Mrs Webb said Mrs Mason would bring with her not only strong knowledge and experience with the health board, but also her recent experience as a Harkness Fellow where she had the opportunity to expand her skill set internationally.
"Helen is no stranger to the BOPDHB having been with us for 17 years working in a number of roles, most recently as the general manager innovation and special projects and formerly as chief operating officer and general manager planning and funding.
"The Board is excited about the future of health in the Bay of Plenty with Helen leading an
executive team and staff of experienced and dedicated people. The Bay of Plenty District Health Board is well positioned to lead health developments not only in the Bay of Plenty but also nationally."
Helen Mason
* Started her career in health as a registered nurse and a midwife before moving into the
private health sector and the pharmaceutical industry.
* Originally from Zimbabwe, she has also worked in Scotland, England and Australia.
* She has held a number of positions at the Bay of Plenty District Health Board, starting as
a flexi nurse at Tauranga Hospital, before becoming a nurse manager and then a decision
support ddvisor.
* As general manager innovation she was accountable for leading strategic planning and for purchasing a wide range of primary and secondary health care services.
* As chief operating officer, she led the delivery of secondary health services through
our hospitals in Tauranga and Whakatane, community health centres at Opotiki, Te Kaha and Murupara, mental health inpatient and community services, and regional community services.
* Her professional interests include advance care planning, the social determinants of health, vulnerable populations and quality improvement.
* Her MBA is from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, and her nursing and midwifery
qualifications are from the College of Nursing and Midwifery, Addington Hospital, Durban.
* She is on faculty at Harvard Medical School.
* In 2014-15 she was awarded the New Zealand Harkness Fellow in Health Care Policy and
Practice, and was an Institute for Healthcare Improvement Fellow in Boston, USA.
* She is married to Max Mason and has a 20 year old son, Mungo.
