Division of Rural Hospital Medicine Council
About the Council
The Division of Rural Hospital Medicine Council, in addition to its role as the governance body of the sub-faculty, is the vocational and representative governance body for the vocational scope of rural hospital medicine. To fulfil Council’s accountability to members it provides governance for:
- the Branch Advisory Body status and relationship with the MCNZ
- the RHD training programme
- the RHD reaccreditation programme
- advocating for Rural Hospital Medicine
- setting outcomes, direction, policy and priorities
- anticipating and identifying risks
- monitoring the Division's performance
- procuring funding to enable the achievement of the above
The Divisional Council comprises nine members:
- The Division’s members elect seven Council members (four are doctors for whom rural hospital medicine is their principal clinical role and three are rural general practitioners who have part time rural hospital appointments). All seven of these members must be eligible for the Experiential Pathway into DRHM Fellowship.
- The Council also appoints a Maori representative on advice from the RNZCGP’s Te Akoranga a Maui (Maori Faculty), a consumer representative on advice from the RNZCGP Consumer Liaison Committee and elects a Chairperson, who sits on the Rural Faculty of the RNZCGP.
The Divisional Council may also appoint rural hospital doctor expert panels to work on issues where the need arises.
The Council meets face to face three times a year.
Council Profiles
Nina Stupples, Chair
Rural Hospital Doctor, Buller
Nina Stupples works in Westport and Reefton. She is committed to trying to improve professional support for rural health practitioners and developing appropriate training for doctors working in rural New Zealand. She enjoys working and living on the West Coast and tries to spend her spare time in the outdoors.
Alan Murray, Deputy Chair
Rural Hospital Doctor, Bay of Islands
Alan Murray works at the Bay of Islands Hospital, Kawakawa in Northland. Born in Scotland he has lived in NZ since 1992 and worked mainly in rural areas both as a GP (FRNZCGP) and in rural hospitals. Alan enjoys the sunny Northland outside lifestyle with his lovely family.
Jenny Dawson
Rural Hospital Doctor, Thames
Jenny Dawson currently works at Thames Hospital. She was in the original working party that achieved vocational registration for Rural Hospital Doctors, and is now progressing that work on the Board of Studies of Rural Hospital Medicine. She is often to be found with her teenage family - yes she did enjoy ”The Edge WinterJam” - and running and walking along the tracks in the bush of the Coromandel. Her Australian accent is almost gone.
Rodger Mills
Rural Hospital Doctor, Grey Base
James Reid
Rural Hospital Doctor, Lakes District
Stuart Mologne
Rural Hospital Doctor/Rural GP, Westport
I have worked and lived on the West Coast for 8 years. I help take care of the general practice surgery as well as the hospital in our rural area. I am trying to promote Rural Medicine/Rural Hospital Medicine and am committed to making the West Coast "the Centre of Excellence" for the training of medical students and postgraduate education.
Greg van der Hulst
Rural GP, Dargaville
Greg van der Hulst works as a rural GP in Dargaville, Northland. He is completing his RNZCGP fellowship requirements in 2010 and also works part time at Dargaville Hospital. He has worked at registrar level in both Emergency and Internal Medicine, primarily in Northland, and for shorter periods at Lakes and Auckland DHBs. He spent several years representing resident doctors nationally from 2006 to 2009.
Tim Phillips
Rural GP, Te Akaronga a Maui
Tim Phillips is of Ngati Paoa (Tainui/Te Arawa) descent. He works as a rural GP in Wakefield, Nelson. He is a medical educator on the Stage 1 General Practice Education Program, and also co facilitates PGY2 and GPEP - 1 fast track programs. He is a founder trustee of EcoCARE Pacific Trust, a charitable organisation that facilitates health, environmental and educational initiatives in the Pacific.