New Board Appointees for WellSouth
Tuesday 08 November 2022Two new appointments were confirmed at the WellSouth Board of Trustees meeting today (Tuesday 08 November).
Nurse Practitioner Nicky Burwood has been elected the board’s new nursing representative, while Dr Keri Milne-Ihimaera is appointed as the community representative trustee.
Nurse Representative
Nicky Burwood is a UK-trained Nurse Practitioner who began working in Travel Medicine and Urgent Care at Queenstown Medical Centre in 2016.
Nicky also holds a part-time (0.2FTE) appointment with WellSouth, developing and delivering the online training for RN Prescribing in the Community (Nurse Prescriber) training programme and educates nurses undertaking Post Graduate Education, including the Nurse Practitioner Practicum.
“I am passionate about promoting nursing roles and empowering nurses to further educate themselves and work at top-of-scope,” Nicky says.
“I am enthused to be involved in the strategic direction of WellSouth and to become involved in planning and oversight to ensure that nurses continue to have a strong voice moving forward in improving the health services available to our Southern population.”
Nicky takes over from Amanda McCracken, Nurse Practitioner with Tuatapere Medical Centre, who is finishing two terms as WellSouth’s nurse representative trustee.
Community Representative
New community representative Keri Milne-Ihimaera is an educator who has a wide range of leadership experience in the education and social services sectors across the motu.
A resident of Bluff, Keri is an educational consultant, and has worked as a teacher, a school principal, and NGO executive director, in Northland and Auckland and elsewhere. She holds a Doctorate in Māori Development and Advancement and, in addition, to her many leadership roles, Keri has extensive governance experience including current board and trustee appointments with the Cancer Society National Board, the Ngāti Hine Health Trust in Whangerai and Ako Mātātupu/Teach First NZ.
“I’m looking forward to supporting the work of WellSouth in our community,” Keri says. “I hope to connect strongly with the communities I am representing, to ensure their needs and aspirations are reflected in the strategic aims and intentions of the WellSouth board.”
Welcoming the new trustees, WellSouth Board Chair Doug Hill says: “We are so fortunate to have Nicky and Keri join our board. Both have very impressive skills and experience which will add new and valuable perspectives.
“It was a very competitive field of applicants for these board roles. It is clear that primary and community healthcare is considered vitally important in our communities and WellSouth has a key role to play in ensuring equitable and sustainable health services, delivered in partnership with other trusted providers.
“I’d also like to thank Amanda for her many years of service and significant contribution to the WellSouth board. Amanda has been a strong advocate for nurses in primary care and for rural health providers and is always constructive and solutions-focused.”
View more news