Leadership roles confirmed as Centre for Digital Modernisation of Health progresses

NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

Health New Zealand has confirmed the leadership structure for its Centre for Digital Modernisation of Health, appointing eight directors to oversee delivery of the 10-year Health Digital Investment Plan (HDIP) launched at Digital Health Week in November 2025.

The centre, which began operating on 1 December 2025, is a strategic imperative as the current state of health technology is a "primary blocker to achieving national health goals", the HDIP future procurement opportunities notice says.

A key initiative for 2026 involves establishing a panel for strategic implementation partners to support large-scale programme delivery, risk-sharing, and innovative funding models.

Lara Hopley has been appointed chief clinical digital modernisation officer, providing clinical leadership to ensure digital solutions support clinicians and improve care delivery.

The leadership team also includes; Lance Elder as director of enterprise architecture; Brian More as director of strategy; Ben Copsey as director of HDIP Investment; and Yvette Keys as director of change management office.

Kevin Ross has been appointed director of run ahead, identifying and evaluating emerging technologies and innovative delivery models, and Josh Tabor heads the Digital Academy, responsible for building digital capability across Health NZ. 

A centre director is being recruited, with Stephen Crombie in the interim role.

Helen Lear, who is head of centre operations, says the centre “continues to progress well through its establishment phase".

“Recent engagement sessions with Health New Zealand teams, suppliers, and government agencies have helped refine the Centre’s early ways of working and align planning for delivery of the Health Digital Investment Plan (HDIP).”

The notice of future procurement opportunities provides a comprehensive list of planned procurements for the year and will be updated as the delivery plan is refined.

The procurement list includes market sounding activities for a next-generation Digital Health Platform, encompassing Electronic Health Records and core clinical systems. 

National platforms for virtual-enabled care will support delivery of healthcare services remotely using telecommunication and information management technologies.

Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) platforms will support 'Hospital in the Home' models of care, and radiology systems procurement will address national requirements across the health system. 

Market engagement is starting for national Human Capital Management system and a panel will be established for public cloud hosting services and implementation partners to support cloud migration services. 

A National Integrated Operating Centre and Patient Flow platform will provide real-time visibility for optimising hospital operations and patient flow.

Multiple panels for specialised clinical applications will cover various categories including anaesthetics, cardiology, and laboratory systems. 

Patient engagement platforms will support patients and whānau to access health records and services, whilst national telephony and Wide Area Network solutions will provide foundational infrastructure.

The HDIP strategic implementation partners arrangement will include key delivery capability areas, which may be added to and extended as the programme progresses and requires different implementation capabilities. 

Lear says initial priorities for 2026 include completing establishment activities for the centre, including appointing a permanent director and releasing further secondment opportunities for Health New Zealand staff. 

“The centre will focus on embedding the target operating model and delivery frameworks whilst progressing planning and portfolio management for the Health Digital Investment Plan,” she tells eHealthNews.

Image: Lara Hopley, clinical digital modernisation officer, Centre for Digital Modernisation of Health

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