Primary Care Network Team

Ruth Zeinert 

Ruth is the Primary Care Relationship Director. 

Ruth joined WellSouth in 2020 after eight years of waving the health flag from within local government. Prior to that she worked in public health, managing the Healthy Eating Healthy Action portfolio for Southern DHB.

Ruth is a strategic thinker who is passionate about population wellbeing. She is a registered physiotherapist and nutritionist (public health). 

ruth.zeinert@wellsouth.org.nz

Ph: 022 015 4893

Carolyn Martin 

Carolyn is the Central Otago/Queenstown Lakes Primary Care Relationship Manager and has worked in the health sector for 25+ years. 

She has been involved with PHOs off and on in Otago and Southland since 2004 and joined WellSouth again in 2018.

Carolyn initially worked as part of the IT team supporting several IT projects, particularly patient portals and virtual health options, before taking up the Practice Relationship Manager role in late 2020.

carolyn.martin@wellsouth.org.nz

Ph: 021 407 266

Glen is one of the Dunedin Primary Care Relationship Managers.

Glen has worked in the health sector for many years, with 5 years as a pharmaceutical rep for Pfizer, and 18 years with Bpac.

Glen bring with him a range of skill from client management with large health organisations in the North Island, discussing evidence-based medicine/prescribing with clinicians, reporting and web-based decision support/ referral programmes, to associated IT problem solving whilst assisting the helpdesk at Bpac around the tools it developed.

glen.knol@wellsouth.org.nz

Ph: 022 010 9582

Daniela Byrne

Daniela is the Invercargill Primary Care Relationship Manager and is responsible for managing the relationship we have with our practices in Invercargill and surrounds.

Before joining WellSouth Daniela worked as the Practice Manger at the Winton Medical Centre and has been a Senior RMO Advisor at Te Whatu Ora Southern. Prior to this Daniela was the Assistant Manager at Splash Palace. 

Daniela.Byrne@wellsouth.org.nz

Ph: 021 382 737

Karla Stiles

Karla is responsible for managing the relationship we have with Gore, Balclutha, Catlins and Mataura and several Invercargill practices. 

Karla joined WellSouth in 2022 initially as RATs Distribution Officer. She worked as a Practice Manager for 5 years in Alexandra and has worked in administration in both the primary and secondary care sectors for the past 20 years. She recently completed a Health Coaching qualification. She is based in the Alexandra office and has a special interest in rural health.

karla.stiles@wellsouth.org.nz

Ph: 022 010 0945

Karen Bolch

Karen is the General Practice Operations Advisor and is responsible for assisting practices with all things General Practice related.

Karen joined Wellsouth in 2016 coming from an administration role she held in General Practice for 10 years. Karen’s background has given her a vast knowledge and experience working on the front line. Since being with Wellsouth, Karen has worked with Foundation Standards, Smokefree 2025, Gen2040, Evolution training, and most recently creating a  process for starting up new practices.

karen.bolch@wellsouth.org.nz

Ph: 021 196 1275

Ali has a background in Practice nursing and general practice management in Gore. She now co-leads the Health Care Home Team in WellSouth, based in the Invercargill office or her home office, when not out visiting practices.

Ali works with general practices in Southland, Fiordland and Central Otago, to support  quality initiatives that provide good outcomes for patients and a sustainable general practice, based on the Health Care Home model https://healthcarehome.org.nz/.

Ali also provides QI support to the full practice relationship manager team.  

Ali’s motivation to support practices comes from her experience and her desire to ensure practices are well equipped and flexible enough, to manage the constant changes that occur in health.

Alison.Wilden@wellsouth.org.nz

Ph: 022 015 0542