Regional leads for data and digital announced

NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

Four interim regional data and digital leads for Te Whatu Ora have been appointed across the motu.

Megan Milmine will cover the Northern Region, Stephen Miller the Central Region, Garry Johnston the Te Manawa Taki Region, and James Allison Te Waipounamu.

When announcing the appointments Stuart Bloomfield, interim Chief Data and Digital says, “we are extremely fortunate to have exceptional leadership capabilities across the motu”.

The roles started this month and run until March 2023.

Stephen Miller, interim Data and Digital Lead - Central Region, says the operating structure for Te Whatu Ora’s data and digital team across the motu is progressing, and he is excited about the opportunity to make a contribution.

“We need to harmonise activities where it makes sense, so we are maximising the health dollar, while supporting a borderless health system to bring services closer to people’s homes,” he says.

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Megan Milmine, interim Data and Digital Lead – Northern Region says data and digital is an enabler for the bold plans of Te Whatu Ora and the future of health services.

“I am really looking forward to continuing the fantastic mahi already underway across the Northern Region. Having regional leads means we can now collaborate further to ensure consistency of planning at a national level then work with our teams and wider partners to tailor these to the needs of our region.

“This is also an amazing opportunity to work more closely with our primary and community partners co-designing initiatives that will benefit our local people.”

Regional lead for Te Waipounamu, James Allison, says phase one of the new data and digital operating model is progressing through approvals, with phase two due to be completed by December this year, and he expects the regional leads to contribute to that consultation.

“Part of our role will be to help translate the operating model into the organisational model,” he says.

Te Whatu Ora data and digital needs to grow, so a key part of the regional roles will be to work with the district leads to “capture the hearts and minds” of the workforce, so they remain focused on the aspirational intent of the reforms, Allison says.

Garry Johnston, regional lead for Te Manawa Taki Region says he is delighted to lead and support the regional data and digital team through this “once in a generation opportunity”.

“I’m committed to representing our region's unique needs and strengths, whilst driving the adoption of national systems, methods and approaches,” he says.

“It’s our national reach and scale that will be the change as it can be leveraged to better support the health sector in our region - an opportunity that I am particularly excited by.”



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