Maori Party Congratulates Dr Rees Tapsell on key Appointment

Tariana Turia, Health Spokesperson for the Maori Party

Wednesday 30 April 2008

The Maori Party is delighted to congratulate Waikato District Health Board and Tainui mental health service provider, Hauora Waikato, on their vision in appointing Dr Rees Tapsell as executive clinical director for forensic psychiatric services across the Midland region.

“Rees has earnt a formidable reputation across the mental health sector, for his passion for innovation and his standards of excellence” said Tariana Turia, health spokesperson for the Maori Party.

“Whilst my colleague Te Ururoa Flavell would no doubt say that comes from being Te Arawa, there is no denying the impact that Rees has made across mental health services” said Mrs Turia.

“Rees has made huge inroads in his work with Hauora Waikato; in setting up Tane Whakapiripiri (a kaupapa Maori rehabilitation unit in the Mason Clinic); in extending our knowledge of Maori mental health through his research expertise for the Te Rau Hinengaro survey; as Past President of Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa (Maori Medical Practitioners Association of Aotearoa); as a consultant for Mauri Ora Associates, or as one of the foundation members that established Hauora.com to build an effective Maori led health workforce” said Mrs Turia.

“His focus has always been on making access easy for anyone to benefit from his ideas and transplant them in their own setting” said Mrs Turia. “The Maori Mental Health Registrar Training Website (Te Iho) is a classic example”.

“All of this energy has been sustained alongside his work as a consultant forensic psychiatrist, as a member of the Mental Health Review Tribunal, as a clinical lecturer with the University of Auckland School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and the impact he has made on Auckland Healthcare Services, on Waikato Maori Mental Health Services, on Midland Forensic Psychiatry Services”.

“Recent service data shows that Maori made up approximately 70% of the forensic service user population in the Midland region” said Mrs Turia.

“The dedicated expertise and experience that Rees brings to this position, through his work in advancing Maori mental health across the motu, will be bound to distinguish the Midland region in the years to come”.

"I congratulate Rees for his impressive success, and wish him well in this exciting opportunity to enhance whanau wellbeing".

ENDS

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