Staff
Adam Gilshnan
Adam has had a wide ranging and varied vocational background including being a hotelier, before joining the PHO Health Navigator team in 2007.Adam is also actively involved in sports administration and runs a private West Coast Rugby Museum, while also doing freelance writing for the Greymouth Star newspaper and is a trustee on the West Coast Community Trust.
Alisa Duncan
Alisa is working for the PHO as a Health Coach for the Melon Programme. She registered as a Dietitian in 2003 and has worked in various clinical and primary health roles in both NZ and the UK. Alisa is passionate about helping people to develop a healthy relationship with food for improved health and welbeing.
Amy Bruhn
Amy has previously worked as a Pharmacy Technician for nine years, seven of those years here in Greymouth. She is now currently studying a degree in Health Science with a major in Integrated Human Health through Massey University. She is passionate about keeping a healthy, active lifestyle, and hopes to help others achieve this.
Andrew Buglass
Andrew has a background in the youth, mental health, counselling, social work, and addiction fields and has worked on the Coast, in Nelson and in Christchurch. He is a qualified counsellor and has studied mental health and addiction to Post Graduate level. His focus currently is working with 12-19 year-olds with mild to moderate mental health issues in Grey and Westland.
Anne Hines
Anne has worked in the NGO sector for the past 6 years before joining the PHO. Anne is a born and bred West Coaster, thru and thru. Anne's strength lies in her local knowledge and a vast number of contacts.
Beth Wiechern
Beth is a Psychologist with a focus on children, young people and families. She has had experience in the NGO sector working closely with families, children and young people with difficulties in mental health, parenting, and behaviour management. She is passionate about children and young people and supporting them with difficulties they are facing to facilitate change.
Bronwyn Beavon
Bronwyn works part time as a dietitian for the PHO. Registered since 2004, Bronwyn has experience in clinical dietetics, health promotion, online nutrition consultancy and private practice. Bronwyn believes in weight inclusive nutrition care for everybody in any body – this means ditching the scales and body weight goals! Bronwyn supports people to reconnect and to listen to their bodies when it comes to what, when and how much to eat or move.
Catherine O'Leary
Catherine is a Registered Social Worker and Mental Health Clinician with 20 years experience in both Primary and Secondary services. Catherine has a strong passion and background in working with children, young people and their families/whanau, and has spent the past 12 years working at Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service for the Nelson/Marlboroough DHB.
Claire Robertson
Claire has worked in the West Coast health system for the last seven years; my roles have all focused on prevention & I am extremely passionate about supporting & building healthy communities.Iam originally from Otago but now call Greymouth home & feel very grateful to be living on the Coast with my family & enjoying all the benefits of having the beach, bush & mountains right outside the door.
Danielle Dawson
Danielle has worked in the NGO sector for many years before joining the WCPHO. Danielle's strengths are her links with the community and pulling local people together to share resources to get the best outcome for people and organisations.
Erin Turley
Erin is the Breastfeeding Advocate for the Grey and Westland regions. She has a BA in Sociology with a minor in Women’s Studies and is a qualified Childbirth Educator. She is passionate about supporting and promoting women’s health and is keen to assist breastfeeding mums on the Coast.
Gabriela Von Kanel Fyfe
Gabriela moved to New Zealand over 25 years ago. Gabriela completed her apprenticeship as a medical assistant in Switzerland. She continued her professional development (including reflexology, massage therapy, TFH kinesiology, Aura Light, Reiki and other modalities), and subsequently worked for many years in her private natural health practice. In 2001 Gabriela continued her education and became a certified transactional analyst/psychotherapist CTA MSc. Gabriela has worked with and for people for over 30 years in private practice and in the primary health sector. Gabriela has a wholistic approach to her practice and a wide range of and experience working with clients with mild to moderate mental illness.
Gary Bowden
Gary is working for the PHO as a brief intervention counsellor. He qualified as a registered nurse in mental health in the UK in 2004. Moved to the wonderful West Coast in 2007.
Spent 12 years working for the West Coast DHB working with community mental health, child and adolescent mental health service and the alcohol and drug service.
Gary has a post graduate qualification in addiction and co existing mental health problems.
Hayley Burnham
Hayley is a born and bred Coaster. Growing up in Reefton, she developed a love for the outdoors and the beautiful landscape we have here. She studied a BPhEd majoring in Exercise Prescription at the University of Otago and has worked as the Buller Green Prescription Co ordinator in previous years. Hayley is passionate about supporting people on their journey to becoming more active.
Helen Reriti
Helen is a Registered Nurse with extensive experience in both Primary and Secondary services. Helen spent 15 years with the West Coast DHB in clinical and management positions before joining the PHO as Clinical manager and later becoming Executive Officer. She has a strong passion and background in education of nurses at a clinical level.
Hugh Barrow
Hugh is a Brief Intervention Counsellor for the West Coast PHO. He is a registered Nurse and prior to taking up this postion spent eleven years working in the Community Mental Health Team at Greymouth Hospital. He has recently completed training in ACT therapy and uses this in his counselling sessions. He sees both adult and adolescent clients with mild to moderate mental illness in Buller, Grey and Westland.
Joanne Smith
Joanne has worked in a variety of administration roles over the past 30+ years. She is enjoying working with a team of people who are dedicated to the health and well-being of people on the West Coast.
Lexine Jarden
Lexine has worked in a variety of Office roles over the past 30+ years, making the move to the Health Sector in 2016. She is enjoying working with the PHO Team and meeting and talking to lots of new people during her working day.
Megan Cumming
Megan is a community based Health Navigator, covering the Karamea, Buller and Reefton regions. She has worked within the community based health sector for the last 10 years and has been working with the West Coast PHO since October 2007. Prior to that Megan was an Occupational Therapy Assistant working for the WCDHB based at the Buller Hospital.
Nancy McNoe
Nancy has worked in Administration Management for NGO Health & Social Sectors for many years before joining the WCPHO as a Kaihautu/Cancer Navigator. Nancy's strengths are working Kaupapa Maori, and indeed with all ethnicities.
Nicola Searle
Nicki is a general counselling practitioner and facilitator. She has been working with individuals, couples and families, and has been a member of the NZ Association of Counsellors since 2000.
Nicki has trained in and uses a variety of therapy models, including ACT, CBT and BIC, which she adapts to each person’s needs. She has practiced and taught Mindfulness over this time, and specialises the science of the brain and how to manage stress, relationships, life changes and difficult emotions. Nicki believes all people can be calmer and happier with coaching, and practice of these skills.
Patricia Hsu
Patricia is a New Zealand trained and registered counselling psychologist. Before coming to the West Coast, Patricia lived in Auckland for ten years working at different mental health NGOs. Patricia also worked at AUT University as a tutor for Health Professional Practice and Ethics as well as conducting clinicial supervision for mental health students. Patricia has a wide range of clinicial experiences from primary care to secondary mental health.
Pauline Ansley
Pauline is a registered nurse with both primary and secondary experience. She worked for the West Coast DHB for over 15 years including 11 years in primary care at Buller Health Medical Centre.
Whilst at Buller Health Medical Centre, she spent the last 6 years as Clinical Nurse Manager, charged with leading the nursing team through the development of nursing services and long term condition management clinics to provide, maintain and stabilise patient care through on-going GP shortages. Pauline has a Masters of Health Sciences, Nursing-Clinical.
Raewyn Johnson
Raewyn is a registered nurse and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant who has worked for many years with breastfeeding mothers and families with young children. Her commitment is to work collaboratively with others to support families/whanau in nurturing children well and operates from the Buller region.
Roz Stuart
Roz joined the PHO in 2019 having previously worked in secondary education. Roz is looking forward to working in the Health Sector and is enjoying being part of a team dedicated to the health and wellbeing of our community.
Rusty
Rusty came to the PHO on 20th February 2010, making his debut appearance at the Greymouth Relay for Life. He is dedicated to helping West Coasters to stay healthy and live long happy lives. Rusty is the star of the 2012 Real West Coasters Tips for Good Health Calendar. Keep an eye out for Rusty at PHO events.
Stephanie Blackman
Stephanie has been a NZ registered Dietitian since 2006 and has experience in clinical dietetics and healthy promotion across primary and secondary services. Stephanie works as a body and weight inclusive dietitian, walking alongside people to explore nutrition and lifestyle challenges in a non-judgmental,self-caring way that suits an individual's stage of life and personal aspirations.