Dr Fiona Bolden MB ChB 1990 Bristol; MRCGP 1995; FRNZCGP 2005 (Dist)

Dr Fiona Bolden is a passionate advocate for rural health, combining decades of experience as both a frontline rural clinician and a healthcare leader. As the inaugural Chair of Hauora Taiwhenua/Rural Health Network, she has led the network’s growth from a fledgling advocacy organisation into a unified and influential voice for rural health. Before Hauora Taiwhenua was launched in 2022, Fiona served for three years as Chair of one of the key founding member organisations, the New Zealand Rural General Practice Network (NZRGPN). She had been on NZRGPN’s board since 2010.

In her ongoing clinical work as a rural GP, Fiona remains deeply connected to the rural communities she works with and is driven by the relationships she has forged over the years. She provides out-of-hours care, participates in PRIME (Primary Medical Emergency Response) and has played an instrumental role in many community wellbeing initiatives, including suicide prevention and women’s health.

Fiona’s vision for sustainable rural health reaches beyond her region and New Zealand with an aspiration for interconnected and supportive networks of healthcare professionals across borders. Recently, Fiona led Hauora Taiwhenua’s successful bid to host the Rural WONCA (World Organisation of Family Doctors) conference in New Zealand in 2026. She is looking forward to the opportunity to work with rural health professionals from across the network to showcase Indigenous healthcare approaches on an international platform.

While her advocacy extends to the global stage, Fiona remains deeply committed to rural primary care, with a strong focus on mental health support. Originally from the UK, studying medicine at the University of Bristol, she did her general practice training rurally. She moved to NZ in 2002 with her young family, settling initially in Kawhia and then working in Whaingaroa/Raglan where she jointly owned a practice until December 2018. She worked for Midlands Primary Healthcare Organisation (PHO) as a clinical lead in mental health and addictions for four years and now has a role on the national clinical network for mental health and addiction.  From 2018 to 2025, she worked at Whangamatā in the Coromandel and is currently practising rural and remote medicine as a locum GP.

Fiona represents the rural health network with her regular contributions to NZDoctor. Her heartfelt passion for an equitable health service for rural communities can be seen in the media interviews and the advocacy work that she does throughout all levels of the system but is felt most strongly in the people, whanau and communities that she has dedicated her career to serving.

Margareth (Ngāpuhi and Dutch whakapapa) is the Ahorangi / Chief Executive of Hauora Hokianga – a hauora Māori provider in the west coast far North.   Born in the Hokianga she fulfilled a lifelong dream in 2021 to return home to serve the people of Hokianga.

With a nursing career spanning nearly 40  years, Margareth has held various leadership, management and governance roles within clinical practice, academic and policy environments.

Margareth’s roles prior to returning home included being the Director of Nursing and Midwifery at Northland DHB  and representing nursing at a national level as the Chief Nurse with the Ministry of Health.

With rural health close to her heart and home, the reality of rurality is a mantra she promotes to ensure there is a continued focus on addressing inequities and improving health outcomes for rural communities.

She is honoured to be the Chair of Te Rōpū Ārahi and board member of Hauora Taiwhenua where she believes her years of experience as a Registered Nurse, leadership and management roles, and passion for Māori and rural health will be well utilised.

Mark is the Chief Executive of Mobile Health and with his team is responsible for providing elective day surgery via the Mobile Surgical Unit – Te Waka Hauora, running My Health Hub providing continuing professional development for health practitioners and operating the NZ Telehealth Resource Centre.  

With a strong focus on providing health services to rural communities through his work, Mark is a strong advocate improving equity of access to healthcare for rural New Zealanders.   

Mark brings to Rural Communities decades of expertise and understanding of how to achieve effective collaboration with entities such as Manatū Hauora Ministry of Health, Te Whatu Ora – Health NZ, and Primary Care Organisations. 

Bill is currently the Chief Executive of Waitaha PHO. Prior to this role, he was a Client Manager with South Link Health where he was responsible for rolling out Primary Health Organisations in the upper South Island.  

Having developed strong community linkages with a number of organisations including Territorial Local Authorities, Bill brings experience in forging partnerships which support the continuation of rural and remote rural primary care services through the developments of community networks. 

Bill brings a strong business acumen and depth of experience to rural communities through strong stakeholder relationships with Canterbury District Health Board, Canterbury Alliance, Ministry of Health, New Zealand Rural General Practice Network, National Rural Health Advisory Group, St John Ambulance, Whanau Groups and most recently Hauora Taiwhenua. 

Ko Taranaki me Te Atiawa ngā iwi
Ko Ngati Haupoto me Te Mate Hou ngā hapū
Ko Te Aro rāua ko Waiwhetu ngā marae
Ko Sam rāua ko June oku mātua
Ko Peter Jackson taku ingoa

I am a cultural consultant and an independent director on several boards.   I provide cultural support to several health sector organisations. A commerce degree and a background in IT, small business ownership, property investment and financial literacy facilitation, has equipped me with a solid understanding of governance, management, and the mechanics of organisational success.

Debi Lawry is a Board member of Hauora Taiwhenua. She has had a 47 year nursing career, that has been mainly hospital focussed. She brings a wide range of experience, from working clinically, to education roles, midwifery roles and nursing leadership roles – Charge Nurse / Nurse Consultant / Director of Nursing.

Debi worked at Dunstan Hospital in Central Otago from 2007 to 2020 in a nursing leadership / management role which included 6 months as acting CE. The last 2 years of her working life was spent as service manager for Rural Health at Southern DHB. This included managing Lakes District Hospital in Queenstown … in time for the pandemic to strike.

Debi joined the rural hospital network in 2009 and has been an exec member since 2010. She was a foundation member of rural nurses NZ and has been on the exec since it’s inception, including a term as Chair. These two organisations have morphed into chapters of HTRHN, and now benefit from being part of a larger rurally focussed organisation.

Debi’s focus is on rural hospitals and nursing across all areas of rural practice.

She would like to see equity in health outcomes for all. She believes a strong unified voice to champion key rural issues is vital. HTRHN is well positioned to provide that voice.

Mikaela is currently pursuing a Master’s in Nursing Science at the University of Otago, with a strong passion for advancing rural health equity. She brings a forward-thinking perspective to Hauora Taiwhenua, focusing on shaping the future of healthcare in Aotearoa.
With a background in Anatomy and Public Health from her undergraduate studies, Mikaela has developed a deep understanding of the need for a more inclusive and comprehensive health system. This realization has inspired her to advocate for systemic change and to be a voice at the table for students and future healthcare workers.
Although she is still gaining experience within Aotearoa’s healthcare system, Mikaela is highly motivated to collaborate with senior colleagues to bridge healthcare disparities and create lasting solutions for future generations. Her commitment to representing the perspectives of emerging healthcare professionals underscores her dedication to a sustainable and equitable health system.

Margareth (Ngāpuhi and Dutch whakapapa) is the Ahorangi / Chief Executive of Hauora Hokianga – a hauora Māori provider in the west coast far North.   Born in the Hokianga she fulfilled a lifelong dream in 2021 to return home to serve the people of Hokianga.

With a nursing career spanning nearly 40  years, Margareth has held various leadership, management and governance roles within clinical practice, academic and policy environments.

Margareth’s roles prior to returning home included being the Director of Nursing and Midwifery at Northland DHB  and representing nursing at a national level as the Chief Nurse with the Ministry of Health.

With rural health close to her heart and home, the reality of rurality is a mantra she promotes to ensure there is a continued focus on addressing inequities and improving health outcomes for rural communities.

She is honoured to be the Chair of Te Rōpū Ārahi and board member of Hauora Taiwhenua where she believes her years of experience as a Registered Nurse, leadership and management roles, and passion for Māori and rural health will be well utilised.

Ko Taranaki me Te Atiawa ngā iwi
Ko Ngati Haupoto me Te Mate Hou ngā hapū
Ko Te Aro rāua ko Waiwhetu ngā marae
Ko Sam rāua ko June oku mātua
Ko Peter Jackson taku ingoa

I am a cultural consultant and an independent director on several boards.   I provide cultural support to several health sector organisations. A commerce degree and a background in IT, small business ownership, property investment and financial literacy facilitation, has equipped me with a solid understanding of governance, management, and the mechanics of organisational success.

Ko Taranaki toku maunga 

Ko Hangatahua toku awa 

Ko Kurahaupō toku waka 

Ko Ngā Māhanga ko Ngāti Tairi toku iwi 

Ko Poniho toku pa 

No Rangiauria o Wharekauri ahau 

Kei Timaru toku kainga inaianei 

Ko Gregory-Hunt toku whanau 

Ko Tania Kemp toku ingoa 

I was born and grew up on Pitt Island, in the Chatham Islands. I have a strong affiliation with Ngati Mutunga o Wharekauri as Wharekauri remains turangawaiwai to me and my whanau remain there.  

I am a Nurse Practitioner (Mātanga Tapuhi) and own the Pleasant Point Health Center. This was the first Nurse Practitioner owned and led General Practice in New Zealand. This is a Nurse Practitioner run Practice, with a commitment to growing our own. We have a constant flow of student nurses from undergrad to NP interns. 

I have spent 30 years in General Practice, mostly in rural and remote communities, including Pitt Island, Wharekauri, South Island West Coast and for the past 12 years in South Canterbury.  

I am the Deputy Chair of Te Aitarakihi Society Inc. A local Marae-a-iwi for Mata waka and all cultures within South Canterbury. Through this organisation I chair a Health and Well-being Committee, with the view of increasing health care for Māori in the region.  

I was on the RGPN board for 6 years until 2018. I also served on the Nursing Council New Zealand, for two terms, finishing in Feb this year.  I was asked to rejoin Te Rōpū Ārahi in the transitional phase of RGPN to Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health. I am a council member also. 

My drive is to influence policy and systems that enable genuine change and improvements to health outcomes for Māori, whanau, hapu and iwi in rural hapori whānui. 

Dr Grahame Jelley is the former Northern North Island representative on the New Zealand Rural General Practice Network Board.  

Having completed my secondary education in Zimbabwe, I qualified from the University of Cape Town in South Africa in 1983. I have worked as a Rural Practitioner for 30 years in mission hospital service, regional rural hospital service in South Africa, large corporate medical services and in solo general practice in Zimbabwe. Arriving  in New Zealand  in 2000 as a DHB employed General Practitioner in Westport, the Bay of Plenty in 2004 and Kerikeri Northland since 2014. I have served as a volunteer GP in the Cook Islands at Aitutaki Base Hospital. I have been actively involved with the Eastern Bay of Plenty PHO and Primary Health Alliance and subsequently te tai Tokerau PHO Board.  I have more recently mixed my GP work with Clinical Advisor to Planning and Funding with the Bay of Plenty DHB, clinical Directore Te Tai Tokerau PHO and most recently clinical Advisor Mahitahi Hauora Primary Health Entity.   

I am married to Renene a nurse and have two children Courtney and a son Brendan and more recently our first mokopuna Preston.  I love sailing and other outdoor activities. I continue to enjoy the opportunities afforded to me through to contributing positively to the Board of the RGPN and the advocacy for wider rural General Practice teams and their communities.    

My name is Gemma Hutton, I am a Nurse Practitioner in Twizel and continue to provide Telehealth/Locum support for the West Coast which was the area where I started my rural journey.

The majority of my career has been in rural health. I was a former board member of RGPN and I remain involved in advocating for rural health within my local area.

Gill champions workforce development and through workforce, making a difference to the lives of whānau, families and communities in Aotearoa. 

In her day job, Gill manages System Capability for National Emergency Management Agency, professionalising and building the emergency management workforce in Aotearoa.   

Gill is a strong advocate for enhancing rural wellbeing and believes in whanaungatanga, building relationships and working collaboratively. Her approach is to build on strengths and share solutions. She brings extensive experience in fostering collaboration and partnerships between communities and elected stakeholders. 

Sarah Walker is an experienced physiotherapist working in rural Central Otago. For a number of years Sarah has practiced clinically across inpatient, outpatient, and community settings and led the co-ordination of MoH funded physiotherapy services across Central Otago.

Recently, Sarah has shifted into the clinical-academic world after receiving a Health Research Council Clinical Research Training Fellowship. In her joint appointment, Sarah continues her clinical work through Central Otago Health Services Ltd at Dunstan Hospital, whilst completing her PhD through the University of Otago. Sarah’s research is centered around defining what it is to be an allied health professional in rural New Zealand. Her research currently focuses around the role allied health professionals have in rural areas, and seeks to explore the scope of practice held by these rural clinicians. This research contributes knowledge to support the development of specific training for health care professionals, to ensure that rural communities are provided with a skilled and relevant health workforce to meet their needs.

Currently working in Southland as a Nurse Practitioner in Otautau and Riverton (Aparima). Living in Pahia near the south-coast of sunny Southland. Member of RNNZ since establishment in 2017.

Shawna works primarily as a solo NP on Rakiura/Stewart Island and hones her emergency skills in the ED at Southland Hospital. She is passionate about improving rural and remote healthcare and finds tremendous fulfillment in the connections that rurality affords.

Kendra lives in rural South Canterbury and has been working as a community midwife in the area for the last 5 years. Kendra is passionate about equitable access to health care services for rural communities. 

Tēnā koutou ngā tauira o te hauora taiwhenua o Aotearoa,

E mihi ana ki a koutou, ngā kanohi hou, ngā ringa rau o āpōpō, e whakapau kaha ana ki te manaaki i ngā hapori maha o te motu. Ko koutou ngā kaiarataki mō ngā whānau e noho ana ki ngā rohe taiwhenua, e whai ana i te tika me te ora mō te katoa.

Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui i roto i ā koutou mahi ako me ngā mahi hauora. He mahi whakahirahira kei mua i a koutou, ā, kei konei mātou katoa hei tautoko i a koutou.

Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou mō tō koutou ngākau nui ki te mahi tahi, te mahi pono, me te mahi aroha mō ngā whānau me ngā hapori o Aotearoa.

Ko Angel Loren Harbers tōku ingoa, engari ka kīia hoki ahau ko Anahera Chan.

I was born in Caboolture, Australia, while my three younger sisters were born in Te Tai Tokerau, Aotearoa (New Zealand). E noho ana ahau ki Tāmaki Makaurau, engari ko Houhora tōku kainga.

Tēnei te taha o tōku koro

Ko Puhangatohora te maunga

Ko Tāheke te awa

Ko Ngātokimatawhaorua te waka

Ko Hokianga te moana

Ko Rāhiri te rangatira

Ko Ngāti Pākau te hapū

Ko Ngāpuhi te iwi

Tēnei te taha o tōku kuia

Ko Maunga Piko te maunga

Ko Kurahaupō te waka

Ko Pohurihanga te tangata

Ko Pārengarenga te wahapū

Ko Waitiki te awa

Ko Mareitu te urupā

Ko Te Hāpua te kāinga

Ko Te Hiku o Te Ika te marae

Ko Ngāti Kurī te iwi

I am currently in my fourth year of the Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Auckland. I recently completed my Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours), focusing on Student Experiences of Rural Health Interprofessional Education Programmes: A Photovoice Study. In 2022, I published a paper examining the barriers to accessing diabetes eye screening in rural communities. I am now conducting research, supported by the Auckland Radiology Group, on the challenges of accessing radiological services in Hamilton and Whangārei.

In addition to my academic work, I am currently developing a healthcare start-up aimed at addressing barriers to accessing healthcare in rural areas. This initiative aligns closely with my passion for improving rural, Indigenous, and women’s health outcomes, which are deeply tied to systemic injustices and power imbalances.

I am incredibly excited about joining the SoRHA Exec Committee as Māori Co-chair. This role is an opportunity to advocate for culturally safe healthcare, elevate Māori voices, and help address the systemic inequities faced by rural communities. I look forward to working alongside a passionate team to create meaningful, community-driven solutions.

Ngā manaakitanga ngā mihi nui,

Angel Loren Harbers (Anahera Chan)