Our Board

Geoff Milner (Chair)

CA MBA (with distinction) BBS

Ngāti Porou/Ngāti Kahungunu

Chief Executive Officer – Ngāti Hine Health Trust

It is an honour to serve as a Trustee as part of the Mahitahi Hauora Board on the single Primary Health Entity for Northland where collaboration with whānau, iwi, community, health and social service providers underpins our aspiration to make Northland the healthiest place to live. 

I am also excited about the possibilities and opportunities for Mahitahi Hauora to demonstrate practically what our commitment to Te Tiriti O Waitangi might be for Northlanders (the home of Te Tiriti) if we adopt Te Tiriti O Waitangi as our foundation model of practice. Simply put, would we deliver primary health services in Northland in the way they are currently structured if we were to measure these services against Partnership, Protection and Participation!

Dr Suzanne Phillips

General Practitioner at The Bayview Medical Centre in Paihia.

I arrived in New Zealand as an immigrant from Texas, USA in 1989 and began working as a General Practitioner at Wellsford Medical Centre where I stayed until 1993. I moved North after working in Wellsford and spent a year as a Hospital Doctor at the Bay of Islands Hospital in Kawakawa. In 1994, my business partner, Dr Bronwyn Price, and I opened our General Practice clinic at The Bayview Medical Centre in Paihia and we have continued to work there ever since.

I served on the Te Tai Tokerau PHO from 2016 until its ending in 2019 and I have served on the Mahitahi Board since its beginning. I have great hope in the vision of Mahitahi to be innovative in developing a more integrated and responsive approach to health service so that our communities become healthier as well as the individuals in it.

Antony Thompson

Te Kahu O Taonui Representative. 

Te Runanga O Ngati Whatua, General Manager.

Moe Milne

Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, Māori Mental Health Leader, Nurse.

I am competent in Te Ao Maori and in Te Ao Tauiwi with a lot of experience in both areas. I am fluent in Te Reo me ona Tikanga and in my psychiatric nursing registration. I was awarded Te Ao Māramatanga award to acknowledge my continued contribution to Maori mental health nursing and services.

I have long been an advocate for tangata Māori and their right to live well nutured in their Reo, to be Māori, to be Rangatitira and to be educated.

I am a servant of the people.

Dr Justine Woodcock

In 22 years working hard as a GP in the demanding environment of primary care, and specialising in women's health, being at the forefront of health development and advances is important to me.

As an accredited training GP, I have registrars and students all year round. This has proven valuable in many ways. While leadership and development within your team occurs naturally external teaching relationships demand more distinct professional skills.

Having always had a strong interest in health provision, policies, strategies and funding, I have made the natural progression to leadership & governance roles where true change can be driven by like-minded passionate people. 

Errol Murray

Te Aupouri, Ngāti Kuri, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa, Ngāi Takoto.

Employed as the General Manager for Whakawhiti Ora Pai, representative for the Māori Health Providers.

Personal Vision: Improved access to health and social services for rural Māori whānau

I moved from Auckland to Te Kao, where my parents are from, in March of 1985 with my wife and our young family.  My working life has been varied; however, I have worked in the fields of health and social work for over 25 years.  Living in Te Kao has also given me an intimate knowledge of the struggles and complex challenges our Māori whānau in rural communities’ face on a day to day basis.  

My first governance experience was in the 1980’s as a School Board of Trustee member.  Since then I have sat on a numerous boards and committees, all pertaining to education, social services and health.  It’s with this experience and knowledge I accepted a governance role on Mahitahi Hauora, as I totally support the Objectives and Purposes of the Trust as a way forward to address inequality and improve the health status, in particular, of our rural Māori whānau and community.

Lynette Merle Stewart

CNZM

Ngātiwai-Patuharakeke-Tainui

Chief Executive, Ki A Ora Ngātiwai

Significant executive experience at both Governance and Operational levels. Recent Chair of the Te Tai Tokerau Primary Health Organization (TTTPHO). Board member of Te Kaupapa Mahitahi Hauora and I Have a Dream Trust.

Formally, Chief Executive of Te Tai Tokerau MAPO Trust, with strategic co-funding management and co-monitoring of health and disability services in Te Tai Tokerau for Maori health gain, in partnership with Maori, Ministry of Health, and Northland District Health Board.

Chair, Northland District Health Board, (NDHB), 2001 to 2009, National District Health Boards, New Zealand, NZ National Health and Public Health Advisory Boards, Member, Institute of Directors, New Zealand.

University of Auckland Business School, Dame Mira Szazy Maori Business Leadership Award (Inaugural – 2003), and the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2008, Lynette continues to champion education for students from Tai Tokerau.

Mahitahi Hauora, is pivotal, to the strategic consolidation of Primary Health across Te Tai Tokerau, in partnership with Communities, Iwi, and Northland DHB.

Dr Nick Chamberlain (non-voting member of the Board)

Chief Executive, Northland District Health Board

I have been the CE of Northland District Health Board for eight years.  My previous roles have been in both clinical and senior leadership positions in a range of health services covering primary, secondary and tertiary services.

I was born in Whangārei and following medical school graduation chose to work as a GP in Northland for 11 years before transferring those skills to the Northland DHB in the dual role as GP Liaison and as the Primary Care Advisor for six years.  I also worked in Addiction and Sports Medicine for many years including supporting Commonwealth, Olympic and New Zealand Rugby Sevens teams.  In 2006 I was appointed to the role of General Manager, Planning and Funding at Capital & Coast DHB and then in 2008 returned to Northland as General Manager, Clinical Services.  In 2011 I was appointed to my current role and have a number of national responsibilities including Lead DHB CEO for Primary Care and Public Health. 

I am passionate about Northland, its people and understand the challenges we all face every day.  My interests lie in achieving the Quadruple Aim of eliminating inequity, improving population health, enhancing patient experience with a strengthened primary care and hospital system which continually improves the safety and quality care.

Financial and environmental sustainability is important but the only way we can achieve these is to support our staff and all healthcare workers health, safety and wellbeing.