Chief clinical officers

About our chief clinical officers

The Ministry has four chief clinical officers:

• Chief Allied Health Professions Officer
• Chief Medical Officer
• Chief Nursing Officer
• Chief Maternity Officer

These roles work in partnership to provide clinical input and strategic professional advice to the Ministry, Ministers and the wider health system.

Chief Allied Health Professions Officer

Martin Chadwick

Martin has over 25 years of health experience in a range of roles in both the USA and New Zealand and has filled a variety of clinical, managerial and strategic leadership roles. He joined Manatū Hauora from the Bay of Plenty DHB where he was Executive of Director Allied Health, Scientific and Technical. Prior to that he held a similar role at Counties Manukau DHB for six years.

Martin has a doctoral degree from AUT examining health workforce change. He is passionate about the untapped potential that allied health professions can bring in improving the quality of care provided to our populations, and in turn better meeting equitable population health needs.

Chief Medical Officer

Dr Joe Bourne

Joe is an experienced clinical and people leader with a passion for being the ‘bridge’ between policy and strategy, healthcare operations, and clinical standards to deliver tangibly better health outcomes across Aotearoa New Zealand. He is a proud generalist, enjoying the challenge of the variety of presentations that are seen in primary care. He sees relationships as being the foundation upon which good health care delivery is based and believes continuity, which is at the heart of general practice, is vital in delivering better outcomes for people and their whānau.

Joe has worked in Te Puke since 2003 and he is a practising GP, working in an inter-disciplinary team at Poutiri Wellness Centre, a hauora Māori practice. He also has extensive experience working for Bay of Plenty DHB including time as the Clinical Director of Innovation and Improvement and as Acting Chief Medical Officer.

In September 2022, following national positions in the COVID vaccination and immunisation programme and COVID care in the community, Joe was appointed Chief Medical Officer at the Ministry of Health. His role at the Ministry is focused on ensuring that clinical perspective is woven into policy and strategy development, as well the Ministry’s monitoring function. He provides advice to the Minister of Health and leads work on quality and patient safety.

Joe is a graduate of the University of Birmingham in England, a Fellow of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practice, and has a Master of Public Health (Health System Management) from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Chief Nursing Officer

Lorraine Hetaraka

Lorraine (Tapuika, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāiterangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Kahu) has a strong clinical and academic background in nursing leadership. She joined the Ministry from Te Arawa Whānau Ora where she was Chief Executive. In this role she made a significant contribution to Māori and other high-needs populations’ wellbeing in the communities this organisation supports.

Lorraine started her career as a registered nurse and then progressed into roles as a Nursing Leader and Nursing Director accountable for strategy, workforce planning, policy and primary healthcare delivery. This included working for the National Hauora Coalition and Procare Health and Homecare Medical. She was also joint Associate Director of Nursing: Māori at Auckland District Health Board and the University of Auckland for four years.

Chief Maternity Officer

Heather Muriwai

Heather Muriwai (Tangahoe, Ngāti Ruanui) joined the Ministry in March 2024 in the inaugural role of Chief Clinical Officer Maternity. Heather was at Te Aka Whai Ora, where she held the role of Chief Clinical Officer Midwifery. She brings with her a wealth of experience spanning more than 25 years in the maternity sector.

She has worked in a variety of roles including being a Lead Maternity Care Community Midwife, a member of a Māori Midwifery Team within the NGO sector in South Auckland, Programme Coordinator of a community breastfeeding service, Clinical Lead Advisor Maori Midwifery at (then) Counties Manukau DHB, and as a Principal Advisor in the Family & Community Health Team at the Ministry of Health.

Heather’s passion is to ensure a whole of system and whanau approach to improving outcomes for babies and whanau. She views maternity as the important beginning of a positive health experience. Her wealth of experience and strong focus on quality and safety will be important as the Ministry strengthens its system stewardship in this area.