Movers and Shakers – Autumn 2021 - Health Informatics New Zealand

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Movers and Shakers – Autumn 2021

Monday, 14 June 2021

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NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

Mike Collins

Mike Collins is moving on from Southern DHB to become the inaugural chief executive of Business South in July.

Collins is the executive director people, culture and technology at the DHB, which is in the planning stages for its new Digital Hospital in Dunedin.

Collins says one of his biggest achievements has been the working with the team to establish the DHB’s digital strategy and enabling a digital blueprint for the southern health system.

Also, “the strengthening of the digital teams culture, services and professional partnerships both internally and externally including relationships with other DHBs”, he says.

Collins’ team has secured the support of the DHB executive and board in the significant investment into future digital technology to support the new Dunedin hospital and wider health system.

James Allison

James Allison has been appointed chief digital officer for the Canterbury and West Coast DHBs.

His iwi is Ngāpuhi and he has most recently been working with Mahitahi, Northland’s primary health entity, where the focus is on collaborating with whānau, iwi, community, and health and social service providers to make Northland the healthiest place to live.

Allison has held a number of executive roles including as chief information officer and general manager of technology services at healthAlliance and senior IT executive at the Order of St John.

He will take up his position on 14 June.

Ryl Jensen

Ryl Jensen has been appointed in the newly created position of general manager for NZHIT.

Jensen has been active in the health and disability sector for a number of years, firstly being an advocate for women’s health and then later for digital interoperability. She is completing her final year of her Masters of Health at Victoria University, with a focus on health policy, planning, and systems structures.

“I am delighted to be in this role where I get to advocate for and help build a stronger community in the digital health sector through NZHIT. I am extremely passionate about New Zealand having a stronger more connected health system through digital enablement that will help lift health outcomes and improve efficiency across the health sector,” she says.

“It’s an exciting space to be in right now with the health reforms ahead and a national digital health platform on the cards.”

Trent Lash

Trent Lash has been appointed chief executive of industry body NZHIT.

He has worked in both the public and private sectors and led companies ranging from SME organisations to mid-sized companies, as well as running divisions of large multi-nationals.

Lash has consulted to companies and organisations in the non-profit and health & disability sector and is currently chair of a start-up social enterprise, healthcare charitable trust.

“I am passionate about the integration of secondary and primary healthcare services in New Zealand, to provide better patient outcomes at a community level, and world class, optimal healthcare for all New Zealanders and I see digital technologies as being pivotal to achieving this,” he says.

Savita Devi

Savita Devi has resigned as acting chief digital officer at Canterbury and West Coast DHBs after six months in the role, following the departure of Stella Ward last year,

During her time at the DHB, she had the opportunity to lead the Cloud Transformation Programme, Microsoft365 adoption and implementation, as well as Service Now support.

“The one thing I enjoyed the most was leading the team authentically and taking them on these transformational journeys,” she says.

Devi is now the technology and digital solutions manager at Connetics.

Damon Campbell

WellSouth’s new chief digital officer started on June 8, joining the Primary Health Network for Otago and Southland from a similar role at the Far North District Council.

“The health sector reforms and advent of the locality networks are exciting opportunities for information systems and digital transformation, but add to that the creation of the New Dunedin Hospital in the coming years – that to me makes Dunedin and Southern the place to be,” says Campbell.

“I get to be part of the conversation around “where do we want to go?” and help make that happen.”

A graduate of the former Southland Polytech with qualifications in Business Computing and an MBA from Massey University, Campbell will be based at WellSouth’s Dunedin office.

Belinda Allen

Belinda Allen has joined Healthpoint as director of partnerships and culture.

Allen is motivated to bring different people, groups and assets together, to build powerful and positive relationships that uplift and grow whanau and communities. With Māori and Pakeha whakapapa, she has a deep understanding of the strengths of both worlds, and what can be achieved independently or together.

With the health and disability sector poised for change, Allen looks forward to contributing her leadership to connecting more people to better healthcare.

"I'm incredibly excited to be joining the Healthpoint whānau and building upon the collaborative platform they have built in partnership with the health sector," she says.

Darren Jones

Darren Jones has been appointed InterSystems country manager, Australia and New Zealand.

Based in Melbourne, his role includes oversight of major information systems deployments including the delivery of a single, secure, electronic patient record across the Northern Territory, part of the territory’s largest ever IT reform.

“Throughout Jones’s many years with InterSystems, he has always embodied our business values with a commitment to excellence and to customer success,” said Luciano Brustia, regional managing director, Asia Pacific at InterSystems.

“With a deep understanding of our business and technology, as well as our customers’ challenges, Jones is well-positioned to lead our growing business in the region and to support the success of our customers.”