Movers and Shakers: Spring 2021

eHealthNews.nz: Workforce

Thursday, 14 October 2021

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NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

Becky George
Becky George has been appointed clinical director for the Hira programme, led out of data and digital at the Ministry of Health.

George has 20 years of occupational therapy, clinical informatics, and leadership experience and will be providing leadership for a clinical reference group, clinical interpretation and oversight of key documentation and communications, and strategic direction.

“My role as clinical director for Hira is to provide clinical leadership and expertise, over strategy, design, application, and integration across the Hira workstreams,” she says.

“This will support the delivery, implementation, and engagement of our clinical and health workforce with Hira. It’s essential that Hira supports and enhances clinical practice and process, we want to make sure the clinical workforce is onboarded and engaged fully to use Hira to its full potential.”

Martin Catterall
Martin Catterall has been appointed 3DHB – Capital & Coast, Hutt Valley, and Wairarapa DHBs – chief digital officer.

He was most recently part of the COVID-19 immunisation programme at the Ministry of Health where he created a new pharmacovigilant system to capture, assess and report adverse reactions to the vaccine.

Prior to that, Catterall held positions as chief information officer at St John and director for information technology and communications at the World Health Organisation in Switzerland, where he and his team deployed systems and technology to support staff in over 200 countries.

Catterall, who took up the role on 30 August 2021, replaces Tracy Voice, who left 3DHB to become group general manager, improvements, systems and technology at the Ministry of Social Development.

David Parry
After 20 years at Auckland’s University of Technology, Dave Parry is taking up a new position as Professor and Head of discipline, IT, Media and Communications (ITMC) at Murdoch University, Perth.

Parry was AUT’s head of Computer Science and did a lot of teaching and research in the eHealth space, including setting up programmes in health informatics. He says it was particularly exciting working with research students on mHealth projects for diabetes and medication safety as well as disaster ehealth and AI in healthcare.

Murdoch’s ITMC brings together different disciplines working on AI in healthcare as well as digital storytelling and serious games to support community healthcare initiatives.

Rowena Woolgar
Rowena Woolgar joins PwC New Zealand as an associate director in the Christchurch Office. She is driven by developing digital solutions to complex health and wellbeing problems, with an emphasis on the people and communities of the South Island.

She brings over 10 years of health sector experience across New Zealand and the United Kingdom and was most recently associate director of Allied Health at Canterbury DHB.

At PwC, Woolgar is delighted to combine her leadership experience in public and private healthcare, with her passion for digital health, change and project management, health systems improvement, and aged care.

Brian Biggs
InterSystems has appointed Brian Biggs as director, customer relations and sales, New Zealand.

Based in Auckland, Biggs will primarily lead sales and customer engagement across all current and future customers. He will be involved in the oversight of the New Zealand operations of InterSystems, including supporting the strengthening of the local team with new positions being filled to serve the company's growing base of local healthcare and other customers.

In the last few years, InterSystems has signed a number of new customers in New Zealand.Biggs is tasked with leading local efforts with respect to that growing customer base and ensuring that InterSystems is responsive to their needs.

Paul Graham
Former Clanwilliam Health chief customer officer, Paul Graham has recently joined Odin Health as the director of sales and marketing.

Auckland-based Odin Health has a global footprint of over 300 sites, including some of the world’s largest hospitals. Locally, Odin Health's NeXT Cloud integration solution provides the middleware layer used in the innovative Medtech ALEX platform.

In his new role, Graham will lead Odin Health’s expansion both domestically and into key markets including Australia, the United States and United Kingdom.

Cameron Burt
Rauland has appointed Cameron Burt as chief executive officer to lead the company for its next phase of local and international growth.

Burt has over 22 years’ experience in driving sales and innovation in healthcare and information technology. He has held senior executive positions in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions for NASDAQ listed company, Cerner Corporation.
Steve Gomes, executive director at Rauland New Zealand said Burt’s appointment will help the company further solidify its position as one of the leading providers of innovative technology solutions in the healthcare industry.

Anthony Wang
Anthony Wang has been appointed Fujitsu digital transformation director, health, Australia and New Zealand.

Wang, who previously worked as a doctor, has more than 20 years’ experience in enterprise IT strategy development and delivery.

In his most recent role as Chief Technology Officer at Ramsay Health Care, hespearheaded large-scale digital initiatives including the first doctor-based mobile application to access the Australian federal government’s My Health Record and the first digital patient flow program in Australian private hospitals.

Wang said, “The health sector’s major challenge is how it will transform into a patient-centric, technology-enabled post-pandemic world, while continuing to deliver healthcare seamlessly.”

Mike Giuffrida
Health Metrics has announced the appointment of Mike Giuffrida as its new CEO. Giuffrida will succeed Steven Strange, who co-founded the business and will remain actively involved as chief innovation officer.

Giuffrida is an experienced entrepreneur, having co-founded Acendre in 1997, one of Australia’s first enterprise SaaS companies. He will lead Health Metrics through the next phase of growth in the evolving health and social care sector and continue to drive the company’s vision to improve patient care outcomes through data and technology.

Strange said, “This is a big step in the right direction for Health Metrics. I’m delighted to have (Giuffrida) on board. He’ll be an outstanding CEO.”

Michael Nagal
Michael Nagal has been appointed PlatformPlus technical account manager responsible for Auckland, to support the growth the company is experiencing.

Nagal brings extensive relevant health IT experience including supporting health practices and GPs as well as working with Waitemata DHB and five years working at ProCare.

He has significant experience in providing end-user training both to clinical and non-clinical staff in medical businesses and practices improving users’ systems proficiency.

Peter Gregory, general manager of PlatformPlus, says Nagal’s appointment is a “key strategic move to further support the expanding demands of the PlatformPlus Health Hub services to Health businesses within the Auckland and wider regions.”

Liam McLeavey
Liam McLeavey has joined NZHIT as operations manager. He was previously operations manager at the Horowhenua Company in Levin, Horowhenua’s Economic Development Agency.

McLeavey has worked with a variety of businesses, from start-ups and SMEs, to family-owned and multi-national companies. He has held a range of local, regional, and national roles in the area of education, workforce, and labour market development.

McLeavey says he is passionate about improving access to healthcare and solving health inequities through new and innovative ways, such as digital health technologies.

As Chair of a Primary Health Organisation in the Manawatu, he has first-hand experience seeing how digital health products and services can improve outcomes for patients and create efficiencies for clinicians plus improve primary health care delivery overall.