Former Hillcrest High School student and Head of the Student Council in 1978, Dr Rawiri McKree Jansen and long-time Clinical Director has been appointed Chief Medical Officer at Te Aka Whai Ora (Māori Health Authority). The appointment comes after Dr McKree Jansen’s recent interim secondment as Clinical Lead Primary Care at the Interim Māori Authority. CEO Dr Brown says Dr McKree Jansen’s decade-long contribution to NHC has been enormous.
“Rawiri is part of our DNA, his dedication, hard work and enthusiasm has been significant, not just with us but across the sector. His expertise and experience in his new role will be hugely beneficial for Māori whānau across Aotearoa.”
Dr Rawiri Jansen (Ngāti Raukawa), FRNZCGP, MBChB, BHB, BA, Dip Tchg, Grad Cert Clinical Teaching, formerly a resource teacher of Māori language, completed his medical training at Middlemore Hospital in South Auckland in 2000. That was actually Rawiri’s second attempt at Medical School having interrupted his studies to be an activist and protestor (Maori land, Maori language, Nuclear Free Independent Pacific and 1981 Springbok Tour). He provided clinical teaching, Te Reo and Tikanga Māori programmes for Māori health professionals throughout the country for several years. He have been Chairman of Te Ataarangi Trust (a national Maori language organisation), and Chairperson of Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa (Maori Medical Practitioners Association).
Rawiri’s main focus now is providing clinical leadership towards Maori health equity as a General Practitioner and Clinical Director for a Primary Healthcare Organisation.
