Members of the Alliance Leadership Team bid farewell to a member who has made ‘exceptional and sustained’ contribution to the Canterbury health system at their meeting last month.

Carolyn Gullery left her role as Executive Director Planning, Funding and Decision Support at Canterbury and West Coast DHBs and her role providing a planning and funding perspective to the Alliance Leadership Team in August.

Dr Don Elder, ALT Independent Chair, opened the session by thanking Carolyn for the support she has offered him in his new role. Other members then spoke, highlighting Carolyn’s exceptional and sustained contribution to system integration; her ability to listen, learn, adapt and innovate; and her appetite for embracing primary care and working as a collaborative system.

Kim Sinclair-Morris, CCN Executive Director, talked about Carolyn’s commitment to developing an integrated and connected system centred around people.

“Carolyn has been a critical and key player in the development, maturity and ongoing evolution of our alliance approach.

“Carolyn has a strong focus on outcomes and using data to drive and monitor change. She has been committed to us ‘collectively determining the right thing to do’ and provided assurance and confidence that the funding would follow.”

Emma Jeffrey, consumer perspective, said: “I'd imagine it's easy for the consumer to assume that it's all about the dollars, but that’s not what I’ve seen. You always consider Agnes and strike a good balance between what’s needed for us and the bills.”

Dr Angus Chambers, PHO urban leadership and general practice perspective, said: “You have a real dedication to our system and knowledge of all its moving parts – you’re leaving very big boots to fill.”

Carolyn held her DHB role with the Canterbury DHB since September 2007 and has been part of the ALT since CCN’s inception in 2010.  

In her parting message to ALT she said it had been a privilege working with people from across the health and social system. “It’s been amazing to watch what a system unleashed can do. It’s not about a single person, it’s about 'we.' Keep on making it better for our people.” 

Carolyn will be moving to the UK before in September to work with National Health Service (NHS) teams in Northumberland and Wales.