The new University of Waikato health team (from left): Dr Ryan Paul, Dr Ross Lawrenson and Dr Rawiri Keenan. Photo / University of Waikato
The new University of Waikato health team (from left): Dr Ryan Paul, Dr Ross Lawrenson and Dr Rawiri Keenan. Photo / University of Waikato
The University of Waikato has underlined its commitment to creating New Zealand’s third medical school with the announcement this week of three key appointments to Te Huataki Waiora School of Health.
In July, the National Party said if it is elected to power at this year’s general election, it will support the development of a third medical school at the University of Waikato to help address workforce challenges.
School of Health dean Professor Jo Lane says the university is already fully committed to establishing the medical school.
“It is needed, as the workforce and system challenges in health will not improve if we keep doing the same thing,” Lane said.
The School of Health appointments focus on delivering academic programmes that help meet the current and future workforce needs in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The dean of Te Huataki Waiora School of Health at the University of Waikato, Professor Joseph Lane. Photo / University of Waikato
“As a university, we are focused on supporting fairer health outcomes in our communities and achieving this by delivering a full range of allied health programmes, " Lane said.
The university has appointed Dr Ross Lawrenson as its new director of medicine at the School of Health. Formerly a GP and the university’s professor of population health, Lawrenson has more than 25 years of research experience and a particular interest in the importance of primary care on health outcomes.
Lawrenson is an investigator on a number of Health Research Council collaborations and has held a number of governance roles, including being on the Pharmac board from 2016 to 2020, chairman of the National Screening Advisory Committee from 2009-2016, and NZ chairman of the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine (AFPHM). He was previously dean of the Postgraduate Medical School at the University of Surrey and then assistant dean at the University of Auckland.
“Ross is a highly experienced, well-known and hugely respected expert, and we are excited about what he will bring to this position,” Lane says.
As well as his appointment, the School of Health has appointed Dr Ryan Paul (Ngāti Maru) as its associate professor of medicine, and Dr Rawiri Keenan (Te Atiawa, Taranaki), as its associate professor of primary care.
Paul has been a senior lecturer in diabetes and endocrinology since 2016. He is the immediate past president of the New Zealand Society of Endocrinology, president-elect of the New Zealand Society for the Study of Diabetes, convenor of the New Zealand National Diabetes Guidance Group and a clinical associate of the Maurice Wilkins Centre. Paul was awarded the New Zealand Medical Educator of the Year award in 2019 and established the Advanced Diabetes Management Course.
“Ryan provides the School of Health with key strategic partnerships, relevant for both teaching and research, including clinical leadership within the Medical Research Centre, and he has initiated professional development activities for primary care practitioners,” Lane says.
Keenan is a vocationally registered GP who has held various local and national roles alongside clinical work. Currently, he is a member of the National Mortality Review Committee and Patient Reported Measures Steering Group for Te Tāhū Hauora Health Quality and Safety Commission and the national clinical assembly for Te Aho o Te Kahu [Cancer Control Agency].
“Rawiri has excellent links with Māori doctors across New Zealand and is much valued for his guidance on tikanga in the health setting. He is invaluable to our health research efforts, providing credible Māori input into our research applications and providing mana and expertise to our Māori health initiatives across the School of Health.”
Lane says the university is pleased to have such capable and experienced practitioners take on these important leadership roles within its growing and socially responsive School of Health.
