Board Members

Chairperson

Dr Maika Kinahoi Veikune +

Dr Maika Veikune is a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Medical Administrators, MPH, he was the Tongan Kings physician (King Tupou IV), Chief Medical Officer-Public Health Division to the Ministry of Health in Tonga and multiple appointments in DHB’s, PHO’s. He was also a member from 2001-2003 of the Healthy Housing Inter-Sectoral Initiative CMDHB and Housing NZ.

Vice Chairperson

Telesia Tonga +

Educationalist and Teacher at Mt Roskill Grammar and runs a homework center largely for Pacific and Maori children. Parish Council Member.

Board Secretary

Dr Glenn Doherty +

MB ChB 1999 Otago; FRNZCGP 2014

Dr Glenn Doherty has spent more than 16 years helping Māori and Pacific people with their health and wellbeing. As CEO and Medical Director of the Tongan Health Society (THS), he runs an integrated primary health service for 6000 registered clients and approximately 2000 non-registered clients (largely Tongans without residency or visiting from the Pacific Islands).

Since 2013, Doherty has rescued the THS from financial collapse and boosted services at its health centres in Onehunga and Panmure to include dentistry, midwifery, podiatry, psychiatry and dietician services. More recently Dr Doherty has implemented a new Integrated Outcomes Unit focused on justice, housing, immigration, education and employment and community initiatives, as well as clinical issues under a new model of care for families.

Dr Doherty is a practice teacher for the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners. He is also on the Royal College Education Advisory Group that oversees general practice fellowship training and examinations. More recently he has begun an international strategic collaboration in the Kingdom of Tonga, working with the Tongan Government and Royal Family on a Tongan Outreach Project, and looking at setting up a satellite clinic in Tonga. He is also a key figure in advocating improvement of hepatitis B programmes in Tonga and early screening, diagnosis and treatment of largely undiagnosed chronic conditions. In addition, Dr Doherty is working with a number of NGOs, including the Hepatitis Foundation of NZ, the Blind Foundation of NZ and Arthritis NZ.

Board Member

Dr Ofa Dewes +

Ofa has worked in the public, private and international sectors and has strong personal and professional links with a number of Pacific countries and with research scientists and clinicians in New Zealand, who continue to influence the direction of her research with Pacific peoples. Ofa is an Affiliate Investigator of the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery/Department of Molecular Medicine & Pathology, and a Research Fellow at the School of Nursing, University of Auckland. She holds a Doctoral degree in Health Science from the University of Auckland and a Masters degree in Business Administration from Southern Cross University. Ofa is Chair of the Health Research Council of NZ Pacific Research Committee. She is Fiji-born of Rotuman, Tongan and Tuvaluan ethnicity, with affiliation to Ngati Porou.

Board Member

Pauline Taufa +

Pauline Taufa has 20 years of experience working in New Zealand as a psychologist and 17 years of experience working as a qualified Clinical Psychologist with people who have complex and long-standing psychological difficulties. She has worked in a range of secondary care adult mental health settings such as acute mental health wards, community mental health teams, primary health settings, non-government organisations and private practice providing psychological assessment and therapies.

Board Legal Adviser

Amelia Schaff +

Barrister and Legal Advisor for THS –Legal Officer and Investigator for Human Rights Commission. Part time Member-Refugees Status Appeal Authority. Immigration Judicial Review Case-Supreme Court.