Heather Brunton joined Canterbury Clinical Network (CCN) as Integrated Services Manager, with Deborah Callahan’s secondment at the Canterbury DHB in emergency response being extended.

Acting CCN Executive Director Linda Wensley says the team is thrilled to have Heather onboard and her experience and knowledge is extremely valued. 

“Heather is already well involved with the Integrated Respiratory Service Development Group and is an integral part of a project team exploring ways to provide the right services and support for people with respiratory conditions to stay well in the community,” says Linda. 

“Alongside this work, Heather’s fresh eyes on how the Integrated Respiratory Services are provided in the community are proving invaluable.”

Heather has a background in nursing with extensive experience working in clinical and management roles across Australia, United Kingdom and Canterbury.

“I’ve worked in oncology, palliative care and more recently supporting people with a progressive neurological condition in the community,” says Heather. 

“My interest in how people, technology and data intersect to improve safety and quality of patient care led me to complete a Post Graduate diploma in Health Informatics and a Masters in Health Science. I have been involved in various national steering committees and projects to improve and develop service delivery.”

“The aims of CCN around understanding the population needs by using data, listening to the health providers and community resonated with my focus of improvement of health services making the best use of the healthcare resources.” 

Working in a clinical role in the community also increased Heather’s awareness of the barriers of accessing healthcare and understanding of the determinates of health of the Canterbury population.

“I am excited to be part of a team that takes a whole picture approach to achieving equity and improve health services, to ensure our people get the services they need as close to their homes as possible. I’m also looking forward to being part of the Integrated Respiratory Services team and supporting their vision and work.”

As part of this role Heather also joins Rebecca Muir and Rose Laing to continue to embed the use of Shared Care Plans across Canterbury.