Our voices: The journey to healthy futures | Ō mātou reo: Te huarahi ki pae ora
Te Tāhū Hauora Health Quality & Safety Commission’s He Hoa Tiaki | Partners in Care team is hosting a one-day event on 25 May 2023 in Ōtautahi Christchurch. It will focus on the journey to healthy futures | te huarahi ki pae ora.
We are excited to announce Dame Valerie Adams, Francis and Kaiora Tipene from The Casketeers, Jake Bailey, Alexandra Nicholas, and Koral Fitzgerald as our speakers, with Arrun Soma as our MC.
Download the programme for the event here: PDF (647KB).
Accessibility
Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre is designed with an accessible layout for wheelchairs. Registered disability assist animals are permitted. Due to limited space between seating rows, booking a wheelchair bay with a carer seat may provide more comfort for both patron and animal.
New Zealand Sign Language interpreters and a hearing loop will be available at the event. Infrared hearing augmentation is available throughout the event centre; please speak with a guest services assistance at Te Pae if you require this assistance. For more information about the venue and location please visit the Te Pae website here.
Contact us
For any queries, please email us via consumers@hqsc.govt.nz or call us on 0800 275 742 (there is no charge for this call).
To find out more or join the consumer health forum Aotearoa, click here.
Why should you attend?
One of the goals of our health system is to ensure that the voices of consumers and whānau are valued and prioritised in the health sector. This includes the voices of Māori, Pacific peoples, tāngata whaikaha | disabled people, older people, rural, ethnic and rainbow communities.
- Learn about how consumers and whānau can engage and partner with our health sector to ensure consumer perspectives are reflected in the design, delivery and evaluation of health services.
- Understand what it means to apply Te Tiriti o Waitangi in practice honouring mātauranga Māori.
- Explore what it means for the health sector to take a ‘health equity for all’ approach.
- Apply and build on knowledge gained from our communities to improve the quality of the health system in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The organisers of this conference are committed to making it productive and enjoyable for everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, nationality or religion.
By attending this conference, you are agreeing to follow these code of conduct guidelines:
- Please behave professionally. Harassment and sexist, racist, or exclusionary comments or jokes are not appropriate. Harassment includes:
- sustained disruption of talks or other events
- inappropriate physical contact, sexual attention or innuendo
- deliberate intimidation
- stalking
- photography or recording of an individual without consent
- offensive comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, nationality or religion.
- All communication should be appropriate for a professional audience, including people of many different backgrounds. Sexual language and imagery are not appropriate.
- Be kind to others. Do not insult or put down other attendees.
Participants who display inappropriate behaviour will be asked to stop and expected to comply immediately. Anyone violating the code of conduct guidelines outlined above may be asked to leave the event at the sole discretion of the organisers without a refund of any charge.
Any participant who wishes to report a violation of these code of conduct guidelines is asked to speak, in confidence, to the conference organiser at Te Tāhū Hauora Health Quality & Safety Commission. All concerns raised will be responded to within 7 working days.
Please contact us at events@hqsc.govt.nz or call 0800 275 742.
Download the event code of conduct (692KB, pdf).
Event code of conduct
The organisers of this conference are committed to making it productive and enjoyable for everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, nationality or religion.
By attending this conference, you are agreeing to follow these code of conduct guidelines:
- Please behave professionally. Harassment and sexist, racist, or exclusionary comments or jokes are not appropriate. Harassment includes:
- sustained disruption of talks or other events
- inappropriate physical contact, sexual attention or innuendo
- deliberate intimidation
- stalking
- photography or recording of an individual without consent
- offensive comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, nationality or religion.
- All communication should be appropriate for a professional audience, including people of many different backgrounds. Sexual language and imagery are not appropriate.
- Be kind to others. Do not insult or put down other attendees.
Participants who display inappropriate behaviour will be asked to stop and expected to comply immediately. Anyone violating the code of conduct guidelines outlined above may be asked to leave the event at the sole discretion of the organisers without a refund of any charge.
Any participant who wishes to report a violation of these code of conduct guidelines is asked to speak, in confidence, to the conference organiser at Te Tāhū Hauora Health Quality & Safety Commission. All concerns raised will be responded to within 7 working days.
Please contact us at events@hqsc.govt.nz or call 0800 275 742.
Download the event code of conduct (692KB, pdf).
Keynote speakers
Francis and Kaiora Tipene from The Casketeers are passionate funeral directors and beloved Netflix stars. Francis (Te Rarawa) discovered his calling more than 13 years ago, with his first job at a funeral home in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Since then, his passion for the job has blossomed into a fully fledged vocation, with he and his wife now running their very own funeral directing business – Tipene Funerals. Kaiora (Te Rarawa, Ngāi Takoto) met Francis at Te Wananga o te Takiura (Māori training college), and now her role as company director is integral to the successful running of Tipene Funerals. Their aroha for their jobs, along with their success, led to the hugely popular Casketeers series as well as the release of their number one best-selling book, Life as a Casketeer: What the Business of Death Can Teach the Living. Francis and Kaiora share how they bring the traditional values of tikanga Māori into day-to-day living. Through their social media, Kaiora and Francis share their remarkable experiences and knowledge of a part of life that touches everyone eventually.
We are excited to announce the legendary Dame Valerie Adams will join us as a keynote speaker. She is one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most successful and celebrated Olympic athletes. Dame Valerie has competed at five editions of the Olympic Games, winning a staggering two golds, one silver and one bronze medal in shot put.
Throughout her health journey, Dame Valerie has been a role model for others, showing that with determination and hard work, it's possible to overcome even the most challenging obstacles. She has also been an advocate for health and wellness, and shared her experiences in women’s health and fertility, and diabetes.
In addition to her impressive athletic achievements, Dame Valerie is also the subject of a powerful 2022 documentary film Dame Valerie Adams: More than Gold. Her experiences and insights are sure to inspire our attendees, and we are honoured to have her share her story with us at the forum.
Don't miss this opportunity to hear from one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most remarkable athletes and public figures.
Jake first caused a global sensation in 2015, when his prize-giving speech as head boy at Christchurch Boys’ High School went viral. A week before he was due to deliver this speech, Jake was diagnosed with the most aggressive form of cancer known to man and given two weeks to live if this was left untreated. Jake persevered through to make his speech from a wheelchair, the video of which went on to touch the hearts of tens of millions and draw praise from across the globe.
Since being announced in remission in 2016, Jake has gone on to share his story with over 70,000 people, through hundreds of speeches across dozens of cities. Through his development of resilience and wellbeing strategies for corporates, organisations and schools across the globe, Jake has educated audiences ranging from elite athletes to children in rural towns, Fortune 500 CEOs to prison inmates and foreign governments to retirement homes on how we can most successfully overcome the adversity we all inevitably face in life.
Jake is driven by having himself seen the powerful impact that resilience has had on his own life both during and post-cancer, and consequently knowing the potential which this trainable and attainable skill can have on the success and happiness of others.
Read more here.
You can watch Jake’s speech here.
Keynote speakers: Francis and Kaiora Tipene
Francis and Kaiora Tipene from The Casketeers are passionate funeral directors and beloved Netflix stars. Francis (Te Rarawa) discovered his calling more than 13 years ago, with his first job at a funeral home in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Since then, his passion for the job has blossomed into a fully fledged vocation, with he and his wife now running their very own funeral directing business – Tipene Funerals. Kaiora (Te Rarawa, Ngāi Takoto) met Francis at Te Wananga o te Takiura (Māori training college), and now her role as company director is integral to the successful running of Tipene Funerals. Their aroha for their jobs, along with their success, led to the hugely popular Casketeers series as well as the release of their number one best-selling book, Life as a Casketeer: What the Business of Death Can Teach the Living. Francis and Kaiora share how they bring the traditional values of tikanga Māori into day-to-day living. Through their social media, Kaiora and Francis share their remarkable experiences and knowledge of a part of life that touches everyone eventually.
Keynote speaker (Q&A): Dame Valerie Adams
We are excited to announce the legendary Dame Valerie Adams will join us as a keynote speaker. She is one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most successful and celebrated Olympic athletes. Dame Valerie has competed at five editions of the Olympic Games, winning a staggering two golds, one silver and one bronze medal in shot put.
Throughout her health journey, Dame Valerie has been a role model for others, showing that with determination and hard work, it's possible to overcome even the most challenging obstacles. She has also been an advocate for health and wellness, and shared her experiences in women’s health and fertility, and diabetes.
In addition to her impressive athletic achievements, Dame Valerie is also the subject of a powerful 2022 documentary film Dame Valerie Adams: More than Gold. Her experiences and insights are sure to inspire our attendees, and we are honoured to have her share her story with us at the forum.
Don't miss this opportunity to hear from one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most remarkable athletes and public figures.
Keynote speaker: Jake Bailey
Jake first caused a global sensation in 2015, when his prize-giving speech as head boy at Christchurch Boys’ High School went viral. A week before he was due to deliver this speech, Jake was diagnosed with the most aggressive form of cancer known to man and given two weeks to live if this was left untreated. Jake persevered through to make his speech from a wheelchair, the video of which went on to touch the hearts of tens of millions and draw praise from across the globe.
Since being announced in remission in 2016, Jake has gone on to share his story with over 70,000 people, through hundreds of speeches across dozens of cities. Through his development of resilience and wellbeing strategies for corporates, organisations and schools across the globe, Jake has educated audiences ranging from elite athletes to children in rural towns, Fortune 500 CEOs to prison inmates and foreign governments to retirement homes on how we can most successfully overcome the adversity we all inevitably face in life.
Jake is driven by having himself seen the powerful impact that resilience has had on his own life both during and post-cancer, and consequently knowing the potential which this trainable and attainable skill can have on the success and happiness of others.
Read more here.
You can watch Jake’s speech here.
Speakers
Ko Ngātokimatawhaorua tōku waka Ko Whakarongorua tōku maunga Ko Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Raukawa, Rarotonga, Mangaia ngā iwi Ko Alex Nicholas tōku ingoa
Born and raised in South Auckland and currently living in Northland, Alex is a leader and collaborator, ambitious about creating transformational change in and through people. She has invested her time in work that contributes to advancing equitable outcomes for Māori, Pacific and marginalised communities in health and education. Most recently, she was whānau and consumer experience lead at Mahitahi Hauora primary health entity responsible for directing a team with expertise in change, continuous quality improvement, project management and consumer engagement to improve standards of care and safety in primary health care delivery across Tai Tokerau. Prior to this she was strategic advisor community programmes at Safekids Aotearoa, Starship’s national child injury prevention service, using people-centred approaches and consumer voice to keep tamariki safe from injury.
A career highlight was leading an award-winning community organising campaign to improve Polynesian youth mental health and wellbeing in South Auckland where she trained and worked as lead organiser at Ko Awatea, centre for health innovation and system improvement.
Alex has presented and led community organising training in the UK, USA, Australia and Aotearoa and intrinsically operates within the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi to acknowledge, protect and enhance mana Māori and self-determined wellbeing. While whānau Māori and Pacific are close to Alex’s heart, she is a firm believer that all disenfranchised communities can and must be supported to lead their own solutions to historic, social and health inequities.
Koral is a senior project facilitator for Canterbury Clinical Network (CCN). Koral began her health career as a radiation therapist in Ōtautahi Christchurch then spent a decade supporting young people living with cancer. Koral joined CCN in 2014 and has supported work across rural, pharmacy and population health. She is passionate about relationship development and building health around our communities.
Spotlight on Kia Kotahi Partnership in Design with Koral Fitzgerald
Designed by CCN, Kia Kotahi Partnership in Design puts people and whānau at the centre of hauora (health and wellbeing) service design. Its foundations lie in the Canterbury Māori Health Framework and co-design methods. Join us to learn more about how this model is being applied across the district and implications for its broader use.
Read more here.
Ko Taupiri tōku maunga
Ko Waikato tōku awa
Ko Tainui tōku waka
Ko Waikato/Tainui, ko Ngāti Raukawa, ko Ngāti Manipoto ōku iwi Engari,
Ko Ōtautahi tōku kainga inaianei
Ko Steven Kaminski tōku pāpā
Ko Raewyn King tōku māmā
Ko Brooke tōku ingoa
Brooke is a project facilitator at Canterbury Clinical Network (CCN) and is a recent graduate of the Bachelor of Applied Science degree (Human Nutrition). During her studies she completed her practicum at Te Whatu Ora with the Mana Taurite tīma, worked as a programme co-ordinator for a wāhine student group and worked as a researcher in both a Kī-o-Rahi study and a seaweed study. After graduating she worked as a Kaiāwhina for 6 months at Burwood and Christchurch public in ED. Brooke began her role with CCN at the beginning of this year (2023), supporting groups who are focused on rural, population and Māori health.
Wendy Dallas-Katoa (Kāti Mamoe, Waitaha, Ngai Tahu) has over 30 years of experience in the health sector in a variety of governance roles and has represented Māori interests on several boards and organisations. Wendy undertakes research that seeks to reduce health inequalities for Māori and was part of the team that developed the Meihana Model. Wendy is a Kaumātua with He Hono Wāhine (subcommittee of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists) and Te Tātai Hauora o Hine (the Centre for Women's Health Research).
Within CCN, Wendy is part of the Leadership Team, Māori Caucus and co-Chairs the Population Health & Access Service Level Collaborative (PHASLC).
Angie Smith (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Ruapani ki Waikaremoana, Ngāi Tūhoe) is co-chair of Te Tāhū Hauora Health Quality & Safety Commission’s Te kāhui mahi ngātahi | Consumer advisory group (Te kāhui mahi ngā). From Wairoa, and a member of the Te Whatu Ora Te Matau a Māui, Hawke’s Bay health consumer council, Angie is passionate about her communities’ health. Angie says it is a privilege to be in these roles and serve her communities. She feels strongly about best representing the interests of Māori, rural, older adult and health consumers in Wairoa and across Aotearoa.
Russ Aiton is co-chair of Te kāhui mahi ngātahi and chairs the National Consumer Council Chairs Group. Locally, Russ is chair of Te Whatu Ora Te Tai o Poutini West Coast’s consumer advisory group. He is also involved in several Te Tāhū Hauora work programmes, including the national quality forum. Through his own lived experience as a health consumer, Russ is interested in the challenges raised by living rurally and accessing equitable health care.
Deon York is director of consumer engagement at Te Tāhū Hauora, responsible for all aspects of the internal and external consumer engagement strategies and activities. His prior experience spans the public, private and community sectors. He is involved nationally and internationally with the haemophilia community, having worked for more than 25 years to improve care. Deon is driven by contributing to a health sector that is determined and shaped by what matters to the people it serves.
Catherine Gerard is assistant director, health quality intelligence at Te Tāhū Hauora. Her role includes supporting health quality intelligence work and she is also responsible for the national patient experience survey programme and the Atlas of Healthcare Variation. Catherine has recently returned from a secondment at Manatū Hauora Ministry of Health as programme manager, system level measures and health system indicators framework. Her background includes managing a clinical research programme and clinical guideline implementation.
Martin Carrell is a Quality Programme Manager with Pegasus Health PHO based in Christchurch. His role includes supporting the achievement of quality standards in general practice and promoting quality improvement opportunity for primary care. Martin has been a contributor to the Patient Experience Survey since its inception and currently sits on the national Patient Experience of Care Steering Group providing governance to the programme. Martin has recently returned from a secondment managing elements of the primary care COVID response across Canterbury.
Speaker: Alexandra Nicholas
Ko Ngātokimatawhaorua tōku waka Ko Whakarongorua tōku maunga Ko Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Raukawa, Rarotonga, Mangaia ngā iwi Ko Alex Nicholas tōku ingoa
Born and raised in South Auckland and currently living in Northland, Alex is a leader and collaborator, ambitious about creating transformational change in and through people. She has invested her time in work that contributes to advancing equitable outcomes for Māori, Pacific and marginalised communities in health and education. Most recently, she was whānau and consumer experience lead at Mahitahi Hauora primary health entity responsible for directing a team with expertise in change, continuous quality improvement, project management and consumer engagement to improve standards of care and safety in primary health care delivery across Tai Tokerau. Prior to this she was strategic advisor community programmes at Safekids Aotearoa, Starship’s national child injury prevention service, using people-centred approaches and consumer voice to keep tamariki safe from injury.
A career highlight was leading an award-winning community organising campaign to improve Polynesian youth mental health and wellbeing in South Auckland where she trained and worked as lead organiser at Ko Awatea, centre for health innovation and system improvement.
Alex has presented and led community organising training in the UK, USA, Australia and Aotearoa and intrinsically operates within the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi to acknowledge, protect and enhance mana Māori and self-determined wellbeing. While whānau Māori and Pacific are close to Alex’s heart, she is a firm believer that all disenfranchised communities can and must be supported to lead their own solutions to historic, social and health inequities.
Speaker: Koral Fitzgerald
Koral is a senior project facilitator for Canterbury Clinical Network (CCN). Koral began her health career as a radiation therapist in Ōtautahi Christchurch then spent a decade supporting young people living with cancer. Koral joined CCN in 2014 and has supported work across rural, pharmacy and population health. She is passionate about relationship development and building health around our communities.
Spotlight on Kia Kotahi Partnership in Design with Koral Fitzgerald
Designed by CCN, Kia Kotahi Partnership in Design puts people and whānau at the centre of hauora (health and wellbeing) service design. Its foundations lie in the Canterbury Māori Health Framework and co-design methods. Join us to learn more about how this model is being applied across the district and implications for its broader use.
Read more here.
Speaker: Brooke Kaminski
Ko Taupiri tōku maunga
Ko Waikato tōku awa
Ko Tainui tōku waka
Ko Waikato/Tainui, ko Ngāti Raukawa, ko Ngāti Manipoto ōku iwi Engari,
Ko Ōtautahi tōku kainga inaianei
Ko Steven Kaminski tōku pāpā
Ko Raewyn King tōku māmā
Ko Brooke tōku ingoa
Brooke is a project facilitator at Canterbury Clinical Network (CCN) and is a recent graduate of the Bachelor of Applied Science degree (Human Nutrition). During her studies she completed her practicum at Te Whatu Ora with the Mana Taurite tīma, worked as a programme co-ordinator for a wāhine student group and worked as a researcher in both a Kī-o-Rahi study and a seaweed study. After graduating she worked as a Kaiāwhina for 6 months at Burwood and Christchurch public in ED. Brooke began her role with CCN at the beginning of this year (2023), supporting groups who are focused on rural, population and Māori health.
Speaker: Wendy Dallas-Katoa
Wendy Dallas-Katoa (Kāti Mamoe, Waitaha, Ngai Tahu) has over 30 years of experience in the health sector in a variety of governance roles and has represented Māori interests on several boards and organisations. Wendy undertakes research that seeks to reduce health inequalities for Māori and was part of the team that developed the Meihana Model. Wendy is a Kaumātua with He Hono Wāhine (subcommittee of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists) and Te Tātai Hauora o Hine (the Centre for Women's Health Research).
Within CCN, Wendy is part of the Leadership Team, Māori Caucus and co-Chairs the Population Health & Access Service Level Collaborative (PHASLC).
Speaker: Angie Smith
Angie Smith (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Ruapani ki Waikaremoana, Ngāi Tūhoe) is co-chair of Te Tāhū Hauora Health Quality & Safety Commission’s Te kāhui mahi ngātahi | Consumer advisory group (Te kāhui mahi ngā). From Wairoa, and a member of the Te Whatu Ora Te Matau a Māui, Hawke’s Bay health consumer council, Angie is passionate about her communities’ health. Angie says it is a privilege to be in these roles and serve her communities. She feels strongly about best representing the interests of Māori, rural, older adult and health consumers in Wairoa and across Aotearoa.
Speaker: Russ Aiton
Russ Aiton is co-chair of Te kāhui mahi ngātahi and chairs the National Consumer Council Chairs Group. Locally, Russ is chair of Te Whatu Ora Te Tai o Poutini West Coast’s consumer advisory group. He is also involved in several Te Tāhū Hauora work programmes, including the national quality forum. Through his own lived experience as a health consumer, Russ is interested in the challenges raised by living rurally and accessing equitable health care.
Speaker: Deon York
Deon York is director of consumer engagement at Te Tāhū Hauora, responsible for all aspects of the internal and external consumer engagement strategies and activities. His prior experience spans the public, private and community sectors. He is involved nationally and internationally with the haemophilia community, having worked for more than 25 years to improve care. Deon is driven by contributing to a health sector that is determined and shaped by what matters to the people it serves.
Speaker: Catherine Gerard
Catherine Gerard is assistant director, health quality intelligence at Te Tāhū Hauora. Her role includes supporting health quality intelligence work and she is also responsible for the national patient experience survey programme and the Atlas of Healthcare Variation. Catherine has recently returned from a secondment at Manatū Hauora Ministry of Health as programme manager, system level measures and health system indicators framework. Her background includes managing a clinical research programme and clinical guideline implementation.
Speaker: Martin Carrell
Martin Carrell is a Quality Programme Manager with Pegasus Health PHO based in Christchurch. His role includes supporting the achievement of quality standards in general practice and promoting quality improvement opportunity for primary care. Martin has been a contributor to the Patient Experience Survey since its inception and currently sits on the national Patient Experience of Care Steering Group providing governance to the programme. Martin has recently returned from a secondment managing elements of the primary care COVID response across Canterbury.
'Out of the box' panelists
Jodie Bennett (Kāti Kuri and Kāi Tahu) is a member of Te kāhui mahi ngātahi and the kaiwhaihua (engagement manager) for Changing Minds, a national not-for-profit organisation, nurturing people with lived experience of mental distress and addiction (whānau mātau ā-wheako). Her own lived experience and subsequent positive recovery outcome has led to a passion to support others to navigate their own journey of recovery. Having lived experience with neurodiversity has led to another of Jodie’s strong areas of interest and she works closely with the deaf community for those with unique mental health issues.
Wikitoria Kurene is in the final year of her applied science in health promotion degree at Ara Institute of Canterbury | Te Pūkenga. She is also the wāhine ora health promoter at He Waka Tapu, advocating and supporting wāhine in cervical and breast screening. Wikitoria's passion for people to thrive is shown through her dedicated service to her communities. She is the president of the Pasifika Island Students of Ara association and has roles in multiple areas within Ara | Te Pūkenga and the wider Ōtautahi community, advocating on behalf of youth and tertiary students, specifically of Pasifika and Māori heritage. As an indigenous wāhine, she has a desire to continuously increase in knowledge and in skills that will challenge her and provide opportunities for growth and development to help serve her communities. She believes effective and sustainable change comes through actively listening to the voices of our communities, then taking steps to make it happen.
Lisa Lawrence (Ngāti Ruapani, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa) is immediate past president of the National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ). Founded by Kate Sheppard, NCWNZ is an umbrella group leading the Gender Equal NZ conversation campaign. She's chairs both the consumer advisory committee for PHARMAC and the New Zealand Psychologists Board, with the core purpose of protecting the public.
Lisa’s previous experience includes working for iwi- and community-based health and social services, New Zealand College of Midwives, St John New Zealand and New Zealand Family Planning. Currently she is kaiwhakahaere of the Motueka Family Service Centre and spent three years coaching co-design of family violence healing services.
Her passion is equality, improving community resilience and cultural relations through courageous community conversations, and evolving organisations to be community informed.
Jo Millar is from Auckland and spent her years in Wellington working in a variety of industries including sending telegrams, working for an airline and administrative work before retiring and settling in Dunedin with her husband. She has been president of Grey Power Otago for the past 18 years and is also the chair of the health national advisory group there.
Jo has been a consumer representative on many groups, including the Manatū Hauora Ministry of Health Home Support Settlement, ACC’s falls prevention programme and panel for older people, clinical leadership group for the new Dunedin hospital and more. She is a passionate advocate and says her philosophy is that since life has been good to her, she can give back to her community and be a voice for older people in Aotearoa.
Joanne Neilson is a member of the Te Tāhū Hauora kōtuinga kiritaki | consumer network (kōtuinga kiritaki). Based in Gisborne, Joanne has been an entertainer since her teens, both nationally and internationally, and is well known for her cookbooks Never Trust a Skinny Cook: Fabulous Low Fat Desserts and Ultimate Gluten Free. She is currently writing children’s books.
Joanne is the past national president of Agender New Zealand, a support group for the transgender community, and former co-chair of Qtopia, a support network of LGBTQIA+ youth. She is part of the Christchurch Pride committee and a consumer on Pegasus Health’s co-design team, working on gender-affirming pathways. Joanne has been an out transgender woman advocating for transgender rights for nearly 40 years. Being part of one of the most discriminated groups, Joanne has great empathy for people from all walks of life.
Vishal Rishi, national director, The Asian Network Incorporated (TANI). Vishal leads TANI, a well-recognised national service provider improving health and wellbeing outcomes for Asian New Zealanders. A social entrepreneur at heart, he has held various governance roles and currently chairs the Ethnic Health Collective and a member of kōtuinga kiritaki. Vishal migrated to Aotearoa two decades ago and since then has been addressing Asian migrant issues and helping Asian New Zealanders improve their lives and wellbeing.
Panelist: Jodie Bennett
Jodie Bennett (Kāti Kuri and Kāi Tahu) is a member of Te kāhui mahi ngātahi and the kaiwhaihua (engagement manager) for Changing Minds, a national not-for-profit organisation, nurturing people with lived experience of mental distress and addiction (whānau mātau ā-wheako). Her own lived experience and subsequent positive recovery outcome has led to a passion to support others to navigate their own journey of recovery. Having lived experience with neurodiversity has led to another of Jodie’s strong areas of interest and she works closely with the deaf community for those with unique mental health issues.
Panelist: Wikitoria Kurene
Wikitoria Kurene is in the final year of her applied science in health promotion degree at Ara Institute of Canterbury | Te Pūkenga. She is also the wāhine ora health promoter at He Waka Tapu, advocating and supporting wāhine in cervical and breast screening. Wikitoria's passion for people to thrive is shown through her dedicated service to her communities. She is the president of the Pasifika Island Students of Ara association and has roles in multiple areas within Ara | Te Pūkenga and the wider Ōtautahi community, advocating on behalf of youth and tertiary students, specifically of Pasifika and Māori heritage. As an indigenous wāhine, she has a desire to continuously increase in knowledge and in skills that will challenge her and provide opportunities for growth and development to help serve her communities. She believes effective and sustainable change comes through actively listening to the voices of our communities, then taking steps to make it happen.
Panelist: Lisa Lawrence
Lisa Lawrence (Ngāti Ruapani, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa) is immediate past president of the National Council of Women of New Zealand (NCWNZ). Founded by Kate Sheppard, NCWNZ is an umbrella group leading the Gender Equal NZ conversation campaign. She's chairs both the consumer advisory committee for PHARMAC and the New Zealand Psychologists Board, with the core purpose of protecting the public.
Lisa’s previous experience includes working for iwi- and community-based health and social services, New Zealand College of Midwives, St John New Zealand and New Zealand Family Planning. Currently she is kaiwhakahaere of the Motueka Family Service Centre and spent three years coaching co-design of family violence healing services.
Her passion is equality, improving community resilience and cultural relations through courageous community conversations, and evolving organisations to be community informed.
Panelist: Jo Millar
Jo Millar is from Auckland and spent her years in Wellington working in a variety of industries including sending telegrams, working for an airline and administrative work before retiring and settling in Dunedin with her husband. She has been president of Grey Power Otago for the past 18 years and is also the chair of the health national advisory group there.
Jo has been a consumer representative on many groups, including the Manatū Hauora Ministry of Health Home Support Settlement, ACC’s falls prevention programme and panel for older people, clinical leadership group for the new Dunedin hospital and more. She is a passionate advocate and says her philosophy is that since life has been good to her, she can give back to her community and be a voice for older people in Aotearoa.
Panelist: Joanne Neilson
Joanne Neilson is a member of the Te Tāhū Hauora kōtuinga kiritaki | consumer network (kōtuinga kiritaki). Based in Gisborne, Joanne has been an entertainer since her teens, both nationally and internationally, and is well known for her cookbooks Never Trust a Skinny Cook: Fabulous Low Fat Desserts and Ultimate Gluten Free. She is currently writing children’s books.
Joanne is the past national president of Agender New Zealand, a support group for the transgender community, and former co-chair of Qtopia, a support network of LGBTQIA+ youth. She is part of the Christchurch Pride committee and a consumer on Pegasus Health’s co-design team, working on gender-affirming pathways. Joanne has been an out transgender woman advocating for transgender rights for nearly 40 years. Being part of one of the most discriminated groups, Joanne has great empathy for people from all walks of life.
Panelist: Vishal Rishi
Vishal Rishi, national director, The Asian Network Incorporated (TANI). Vishal leads TANI, a well-recognised national service provider improving health and wellbeing outcomes for Asian New Zealanders. A social entrepreneur at heart, he has held various governance roles and currently chairs the Ethnic Health Collective and a member of kōtuinga kiritaki. Vishal migrated to Aotearoa two decades ago and since then has been addressing Asian migrant issues and helping Asian New Zealanders improve their lives and wellbeing.
Your hosts
Arrun Soma is a former TVNZ and BBC journalist who now works in the public sector advising executive leaders. Arrun started out as a fresh-faced television reporter on a TVNZ internship, before moving onto the 6pm news. He covered some of our biggest tragedies – the Christchurch terrorist attack, the Christchurch earthquakes, the Rena shipping disaster and the ANZAC Day fatal helicopter crash. His reporting was driven by fighting for those who didn't have a voice and speaking truth to power – including politicians and public service leaders. Arrun moved to London where he worked as a television news producer at BBC World, the broadcaster's round-the-clock global news channel. He has most recently been working in public sector communications and media engagement – including preparing Sir Ashley Bloomfield for his 1pm COVID-19 media conferences. Arrun now works as a chief advisor at the Abuse in Care – Royal Commission of Inquiry. He also conducts media training and does MC, presentation and facilitation work.
Dr Lynne Maher has been the principal of co-design at Ko Awatea, Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau (formerly Counties Manukau Health). For 10 years she worked in its centre for health system innovation and improvement. With a nursing background, Lynne is a champion of consumer and whānau engagement and has been a long-time advocate of co-design. She is now supporting a number of organisations to build capability and develop strategies to engage consumers and implement co-design in their practice. Read more here.
Zechariah Reuelu hails from Porirua, and is a member of kōtuinga kiritaki. He has experienced inequities from a young age, from living in cold and damp social housing through to discrimination during his journey through the health system. He is proud now to have a voice that represents his various Pacific communities. Zechariah believes it is important to understand and use collective Pacific models of health in promoting system change and, ultimately, achieving better health outcomes.
Amanda Stevens is a member of kōtuinga kiritaki. She was registered blind at age 24. Twenty years later she experienced profound and sudden-onset hearing loss on one side. A strong advocate for Blind Citizens New Zealand, Amanda also helped establish the Deafblind Association New Zealand in 2014 and is its executive officer. Until she lost her hearing, she had no experience of the day-to-day complexity of dual sensory loss and had not heard the term ‘deafblind’. Amanda is excited about any developing technologies that support independent and healthy lives.
Oliver was born in Derby, England but has lived most of his life in Clive, Hawke’s Bay.
He has been heavily involved in the local community, working in the local Four Square for three years, standing in the 2019 local body elections for the Hastings District Council and working as a consumer advisor in the Hawke’s Bay health sector since being nominated to the consumer council in 2019. He moved to Wellington to study public policy and political science at Victoria University of Wellington in 2020.
Oliver has joined the Capital & Coast consumer advisory group and been involved in many different projects, holding the portfolio of rangatahi/youth. With the opening on Te Wao Nui | Wellington Children’s Hospital in 2022, Oliver will work to establish and operate a consumer advisory group that will help support children’s health in the region.
Oliver is excited to be a member of the Commission’s consumer network and aims to represent the best interests of child, youth, student and rainbow communities.
MC: Arrun Soma
Arrun Soma is a former TVNZ and BBC journalist who now works in the public sector advising executive leaders. Arrun started out as a fresh-faced television reporter on a TVNZ internship, before moving onto the 6pm news. He covered some of our biggest tragedies – the Christchurch terrorist attack, the Christchurch earthquakes, the Rena shipping disaster and the ANZAC Day fatal helicopter crash. His reporting was driven by fighting for those who didn't have a voice and speaking truth to power – including politicians and public service leaders. Arrun moved to London where he worked as a television news producer at BBC World, the broadcaster's round-the-clock global news channel. He has most recently been working in public sector communications and media engagement – including preparing Sir Ashley Bloomfield for his 1pm COVID-19 media conferences. Arrun now works as a chief advisor at the Abuse in Care – Royal Commission of Inquiry. He also conducts media training and does MC, presentation and facilitation work.
Dr Lynne Maher
Dr Lynne Maher has been the principal of co-design at Ko Awatea, Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau (formerly Counties Manukau Health). For 10 years she worked in its centre for health system innovation and improvement. With a nursing background, Lynne is a champion of consumer and whānau engagement and has been a long-time advocate of co-design. She is now supporting a number of organisations to build capability and develop strategies to engage consumers and implement co-design in their practice. Read more here.
Zechariah Reuelu
Zechariah Reuelu hails from Porirua, and is a member of kōtuinga kiritaki. He has experienced inequities from a young age, from living in cold and damp social housing through to discrimination during his journey through the health system. He is proud now to have a voice that represents his various Pacific communities. Zechariah believes it is important to understand and use collective Pacific models of health in promoting system change and, ultimately, achieving better health outcomes.
Amanda Stevens
Amanda Stevens is a member of kōtuinga kiritaki. She was registered blind at age 24. Twenty years later she experienced profound and sudden-onset hearing loss on one side. A strong advocate for Blind Citizens New Zealand, Amanda also helped establish the Deafblind Association New Zealand in 2014 and is its executive officer. Until she lost her hearing, she had no experience of the day-to-day complexity of dual sensory loss and had not heard the term ‘deafblind’. Amanda is excited about any developing technologies that support independent and healthy lives.
Oliver Taylor
Oliver was born in Derby, England but has lived most of his life in Clive, Hawke’s Bay.
He has been heavily involved in the local community, working in the local Four Square for three years, standing in the 2019 local body elections for the Hastings District Council and working as a consumer advisor in the Hawke’s Bay health sector since being nominated to the consumer council in 2019. He moved to Wellington to study public policy and political science at Victoria University of Wellington in 2020.
Oliver has joined the Capital & Coast consumer advisory group and been involved in many different projects, holding the portfolio of rangatahi/youth. With the opening on Te Wao Nui | Wellington Children’s Hospital in 2022, Oliver will work to establish and operate a consumer advisory group that will help support children’s health in the region.
Oliver is excited to be a member of the Commission’s consumer network and aims to represent the best interests of child, youth, student and rainbow communities.