Practice Partner Team
The principal role of our Practice Partners is to assist practices with the delivery and evaluation of primary health services, in accordance with both national and local strategic objectives.
Stuart Barson
Integration Director
Stuart has a long background in health policy, management, and research, most recently as the Health Care Home lead for WellSouth.
He has also been a community worker, Ministry of Health policy analyst, Private Secretary to three Ministers of Health, teacher, health promoter, project manager, care planning software salesperson, and Research Fellow in health system quality improvement.
stuart.barson@wellsouth.org.nz
Ph: 021 279 8907
Carolyn Martin
Practice Partner Central Otago/Waitaki
Carolyn 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 Partner role in late 2020.
carolyn.martin@wellsouth.org.nz
Ph: 021 407 266
Daniela Duggan
Practice Partner Southland/West Otago
Daniela is the Southland/West Otago Practice Partner.
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 is also a Foundation Standard Assessor.
Daniela.duggan@wellsouth.org.nz
Ph: 021 382 737
Karla Stiles
Practice Partner Dunedin/South Otago
Karla joined WellSouth in 2022, bringing more than 25 years of experience in both primary and secondary health care across New Zealand and Australia. She formerly served as Practice Manager at Centennial Health in Alexandra. Living in Central Otago has fostered her strong interest in rural health, along with a growing focus on strategic planning within general practice.
Karla is a RNZCGP Foundation Standards Assessor and has recently completed a Health Coaching Certificate to further support her work in primary care.
Ph: 022 010 0945
Nicky Aldridge-Masters
Practice Partner
Nicky has more than 15 years of experience in Primary Healthcare management in Wellington and the Hutt Valley.
Her previous roles have included general leadership, managing a Cardiovascular Risk Programme, and Practice Management. After moving to Dunedin ten years ago, Nicky worked for five years at the Otago Chamber of Commerce as Operations Manager and later Acting CEO, followed by four years as a Portfolio Manager for Disability Support Services, working with providers across Otago and Southland.
Nicky is excited to return to the Primary Healthcare sector and looks forward to working alongside General Practices across the WellSouth region.
Ph: 022 020 3992Practice Advisory Team
Glen Knol
Practice Thalamus Advisor
Glen has worked in multiple Healthcare roles for over 27 years, starting in pharmaceutical sales with Pfizer, before moving on to Evidence-based Medicine Facilitation, Client Management and Software Support for Bpac NZ. Glen joined WellSouth in 2022 as a Practice Relationship Manager, before moving into the Data Team to work with Thalamus, and is the Thalamus Product Owner.
Glen is all things data (people) and Thalamus and loves nothing more than to be working with general practice teams in their practices. His goal is to assist practices with their data to help patients get the right interventions at the most appropriate time.
Ph: 022 010 9582
Karen Bolch
Practice Operations Advisor
Karen Bolch is a Practice Operations Advisor with extensive experience in general practice operations. She provides practical advice, training and support across practice systems, enrolment, funding, Thalamus, clinical claims, Foundation Standards and practice management processes.
Known for her practical, solutions-focused approach, Karen helps practices navigate complex requirements, strengthen their systems and make day-to-day operations simpler and more effective. Through Karen’s Key Tips and Practice Tricks, she also shares valuable practical guidance and resources to support practice teams.
Ph: 021 196 1275