NZMA Board
Dr Paul Ockelford
NZMA Chair
NZMA Board
NZMA Board members (from back left): Dr Stephen Child, Dr Mark Peterson, Dr Maria Poynter, Dr Don Simmers, Prof Harvey White, Dr Kate Baddock, Dr Jonathan Foo, Ms Lesley Clarke, Dr Paul Ockelford, Dr Sandra Hicks.
Profiles
Dr Paul Ockelford, Chair
Dr Paul Ockelford is a Clinical Haematologist, and served as the NZMA Deputy Chair for four years. Born and raised in the Westmere/Herne Bay area in Auckland, Dr Ockelford gained his medical degree at the Auckland School of Medicine – its first graduating class. He is the Director of the Thrombosis Unit, Department of Haematology, Auckland Hospital where he works part-time heading a specialty team involved in the management of patients with clotting disorders and undertaking clinical research trials into new anticoagulant drugs. He is the Adult Director of the Haemophilia Centre at Auckland Hospital and a Clinical Associate Professor of Molecular Medicine and Pathology at the School of Health Sciences, at the University of Auckland. He is also a Director of Clinical Services at Diagnostic Medlab Ltd.
Dr Mark Peterson, Deputy Chair
Dr Mark Peterson is the NZMA Deputy Chair, and has previously held the role of Chair of the NZMA General Practitioner Council for four years. Dr Peterson has worked as a general practitioner obstetrician in the Hawkes Bay for 25 years. Dr Peterson is also the Chair of the General Practice Leaders Forum (GPLF). Born in Te Kuiti and raised in Auckland, he gained his medical degree from Otago University and is one of the few GPs in New Zealand to offer full maternity care.
Dr Kate Baddock
Dr Kate Baddock is the Chair of the NZMA General Practitioner Council. She is a General Practitioner in Warkworth and also Deputy Chair of the new Waitemata PHO. Dr Baddock gained her medical degree at the University of Otago and currently works as a partner at Kawau Bay Health with five other general practitioners in Warkworth. She teaches undergraduate medical students, postgraduate doctors and registrars in General Practice training programmes. Dr Baddock considers general practice her ideal job and says the best moments in medicine are when you know you've made a difference.
Dr Stephen Child
Dr Stephen Child is a Canadian trained general physician with a respiratory interest who immigrated to New Zealand in late 1991. He worked in Dargaville for two and a half years before moving to his current role as the Director of Clinical Training at Auckland District Health Board in 1994. He sits on a number of national, regional and local committees with a vision to improve education and training of junior doctors and thereby ensure that New Zealand has a medical workforce that is well staffed and capable to look after its future medical needs. Dr Child is also the Chair of the NZMA Auckland Council.
Dr Jonathan Foo
Dr Jonathan Foo is the chair of the NZMA Doctors-in-Training Council. He is a PhD candidate and a general surgical trainee in Wellington. Dr Foo gained his medical degree at the University of Otago, and is currently training at the Wellington School of Medicine. Dr Foo’s ideal job: “General surgery: great colleagues, diverse caseload, and amazing innovations in the field.”
Dr Sandra Hicks
Dr Sandra Hicks is a general practitioner in Christchurch. Dr Hicks gained her medical degree at the University of Otago, and spent her clinical years in Christchurch. She believes the best thing about the New Zealand health system is both the patients and the workers. “For its size as a country and the amount of money available, New Zealand delivers healthcare outcomes that beat many larger economies.”
Dr Maria Poynter
Dr Maria Poynter is a public health registrar, and a previous member of the NZMA Doctors-in-Training Council. Dr Poynter gained her medical degree at the University of Auckland, and is looking forward to returning to training in public health medicine soon, after extended maternity leave. Dr Poynter’s ideal job would involve “something that puts sensible and well-researched policy into front line action.”
Dr Don Simmers
Dr Don Simmers is a general practitioner and member of the NZMA Board. Dr Simmers is also the Chair of the NZMA Wellington Council, and is the NZMA spokesperson on health inequities. He gained his medical degree at Otago Medical School, Dunedin and currently works at the Newtown Medical Centre, Wellington. The best thing about the New Zealand health system, says Dr Simmers, is “the dedication and professionalism of the medical profession.”
Prof Harvey White
Prof Harvey White is the Chair of the NZMA Specialist Council and a cardiologist. He gained his medical degree at the University of Otago and currently works as the Director of Coronary Care at Greenlane Cardiovascular Research Unit at Auckland City Hospital, and as Honorary Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Auckland. He started his career as a House Surgeon at Kew Hospital in New Zealand in 1974 and moved to work at Green Lane Hospital in 1978 as a Cardiology Registrar.
