Commission welcomes new Board members

Health Quality & Safety Commission welcomes new Board members

Health Quality & Safety Commission media release, Thursday 6 March 2014

Health Quality & Safety Commission Chair Prof Alan Merry is delighted to welcome three new Board members.

Heather Shotter, Robert Henderson and Gwendoline Tepania-Palmer have been appointed to the Commission Board, while Geraint Martin and Anthea Penny leave the Board following the expiry of their terms.

“The Commission has been fortunate to have the services of highly skilled and committed Board members, providing strong leadership – and the appointment of Heather, Bob and Gwen continues this tradition,” says Prof Merry.

“I would like to thank outgoing Board members Geraint Martin and Anthea Penny, who have both made an extremely valuable contribution to the direction of the Commission, from its establishment in 2010, to today.

“During their time on the Board the Commission has gone from being a completely new organisation to a leader in quality and safety in New Zealand – assisting providers across the health and disability sector to improve the quality and safety of health services.

“The new Board members will bring added diversity to the Board, and further boost its provision of strong governance and leadership. I am very much looking forward to working with them.”

The full Commission Board is:

• Prof Alan Merry (Chair)

• Mrs Shelley Frost (Deputy Chair)

• Dr Dale Bramley

• Dr David Galler

• Dame Alison Paterson

• Ms Heather Shotter

• Mr Bob Henderson

• Ms Gwen Tepania-Palmer

The Commission’s Chief Executive is Dr Janice Wilson.

About the new Commission Board members

Heather Shotter has a marketing, communications and general management background. She was employed at general manager level with SKYCITY Entertainment Group to 2008, joining the company in 1994 as Director, Communications. Following this Heather was an Executive Trustee of the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation. She is currently Executive Director of an independent non-profit organisation, Committee for Auckland. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce & Administration degree from Victoria University of Wellington, and has extensive experience in governance and senior operational management roles.

Bob Henderson is an Air New Zealand pilot and instructor and retired RNZAF Officer. He was awarded the Air Force Cross during his service, and appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in June 2012, for services to sporting aviation. He holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Auckland, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Science, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. With a significant working background in applied psychology, he has lectured at University of Auckland Medical School, in the Departments of Anaesthesiology and Psychology, and been visiting Human Factors lecturer. He is a member of the Perioperative Harm Advisory Group of HQSC, as a human factors specialist. He has worked closely with the Chief Flight Operations & Safety Officer/Chief Pilot at Air New Zealand, a high performing organisation in the development and delivery of quality where safety is critical.

Gwen Tepania-Palmer has a strong understanding of the health sector, including experience as a New Zealand registered nurse and is on the boards of a number of health sector providers. She holds a strong belief in health quality and safety combined with commitment, leadership and innovation in the health sector and is looking forward to the opportunities and challenges of being able to serve on an extremely important and dynamic Commission.

She is currently an appointed member of the Waitemata (from 2007) and Auckland (from 2010) District Health Boards, is Chairperson of the Ngati Hine Health Trust (the largest Maori health provider in Northland), and is a board member of Manaia Health PHO. Ms Tepania-Palmer is also a former member of the National Health Committee. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Massey University, a certificate in health economics, and holds a Certificate in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors in New Zealand (inc).

Gwen is also a registered comprehensive nurse and registered psycho-paediatric nurse and is a Life Member of the National Council of Maori Nurses and a Massey University MBA Alumni member.

Her tribal affiliations are Te Aupouri, Ngati Kahu and Ngati Paoa Tainui. She is the mother of two adult children and the proud grandmother of three delightful grandsons/mokopuna.

To find out more about the Health Quality & Safety Commission see: www.hqsc.govt.nz.

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