Dr Diana Sarfati was appointed to the role of Director-General of Health and Chief Executive of the Ministry of Health in November 2022 having acted in the role since July 2022. Dr Nick Chamberlain has been appointed Health New Zealand's national director of the new National Public Health Service. She is a Fellow of the New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine and is registered with the New Zealand Medical Council. Dr Sarfati holds Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Public Health and Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees from the University of Otago. But it cant continue to conceal its hand for long. Andrew is a public health physician and previously held positions as Associate Chief Medical Officer for Waitemat District Health Board (DHB), and as Clinical Director, Health Gain for Auckland and Waitemat DHBs. As our journalists work to ask the hard questions about our recovery, we also look to you, our readers for support. He is also excited to work closely with the Mori Health Authority and the Public Health Agency. This page was last edited on 1 January 2023, at 06:36. In her substantive role as Chief Executive, Te Aho o Te Kahu, the Cancer Control Agency, Dr Sarfati made good progress towards the goals and outcomes of the New Zealand Cancer Action Plan 2019-2029. *See Pacific Health regional structure under Regional Leadership below. The Director-General of Health is a pivotal role leading a sector critical to the overall wellbeing of New Zealanders. The Governments first focus throughout the pandemic has been political choreography, not the public health response, writes Peter Dunne. Head of WHO Office. "I think that is terrible, and it's something we need to do something about.". McElnay, whose last day is tomorrow and whose resignation was announced to ministry staff in February, has regularly fronted press conferences throughout the pandemic, usually when Bloomfield has been away. [8], Bloomfield graduated Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Auckland in 1990. Bloomfield chose the nickname "The Eliminator" for the match, in which he opened the scoring with the first try. [3], Bloomfield completed several years of clinical work and from 1996[10] specialised in public health medicine,[11] concentrating on non-communicable diseases. [18] Former prime minister, Geoffrey Palmer, remarked about Bloomfield: "It is a long time since a public servant has become so well-known. Dr Sarfati has held a number of national and international roles. In a career which also includes banking and insurance, Rosalies most recent roles prior to joining us as CFO have included serving as chief financial officer for Te Whatu Ora Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley, and Auckland and Waitemat. The fact that there has been no official rejection of his comment suggests it is in fact government policy, so he was either making public something that had already been decided but not yet announced, or, worse, that he was telling the nation and the government at the same time what he expected to be the case. The Deputy Public Service Commissioner has today announced the appointment ofDr Diana Sarfati as Director-General of Health and Chief Executive, Ministry ofHealth. A new Director of Public Health has been appointed and will join Manat Hauora on 15 August, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says. She completed her Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) at the University of Otago in 1991. Historically, the role of the Director-General, as chief executive of the Ministry of Health, has been to ensure the ministry carries out its statutory functions, including the medium and long-term sustainability of the public health system and is able to offer free and frank advice to successive governments. "[19] Despite the health workforce crisis, government health officials have given short shrift to an unprecedented proposal to double the numbers of specialised nurses who can cover for a shortfall of GPs. She also led several change programmes relating to Child, Youth and Family, Vulnerable Children and the Ministerial Work Programme on Family and Sexual Violence. Photo / Michael Cunningham. From January 2020 he was seconded to the COVID-19 response for the Northern Region of New Zealand, becoming the Chief Clinical Officer in February 2022. There may be those who would say that the exigencies of the Covid-19 response have been such that it is pedantic and unrealistic to expect normal conventions to apply during such a time, when the focus should be on getting things done, rather than how they are done. He also has extensive experience working for Bay of Plenty DHB including time as the Clinical Director of Innovation and Improvement and as Acting Chief Medical Officer. Media queries: Grahame Armstrong 021 940 457 or grahame.armstrong@publicservice.govt.nz. As Deputy Director General, Dean and his teams are working with colleagues across the health system to ensure evidence, research and innovation are embedded in the way we collectively deliver our work. Bloomfield will be in his role for the first stages of the new health system, with the establishment of Health NZ and the Mori Health Authority from July 1, replacing the country's 20 district . Martinhas a doctoral degree from AUT examining health workforce change. P.S- Working as a public health professionals in New Zealand and currently not in clinical practice. Prior to this Dr Sarfati was National Director of Cancer Control at the Ministry of Health to oversee the implementation of the agency. Dr Nicholas Jones, who is currently Clinical Director and Medical Officer of Health at Te Whatu Ora Te Matau a Mui, Hawke's Bay, will take up the role based in the Public . Diana is a public health physician, cancer epidemiologist and health services researcher, and she has a PhD from the University of Otago. Photo: Supplied. Rather, as the current problems with border control, managed isolation, economic re-integration, and policing demonstrate all too bleakly, it required a whole of government approach that the Director-General of Health and the ministry were never going to be capable of providing. Dr Sarfati will act in the role until a permanent appointee takes up the Director-General position. Margie's most recent role was as Chief Executive Officer, Counties Manukau Health. "She has been a tower of strength to me personally and to the rest of the ODPH (public health team). Start your day with a curation of our top stories in your inbox, Help us create a sustainable future for independent local journalism. ", "Bird flu campaign to target 1.4m households", "Dr Ashley Bloomfield: Director-General of Health and Chief Executive", "The extremely competent, somewhat boring civil servant who has New Zealanders' hearts aflutter", "Geoffrey Palmer: Hallelujah! Im pleased to announce that Dr Nicholas Jones will take the role of Director of Public Health, which is so important to the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders, Dr Bloomfield says. This provision was designed with a short-term national health crisis in mind and was the initial authority that the Government turned to when Covid-19 broke out. Dr Ashley Bloomfield scores try in annual parliamentary rugby match", "The best dressed Kiwis list is out, who makes the cut? That would have meant many of the problems now so obvious could have been identified at the outset, and either mitigated or avoided completely, by people who knew something about them, rather than relying on health officials, with no relevant experience, no matter how personally dedicated they might be, to try to sort out. He returned to the Ministry of Health and took up his current position in 2019. The way in which this Government has abruptly elevated the role of the Director-General of Health to be virtually the most important public servant of all over the past 18 months will surely have disrupted the standing relationship between departmental chief executives that will not easily be restored once he is returned to the ranks so to speak. She was Director of the Cancer and Chronic Disease Research Group at University of Otago. As lead for Performance Improvement, she was instrumental in delivering new equity approaches within planned care delivery in Auckland. | Learn more about Dr. Dhamotharan . [24][25][26], In November 2020, Bloomfield was named one of the best-dressed men on David Hartnell's best-dressed list. The Director of Public Health is a key statutory role providing public health leadership across the Public Health Agency and the National Public Health Service within Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand), and provides professional support and oversight for Medical Officers of Health. Rosalie is an inclusive leader and brings strong sector leadership to our executive team. But the Health Act 1956 also provides that so long as the Director-General is a qualified medical practitioner, he or she can exercise the same powers in an emergency as a local Medical Officer of Health, but on a national basis. to ensure the health system delivers for all New Zealanders, with a focus on achieving more equitable outcomes for Mori. These local authorities have between six months and three years depending on the circumstances to ensure that their water supplies are fluoridated. ", "Covid 19 coronavirus: Ashley Bloomfield apologises to MPs for giving wrong information on infected UN staffer", "Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield to step down from role", "Dr Ashley Bloomfield orders 14 councils' water supplies to be fluoridated", "Ashley Bloomfield appointed University of Auckland professor", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ashley_Bloomfield&oldid=1132654386, This page was last edited on 9 January 2023, at 22:39. New Zealand Doctor Online is intended for a New Zealand health professional readership. Contribute to Newsroom and support quality NZ journalism. McElnay, C., & University of Manchester. Indeed, ministers have frequently been unwilling to comment on any developing situation until they have received the Director-Generals advice.. Catch up on the week's top stories, written by our award winning authors. How much of the air you're breathing is air someone else exhaled? [9][3] About the same time, he married his wife, Libby, also a doctor, and the couple went on to have three children. Before moving into the role of interim Regional Director Northern at Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand, Fionnagh was the Chief Executive of Capital & Coast and Hutt Valley DHBs from 2019 to 2022. This was seen as more in line in with conventional practice, and consistent with the traditional relationship between ministers and chief executives. Rosalie Percival has over 20 years experience in executive level financial and accounting roles, the majority in healthcare settings. The Prime Ministers recent admission that the Director-General attends Cabinet meetings when Covid-19 is being discussed reinforces the worrying reality that the Director-General is now no longer an impartial public servant, but an unelected quasi-minister participating in the Cabinets decision-making in a way that no public servant previously has ever been allowed to do, no matter the crisis at hand, or which party has been in government. [3][4][6], Bloomfield grew up in Tawa, a suburb of Wellington, and was educated at Scots College, where he was head prefect,[3] dux, played 1st XV rugby[7] and was a member of the cast of the college's production of Oklahoma! Interim Executive Director,Change Management Office TBA, Mahaki Albert, Maiaka Whakaruruhau Tikanga (Chief of Tikanga), National Director Markerita (Meg) Poutasi. "Along with many others in the health sector she has worked tirelessly, sacrificing many nights, weekends and weeks away from family to ensure that throughout our response, there has been strong, clear public health advice which has kept us all safe.". Uncertainty about upcoming health sector reforms may also have been a factor, with the ministry being moved into a strategy and monitoring role while Health NZ will run the health system. by section 111(1) of the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000 (2000 No 91). Jeremy started his career as a Royal Engineer officer in the in the British Army where he held a variety of leadership roles delivering critical infrastructure and large-scale construction programmes on deployed operations and across the defence estate. [3] Labour haslargely kept silent on its own views on when and how to move New Zealand to a new phase in dealing with Covid-19, relying expressly on officials and the science. Find out what support is available near you. In legal and statutory terms, the phrase have regard to generally means that the minister, must specifically and separately listen to the advice being proffered. [32], Member of the Order of the British Empire, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, University of Auckland's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, "Covid 19 coronavirus: Ashley Bloomfield stuns boy, 6, with handwritten response to letter", "Dr Ashley Bloomfield asked burning questions in final AM interview, reveals star sign", "Ashley Bloomfield's rise to the top the inside story", "Covid-19 coronavirus: Inside Dr Ashley Bloomfield's work and family bubble", "Hilary Barry shares photo of teen Ashley Bloomfield performing in 1983 school production of Oklahoma! Perhaps in part due to the relative effectiveness of the COVID-19 measures taken by the New Zealand Government, Bloomfield has developed a cult following. He would also bed in the reforms as he was staying on as director general until July 29. And in the midst of a pandemic caused by an airborne virus, where are the riskiest places to be? At the same time, however, the minister was required to have regard to the advice of the Director-General. These tensions created now will not be easily papered over. Dr Nicholas Jones was announced on Monday as the new director of public health at the NZ Ministry of Health. He said he had been thinking about the right time to leave, but he still had "very mixed feelings because I work with amazing people". 21 Jun, 2022 06:30 PM 3 mins to read. The new Director of Public Health will provide leadership across the system, helping us stay closely connected with the new entities Te Whatu Ora and Te Aka Whai Ora, Dr Old says. Dr Jones has worked for Te Whatu Ora Te Matau a Mui, Hawke's Bay (Hawke's Bay. But he was happy for him because he "thoroughly" deserved a break. Interim Director, Prevention - Astrid Koornneef. Her role at Manat Hauora has involved looking after the machinery of government and integrity processes associated with supporting Ministers, the Director-General and the Executive Team. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Public Health and Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees from the University of Otago. She was also joint Associate Director of Nursing: Mori at Auckland District Health Board and the University of Auckland for four years. Peter joins us from Te Ptaka Whaioranga Pharmac (also a crown entity) where he has had three stints, most recently as Director Engagement & Implementation. That is all very well but the far stronger counter argument is that it is in precisely such circumstances that the normal rules should be adhered to ensure that the best decisions are reached. She also led a Lancet Oncology series on cancer in small island developing states. Renewed council efforts to control Otagos most notorious pest are not equal to the task of keeping rabbit numbers down a review has found. In November 2020, Dr Jones was awarded a New Zealand Public Service Medal Award for his exceptional contribution to health in Hawkes Bay. One of the more interesting aspects of the course of the Covid-19 pandemic in New Zealand since March 2020 has been the development of the role of the Director-General of Health. [12][13] In 1997, he graduated from the University of Auckland with a Master of Public Health degree, with first-class honours. Dean has led the analytics function across the Ministry, focussing on growing capability and standardising the way in which analytics and analysis are created and used. Clare previously held the role of Deputy Director General for Health System Improvement and Innovation with a responsibility for a range of regulatory functions that ensure public safety through the regulation of providers, therapeutic products, and services. This follows the director general of health's surprise resignation that was announced earlier today, with his last day at the end of July. John then undertook a number of significant roles in tertiary education, including as: Chief Advisor Wnanga, Tertiary Education Commission; Deputy Chief Executive, Te Wnanga o Aotearoa; and Chief Operating Officer, Taratahi Institute of Agriculture. He joined Manat Hauora from the Bay of Plenty DHB where he was Executive of Director Allied Health, Scientific and Technical. Dr Jones has worked in public health for more than 30 years and has been part of the DHB executive leadership team as Health Improvement and Equity clinical director. Sarah joined Manat Hauora in early 2019 from the Ministry of Justice, where she spent eight years in group management and deputy secretary roles, with her work including service design and improvement, service commissioning, and implementing legislative change. Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield in the Beehive theatrette. Markerita has also worked as the Director of Pacific Health for the Northern Region Health Coordination Centre where she led the regional (from Northland to Counties Manukau) approach to the Pacific health response to COVID-19 and partnered with the Pacific Provider Collective to develop a regional commissioning framework to deliver adaptive models of care. Interestingly, the statutory responsibility for personal health matters relating to public health; and regulatory matters relating to public health, such as pandemic response, lies with the Director of Public Health, not the Director-General. 5 Director-General of Health These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. Fionnagh has also been Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland and a Past President of Children's Healthcare Australasia. Margie has a BCom from University of Auckland and an MPA (Exec) from Victoria University of Wellington. "The ministry also retains significant public health expertise including through two remaining Deputy Directors of Public Health, and other clinical advice on board as part of our broader Covid response. He led the health response to the Havelock North campylobacter outbreak, co-chaired the Healthy Housing Coalition, provided leadership and expert advice on environmental health issues such as water regulation, and more recently was pivotal to Hawkes Bays COVID-19 response. Use of this site implies acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Statement. Jeremy holds a Master of Business Administration, is a Chartered Engineer and is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (UK). From September to November 2019, she was the National Director of Cancer Control at the Ministry of Health. Every morning, get a snapshot of Newsrooms top 10 stories delivered to your inbox. Send your photos, videos and tip-offs to newstips@stuff.co.nz, or call us on 0800 . The director of public health will provide leadership across the Public Health Agency and support for medical staff. She is also a director on the boards of Beyond Blue, Australia's most recognised mental health charity. If you can help us, please click the button to ensure we can continue to provide quality independent journalism you can trust. Robyn came to Manat Hauora with a vast range of sector experience having been the CEO for Te Pou o te Whakaaro nui for ten years. Andrew received his medical and public health degrees from the University of Auckland and is a Fellow of both the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine and of the New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine. Director, Transformation - Dr Maria Poynter. Reader donations are critical to what we do. A new Director of Public Health has been appointed and will join Manat Hauora on 15 August, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says. Dr Sarfati will. But, sadly, yet again, rather than rely on previous practice or international advice, this Government thought it knew best. [2], McElnay's resignation as director of public health was announced to Ministry of Health staff in February 2022. Bloomfield was born in Napier[1] in March 1966,[2] one of three children of Allan Olaf Bloomfield and Myreine Alice Bloomfield (ne Osborne).