recognised for evidence-based workforce and information/research programmes in mental health, addiction and disability and she created strong sector partnerships to enhance peoples lives through service improvement. [15][16] From 2006 to 2010, he was the ministry's chief public health adviser. Her work has been focused on health systems, addressing inequity in health and cancer. With whnau whakapapa to Tikitiki in Tairawhiti, Peter is committed to achieving health equity for Mori and other priority populations. Executive leadership team | Ministry of Health NZ Like all departmental chief executives, the Director-Generals primary responsibility is to the minister, in this case the Minister of Health. Dr Sarfati has a PhD from the University of Otago, is a NZ College of Public Health Medicine Fellow and until 2008 was a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine. One of the more interesting aspects of the course of the Covid-19 pandemic in New Zealand since March 2020 has been the development of the role of the Director-General of Health. The Director-General of New Zealand | Newsroom The country's 12 public health units had no way of sharing details with each other at the start of the pandemic unless officials made phone calls to each other. Nicola Hill will act as Chief Executive of the Cancer Control Agency while Dr Sarfati is acting Director-General of Health. He then moved to the Downer Group, where as a GM, Jeremy ran Downers water sector business. Hitting "such high vaccination rates" had been a particular highlight, he said, including the high uptake for Mori and Pasifika aged 65 and older. Dr Nick Chamberlain appointed National Director, National Public Health She also led a Lancet Oncology series on cancer in small island developing states. Head of WHO Office. Greg has been a General Paediatrician at Starship for 14 years and Service Clinical Director for General Paediatrics for the last eight years. Indeed, ministers have frequently been unwilling to comment on any developing situation until they have received the Director-Generals advice.. He said he had been thinking about the right time to leave, but he still had "very mixed feelings because I work with amazing people". COMMENTS BY Jim Dowsett, Allan Vester, John Maindonald, Nick Duff & others, The Government has come to rely on the Director-General of Health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, in a way unprecedented in the NZ public service, writes Peter Dunne. We will miss her greatly," said a ministry email in February, obtained by the Herald, and written by McElnay. He sees relationships as being the foundation upon which good health care delivery is based and believes the value of continuity, which is at the heart of general practice, is vital in delivering better outcomes for people and their whnau. The focus ministers, the Prime Minister in particular, have placed on the Director-General, from the advice given to the Cabinet through to the constant participation in the increasingly political government media conferences, overlooks the reality that the legal responsibility from a public health perspective still rests with the Director of Public Health, who has been seen only when the Director-General is not available. [3], Bloomfield completed several years of clinical work and from 1996[10] specialised in public health medicine,[11] concentrating on non-communicable diseases. [27], In August 2021, Bloomfield apologised to the New Zealand Parliament's health select committee for providing them with incorrect information about a United Nations worker from Fiji who later tested positive for COVID-19. Prior to this, shewas Health and Specialist Services Chief Executive of Queenslands Childrens Hospital and its state-wide Health Service.