The Executive of the NZIHE recently met in Christchurch for the organisation’s Annual General Meeting.
New Zealand Institute of Healthcare
President’s Report – October 2020
This year has been an extraordinary time for our country and around the globe, as we have faced the challenges of Covid-19. While the world slowed down the NZIHE executive team kept going. There have been a number of changes and improvements that have been implemented within the institute. Some of those were planned and some of them took place due to the new covid environment.
Sadly this year has seen the passing Tony Blackler. Tony and Allison were both a key part of the NZIHE and were passionate about keeping the spirit of the institute alive. Tony had a huge depth of knowledge relating to the institutes history and was able to guide the executive forward for many years by making improvements that fitted within the changing world of health. He will be missed and our thoughts are with Allison as she adjusts to life without him.
Due to covid we have seen a large acceleration of trends such as the move to telehealth and zoom conferencing that was previously progressing at a slow pace. New ways of doing things are quickly becoming the norm and our executive team have also embraced some of these changes. Prior to Covid the executive was working towards an online connection using Skype however as a result of covid they are now using Zoom at most of the meetings. This has allowed for a far better way to connect and work through documents together at meetings.
The new NZIHE website is now fully up and running. This has increased publicity, provided better accessibility and is far more user friendly. The website is now managed in-house and the executive is very thankful that this is operating so well.
This year we have been thankful for the new executive members who have taken on the different institute responsibilities. There are around 15 different responsibilities each with specific guidelines. Overall there is quite a bit of work involved in running the institute but collectively the team is able to manage even when they have busy lives.
Covid has also affected our main event, the NZIHE annual conference which has been postponed until November 2021. The Conference each year is a key component of our activities and is a highlight for those that attend. The conference is still planned for Christchurch and will involve some great speakers and an awesome networking time. The AGM is usually held during the conference each year but this year we will be holding the AGM online over Zoom.
The success of NZIHE is not possible without the efforts and dedication of executive members. Volunteers keep NZIHE alive and running, and I want to express my gratitude to all members who have helped the institute operate successfully this year.
I thank you for your ongoing support and wish you a great Christmas and New Year.
Kind Regards
Gavin Carey-Smith
President
NZIHE
