Executive Leadership Team — Our Team Bios — Nelson Bays Primary Health

Sara Shaughnessy

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!

Executive Leadership TeamEmily-Rose RichardsOctober 10, 2023Chief Executive

Trudi Price

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.

Executive Leadership TeamPhil HoughtonOctober 10, 2023People and Capability Manager

Wolfgang Klöpfer

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.

Executive Leadership TeamPhil HoughtonOctober 10, 2023Chief Financial Officer

Emily-Rose Richards

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 Etheridge

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.

Executive Leadership TeamPhil HoughtonOctober 6, 2023General Manager Primary Care

Tonia Talbot

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.

Executive Leadership TeamPhil HoughtonOctober 6, 2023Health Promotion Manager

Ruth Robson

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.

Roy Hoerara

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.

Executive Leadership TeamEmily-Rose RichardsSeptember 18, 2023Kaiwhakahaere Ahurea

Wirihana de Thierry

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.

Executive Leadership TeamEmily-Rose RichardsSeptember 18, 2023Kaiwhakahaere Ahurea

Bobbie Hutton

Executive Leadership TeamPhil HoughtonSeptember 2, 2022Director of Nursing

Wayne Thompson

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