MEDIA RELEASE
4 December 2003
DHB appoints Pacific Peoples representative to Mental Health & Addiction Advisory committee
Hawke’s Bay District Health Board chief executive Chris Clarke, announced the appointment of Miss Vaevae Aberahama to
the board’s recently established Mental Health & Addiction Advisory Committee.
The committee has been established to provide high level advice and recommendations to the board on developing The
Pathway Forward for mental health and addiction services throughout Hawke’s Bay.
Vaevae was nominated for the position by the Hawke’s Bay Cook Islands Council, as she has wide-ranging experience
working alongside people from all walks of life in her role. She is a registered nurse, and is currently employed by
Hawke’s Bay District Health Board and works as a public health nurse in the Child and Youth team based in Flaxmere.
She has also worked as a practice nurse for Kahungunu Health Services and at the Hastings Health Centre. She was also
the Pacific Island Coordinator/Smear Taker for the Cervical Screening Programme.
Mental Health and Addiction Advisory Committee chair, Diana Kirton, said she was thrilled to have Vaevae on the team.
“She comes highly recommended from the Hawke’s Bay Cook Islands Council, and with her broad knowledge of the health
sector and hands-on community involvement she will be a real asset to the team,” Diana Kirton said.
The committee will meet informally this year, with four public meetings scheduled for 2004, and additional workshops
from time to time. The committee wants to hear from service users, whanau and service providers on how services need to
be improved in the district. Any suggestions can be sent in to the committee c/- Diana Kirton, Hawke’s Bay District
Health Board, Private Bag 6023, Napier or via any of the committee members.
Other members of the committee are:
- Doug Banks, consumer representative
- Susie Crooks, consumer representative
- Dr David Davidson, board representative
- Patricia Duncan, family/community representative
- Diana Kirton, board representative (chair)
- Patrick Le Geyt, hauora provider council representative
- Dr Anne Mackay, clinical representative
- Pauline Milne, community/non-government organisation representative
- Fred Reti, Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated Representative
- Marion Terry, community/rural representative
- Alayna Watene, board Maori representative
END