PHO Alliance announces new chairman

8 November 2011

PHO Alliance announces new chairman

Mike Ward is the new PHO Alliance chairman following the retirement of Hamish Kynoch who held the role since the organisation became an Incorporated Society in 2006.

Mike’s appointment was announced at the PHO Alliance’s recent Annual General Meeting.

Mike is Chairman of the Whanganui Regional PHO and has been involved with the PHO Alliance since its inception, and has served on the executive committee for the past two years. He is also a director of Gonville Health and manages the Whanganui Community Living Trust. His particular areas of interest are the disability sector and the community not-for-profit sector.

Mike says he is looking forward to the challenges of his new role and to working with the executive committee to determine the strategic focus for the next year.

“Given the pending election, the landscape is fairly fluid at present however, it is likely the strategy will involve closer working relationships with the National Health Board, better engagement with DHB chairs and their chief executives and a continuation of relationship building with national general practice organisations. The PHO Alliance will also be looking for ways in which to demonstrate the continued value of PHOs in specific and practical terms,” he says.

Also elected to the executive committee were:

Dr Denis Lee - Chair of East Health Trust PHO and a General Practitioner in Auckland for the past 23 years. Denis’s areas of interests are in aged and palliative care and in the management of chronic conditions.

Allan Marriott - Chair of Rural Canterbury PHO. Allan has a background in education, community development and in primary health and is also a published writer in both fiction and non-fiction. Allan’s special interests are access to health services for those in rural and remote communities and aged care.

Catherine Abel-Pattinson - Senior Manager, ProCare Limited in Auckland. Catherine has a broad knowledge of the primary health sector from a provider, clinical and management perspective and has held previous roles in the biotech industry and hospital management.

Hamish Kynoch - Immediate past chair of the PHO Alliance and past chair of Hawke’s Bay PHO. Hamish is a farmer with a background in NGOs and community governance and local government. Hamish has made himself available for a further year to provide continuity to the executive committee and will continue to hold the role as lead PSAAP negotiator for the PHO Alliance.

About the PHO Alliance

The PHO Alliance is an organisation of 19 PHOs and Networks covering a combined enrolled population of 2.8 million New Zealanders and has as its central goal to be the “hub for the development, exchange and promotion of policies and strategies that advance the objectives of the Primary Health Strategy through its member organisations”.

ENDS

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