Tena Koutou Katoa, Ko Sara Shaughnessy tōku ingoa, Ko Kaiwhakahaere (Chief Executive) at Hauora Matua Te Tai Aorere (Nelson Bays Primary Health). Sara joined Nelson Bays Primary Health in June 2020 as the Chief Executive.

He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata

(What is the most important thing in the world? It is the people, it is the people, it is the people)

Sara’s background is in health leadership roles across Aotearoa (New Zealand) and Australia. Sara moved back home to New Zealand in 2020, after 10 years of living in Australia, working in health care management. Sara has a background in strategic health operational management and leadership in a variety of clinical service delivery settings including primary, secondary, and tertiary.

Prior to coming home, Sara’s role was Director Mental Health and Integrated Care. This role offered opportunities to explore a health service which was focused in whānau and community needs. It bridged primary and community care settings to ensure real outcomes into communities. Sara is a registered nurse, who has maintained competencies and worked in many areas of health care and has a Master of Health Science endorsed Health Sciences from Otago University.

Sara lives in Nelson where she has four mokopuna (grandchildren) who she enjoys spending time with and spends her spare time exploring the beautiful outdoors of Te Tau Ihu!

Trudi joined Nelson Bays Primary Health in 2016 and has more than 20 years’ experience as a Human Resources professional.

After living in Asia for six years, Trudi moved to Nelson Bays in 2009. Trudi’s past experience include front line management and running her own business. Trudi’s career in Human Resources includes eight years in Learning and Development focused leadership roles and senior positions held at a national, regional, and global level.

Wolfgang has extensive experience in finance/accounting and has worked in various roles, both in Germany and New Zealand.

Wolfgang immigrated to New Zealand in 2001 and joined Nelson Bays Primary Health in January 2011. Wolfgang is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants and enjoys most in his role the interaction with his colleagues and other associated parties. Wolfgang spends much of his free time in the great outdoors.

Emily-Rose joined the Nelson Bays Primary Health team in 2016 and has worked in health for over 10 years.

Her role also includes being the Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive, Board Secretary to the Board and Board Subcommittees and manages the Reception team.

Charlotte has 10 years’ experience in healthcare business development, relationship, and operations management. Over the last 10 years, Charlotte used her passion and experience in achieving and delivering growth and operational excellence for many general practices nationwide.

Charlotte’s key areas of focus have been operational effectiveness, patient satisfaction, staff and business performance and reporting for general practices throughout the country, with a particular interest in new models of care and developing effective systems to support both the patient and the practice throughout the ever-changing environment.

In her previous life, Charlotte led business development, new services integration, and improved patient access by implementing the Health Care Home model along with setting up new medical centres, amalgamation of businesses and consulting practice sales. As some of you may have noticed she has a clear passion for general practice and all the challenges that it brings.

You will often hear or see Charlotte on some sport field, either for herself or her children. Any spare time is spent with her family and friends.

BcapSc, PGDipDiet, NZRD

Tonia has been with Nelson Bays Primary Health since 2009 when she joined the Community Nutrition Service as one of the Primary Care Dietitians. Prior to this, Tonia’s experience includes six years working in the United Kindom as a Primary Care Dietitian, and experience in secondary care at Waitemata District Health Board.

Tonia is passionate about providing services which are accessible, and support and empower people in the community to self-manage their health.

Outside of work, Tonia enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking the hills, biking the trails or on her paddle board.

As a 6th generation Nelsonian and raised in Ruiwaka, Ruth originally trained as a registered nurse in Nelson and worked clinically before moving into management roles in outdoor education, and in the arts and health sectors.

Prior to moving back to Nelson in 2018, Ruth worked as the programme manager for the Canterbury Clinical Network and as a senior project manager with the South Island Shared Services Agency, supporting cancer projects across the five District Health Boards.

In 2018, working with the two primary health organisations, she implemented the Nelson Marlborough Health Care Home programme - a national quality programme designed to support general practices to improve efficiency and patient access to services.

Now living in Golden Bay with her husband, she joined the team at Golden Bay Community Health in 2020. Her role is to support quality and system improvement projects across the integrated facility.

Ruth is currently acting as the General Manager of the facility.

Kia ora tatau.  Ko Whetūmatarau te maunga, ko Awatere te awa, ko Te Whānau a Tūwhakairiora te hapū, arā ko Ngāti Porou tōku iwi.  Ko Roy Hoerara tōku ingoa.  Ko te nuinga kē o tōku whakatipuranga i Te Awakairangi, i Wainuiōmata noho ai, nō reira tēnā koutou, otirā tēnā tatau.

Kua mau nei au ki Moketapu, te uru o Ngāti Kuia, o Ngāti Koata. Toro atu rā ki Rangitāne, ki Te Ātiawa, ki Ngāti Tama, ki Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, ki Ngāti Toa Rangatira, ki Ngāti Rārua, ki Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao, ki Ngāti Maniapoto, ki Waikato, ki Ngāti Pāoa ihi. Ko Wirihana de Thierry e tau nei.

Wirihana is a māmā to three Tamariki (children) and connects to the eight iwi of the rohe (region). She became a member of Nelson Bays Primary Health in 2023, moving from education to health, and brings a wealth of knowledge in te reo Māori me ōna tikanga and education to the organisation.

Wayne commenced at Nelson Bays Primary Health in the new role of Service Development and Project Lead in January 2022.

Rebecca is of Ngāti Te Rangi (Tauranga) decent and considers Whakatū /Waimeha home.

Tai has over 10 years experience in the education sector, as well as 7 years in the Pacific Health sector in Hawkes Bay. He has traveled the Pacific nations including Tonga, Fiji, Solomon Islands and Samoa to extend his learning about Pasifika culture and identity.

David has worked at Nelson Bays Primary Health since 2007 when he joined the organisation in a service development role. David qualified as a Registered General and Obstetric Nurse, working in various secondary care and disability services before completing an Advanced Diploma of Nursing specialising in Health Informatics at Christchurch Polytechnic.

After completing several projects for the Ministry of Health and District Health Board, David joined Nelson Bays Primary health, eventually transitioning into his current role as IT and Communications Manager.

As a 6th generation Nelsonian and raised in Ruiwaka, Ruth originally trained as a registered nurse in Nelson and worked clinically before moving into management roles in outdoor education, and in the arts and health sectors.

Prior to moving back to Nelson in 2018, Ruth worked as the programme manager for the Canterbury Clinical Network and as a senior project manager with the South Island Shared Services Agency, supporting cancer projects across the five District Health Boards.

In 2018, working with the two primary health organisations, she implemented the Nelson Marlborough Health Care Home programme - a national quality programme designed to support general practices to improve efficiency and patient access to services.

Now living in Golden Bay with her husband, she joined the team at Golden Bay Community health in 2020. Her role is to support quality and system improvement projects across the integrated facility.

As Primary Care Co-ordinator, Sally oversees the day to day running of the General Practice and its team. It is a busy and challenging, ever changing role that she enjoys.

Originally from the Kapiti Coast and after many years living in Australia, Sally and her husband settled in Golden Bay and raised their family. In 1997 Sally began working for (what was then) Golden Bay Medical Centre as a receptionist. Sally has seen and been involved in, the many changes along the way as they have integrated to become the Golden Bay Community Health facility that they are today.

The team is committed to providing a trusted and compassionate service to the community.

Sally studied in South Africa at Christina Martin’s School of Food and Wine. She went on to work as an Executive Chef at a Private Game Reserve in the Sabi Sands where her restaurant was rated by Wine Magazine’s Top 100 places to eat out in South Africa.

Sally moved back to KwaZulu-Natal in 2013 and spent some time focusing on her baking. She grew her business making Christmas cakes for corporate gifts and cakes for birthdays and photo shoots. She than branched out and followed her passion of recipe development working with Food wholesalers creating recipes for their products to help create brand awareness.

In 2019 Sally decided to take the leap and move to New Zealand. Firstly, moving to Auckland and working in a large, aged care facility where she spent 18 months. She then moved to Golden Bay in 2021 and joined the Golden Bay Community Health Team as the Kitchen Manager.

Neil feels very fortunate to be part of the GBCH team. Neil was previously a General Practitioner in Whakatu for 26 years where he facilitated the regional General Practice Training Programme. Neil has an interest in Te Whare Tapa Wha (Māori Health Model), teaching and continuous quality improvement. Neil is the proud Koro of 3 mokopuna and loves spending time with them, in the bush or reading.

Carol is our Facility Coordinator Manager, she is responsible for overseeing all activities, maintenance and upkeep of the GBCH buildings, making sure that health and safety standards are met and arranging for repairs when needed.

Carol was born and raised in Golden Bay, with over 28 years of working and serving the Golden Bay Community. Not only is she passionate about her community but she also brings a wealth of knowledge in Horticulture & Agriculture, Floristry, Professional Cleaning, and Pastoral Care.

Julie is the PA to the General Manager. Born and raised in Golden Bay and lived here most of her life, apart from 8 years where she lived in Nelson.

Julie attended NMIT and studied Business Administration and then went to work for an accounting firm. Julie started working at GBCH in 2016 as receptionist/administrator and then took on the role of PA to the General Manager in 2019.

Sarah has been a Registered Nurse since 2011, originally from Jersey Channel Islands, she trained in England and worked in a variety of large city hospitals and small community hospitals. Sarah achieved a first-class honours degree in specialist practice nursing, in 2019.

Her passion is person centred care. She believes health care staff should always seek to involve the person in planning their care. This makes for a more satisfied service user and service provider.

Sarah lives with her husband and two dogs, she loves long walks, swimming, and riding her motorbike.

Rosie has been a registered nurse in New Zealand for 23 years having previously trained in the UK.

Rosie’s background is in general nursing – with many years working in the emergency department at Nelson Hospital.

Rosie loves teaching and has an adult teaching qualification – Rosie has worked alongside nursing students for Te Pukenga NMIT and continue to support clinical teaching in her role at GBCH.

Rosie is passionate about working within the team to provide a quality service to the GB rural community that aims to meet the needs for all.

Rosie loves spending time with my ever-growing family with four mokopuna.

Bio to come