After 25 years as the director and a GP at the Aspiring Medical Centre finishing in January this year, Dr. Susie Meyer has taken a position on the board of the WellSouth primary health network. An outdoor enthusiast originally from the US, Dr. Meyer did her medical training at the University of Auckland before settling in Wānaka. She appreciated both the clinical and business sides of working in general practice and counts treating minor traumas and teaching and communications skills as areas of special interest.

“I want to look at health issues in a broader perspective,” said Dr. Meyer, “I want to focus on teaching and contribute to primary care at a governance level. In my role as a WellSouth board member, I hope to promote ongoing and positive communication between governance and clinical groups.”

WellSouth is the primary health network for the Southern district, responsible for the delivery of primary health care and supporting general practice teams in Otago and Southland. WellSouth chairman Dr. Doug Hill said that, “access to services in remote and rural areas, transportation and future workforce issues are items that are continually on our radar and Susie’s experience means she has valuable insight. We all look forward to benefiting from her years of expertise working in general practice in Wānaka.” 

Dr. Meyer also said that they are very excited to get working on the implementation of the Southern district’s primary and community care strategy, “practitioners are boldly stepping up to new ideas and the workforce is flexible and able to adapt to change. I think that there is a strong will to make this work, which is essential, and I believe the primary health network’s ability to offer support and listen to clinical feedback will be a key to the success of the strategy.”