Karenza joined Mobile Health shortly after the concept of a mobile truck hit the road, and hasn’t looked back. She brings to the unit a wealth of operating theatre experience covering an extensive range of surgical procedures and specialties. She keeps her clinical role up to date by sharing her time between Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand life and that of the mobile surgical unit, the contrast of which is an enjoyable challenge.

Jenny completed her nursing training in 1979 as a registered community nurse and began working in the operating theatres at Wanganui Hospital.  In 1999 she completed the bridging course to registered nurse.

In 2002 she started working for the nobile surgical unit in Taihape once every five weeks, until in January 2018 she was appointed as the clinical nurse leader for the Northland run as well as still helping in Taihape, and continuing her main job as a theatre nurse at Wanganui Hospital.

She has also worked in the operating theatres in the private sector and in the outback of Australia. Her spare time is spent on her lifestyle block attending to my thoroughbreds which she breed and race, and also runs a few cattle.

Tracey has nursed in many perioperative environments during the past 24 years including Wellington Hospital, Kenepuru Hospital, Porirua Hospital, and presently Crest Hospital theatres in Palmerston North.  Tracey has been working on Te Waka Hauora in Kapiti since 2010, and joined our team as a clinical nurse leader in 2019.

Outside of work, Tracey is found on another waka, waka ama (outrigger canoe), paddling with like-minded people moving forward together. Tracey and her daughters are dedicated paddlers for their our local waka ama club, Otaki Waka Hoe and compete regionally and nationally at sprint and long-distance regattas.

Keeley qualified as an anaesthetic technician in the United Kingdom in 2001, and also holds a certificate in adult education. She says paediatrics are her favourite patients and has worked at Starship Children’s Hospital in Auckland for about 10 years. She has been working in Whangarei Base Hospital for approximately 18 months. Keeley is involved in Heart4Kids charity where she gets the opportunity to go on surgical missions to Fiji to perform heart surgery on children. She has been working onboard the mobile surgical unit for a short time but loves visiting the rural locations.

Nic qualified as a nurse in 1992. Theatre nursing has been the main stay of her career with a couple of years practise nursing before taking a break to work on the family farm. She returned to casual work at Dannevirke Community Hospital, which in turn led her to working on a casual basis for Mobile Health on the mobile surgical unit. She loves being part of the team and working in a great environment.

Karly is a highly skilled healthcare professional who has been making a positive impact in the medical field for several years. She obtained her registered nurse qualification in 2015, and then studied and qualified as an anaesthetic technician in 2020. Karly currently resides and works in Timaru, where she serves as an anaesthetic technician and registered nurse at Timaru Hospital.

As one of the newest members of the Mobile Health clinical team, Karly is proud to be a part of an organisation that shares her passion for delivering high-quality patient care. She works on the surgical unit and enjoys the dynamic environment that comes with her role. In addition to her duties, Karly appreciates the collaborative team-based approach to care that is a hallmark of Mobile Health. Working alongside her colleagues provides her with a sense of camaraderie and fulfillment that she finds deeply rewarding.

Diana initially trained at Whangarei Hospital as an enrolled nurse where she worked in the operating theatre for many years. She completed her chair side dental training and worked in that field for a few years before returning to the operating theatre where she completed her anaesthetic technician training. In the last 12 years she has worked as an anesthetic technician both in New Zealand and overseas, including public and private hospitals. She joined the Mobile Health team in late 2011. 

Sue has worked as an anaesthetic technician in different locations around New Zealand for the past 27 years and has been with Mobile Health since 2008. She has three years of previous experience with Mobile Health and has re-joined the team after taking some time off to look after her young daughter.

“I love working aboard the surgical unit, working within the professional teams, for rural New Zealanders.”

Mark has been with Mobile Health since 2007, and comes from a nursing background. He manages the team at Mobile Health, as well as the relationship with the Manatu Hauora Ministry of Health. He is also the chair of the Primary Response in Medical Emergencies (PRIME) Board, and a Board member of Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network. 

With extensive experience driving trucks and coaches on both sides of the Tasman, Jimmy joined the Mobile Health team in 2001. Since then he has supported Gavin in driving the mobile surgical unit and mobile lithotripsy unit around the country on its five-week circuit.

Heather works as an anaesthetic technician and also is our patient liaison co-ordinator. She comes to us with an extensive background in the medical field. She has been a registered anaesthetic technician since 1999 and holds an educational role as a national assessor for anaesthetic students, through the Auckland University of technology.

Heather is responsible for conducting patient follow up questionnaires for all patients treated on the mobile surgical unit and mobile lithotripsy unit. She also manages stock supplies for the surgical unit and general office administration.

As the accounting manager, Pam takes care of payments and receipts, and provides accounting information to management and Board. Originally from South Africa and having qualified as a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants in the UK, Pam worked for various National Health Board organisations in finance and management prior to immigrating to New Zealand. She claims not to know ‘Suzie the Waitress’.

Andrew has extensive sales and marketing experience previously working in both high-tech manufacturing, and the business to business sectors. He joined Mobile Health in 2008 and manages all marketing and promotional activities, including events such as the Fieldays Health & Wellness Hub. Andrew also films, edits and produces many of our live and recorded video sessions.

Andrew is a member of the NZ Telehealth Forum and he runs the NZ Telehealth Resource Centre and the telehealth.org.nz website.

Jess became a part of the Mobile Health team in 2018. Her responsibilities encompass various aspects of human resource administration, such as facilitating the onboarding process for new team members and ensuring compliance with staff education and training prerequisites. Additionally, she handles the co-ordination of staff travel arrangements for the Mobile Surgical Unit.

Chris joined Mobile Health in January 2022. Having had experience in industrial engineering and sales, she eventually trained as a science teacher and has held various training and development roles both in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Being committed to bringing equity of access to development opportunities to our rural health professionals means that in addition to managing our education programmes, Chris will be getting out and about meeting rural networks and growing our provision to more remote communities.

Rosanna joined the Mobile Health education team in July 2022, bringing experience from previous roles at Conference Innovators and within the tourism industry in NZ and abroad. Having grown up rurally she has lived experience with limitations to educational opportunities for rural communities. Outside of work Rosanna spends many hours at the turf playing and coaching hockey.

Kate has taken on the role of People, Culture, and Sustainability for Mobile Health in May 2023 alongside her work for Mobile Medical Technology. Her role focusses on the wellbeing and development of the individuals within the organisation, fostering a positive work environment and promoting a culture of inclusivity and growth. It also involves implementing practices and initiatives that support environmental sustainability.