NZSA Staff
The NZSA team is responsible for the operational functions of the organisation which includes supporting our members. We are at the other end of the phone or on email.
NZSA Executive Committee
The Executive Committee of the NZSA is the Governing Board of the organisation.
The Executive Committee is made up of
President, Immediate Past President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and six elected members.
Extra members can be co-opted between AGMs as per the NZSA constitution. The trainee roles are a shared portfolio.
We welcome interest from members who would like to find out how they could join the Executive and/or contribute to specific projects. Please contact president@anaesthesia.nz
NZSA President October 2022–October 2024
Morgan Edwards is a Consultant Anaesthetist at North Shore Hospital. Morgan was a previously been the NZSA Trainee Rep held the NZSA portfolio for Assistants to the Anaesthetist. She is an NZSA representative on the National Obstetric Anaesthetists network (NOA) and has produced online content to provide guidance to women on epidurals. She also hosts our Podcast and creates and develops a lot of our patient resources.
As the President Morgan represents NZSA’s view to government agencies, represents us at various councils and committees of our affiliated organisations, and is our spokesperson for the profession, advocating for patient safety and the wellbeing of New Zealand anaesthetists.
NZSA President November 2020–November 2022
Sheila Hart is a Consultant Anaesthetist at Capital and Coast DHB. She has been involved in various advocacy issues for the NZSA and assists in coordinating the Airway Leads Network. Sheila is also the Deputy Clinical Director of the Anaesthesia and Pain Department at Wellington, CCDHB.
Cathy Caldwell is an Anaesthetist at Wakefield Hospital and is also a Consultant at Capital Anaesthesia & Associates Ltd in Crofton Downs, Wellington. She is the Treasurer for the NZSA Executive Committee. As Treasurer, she oversees the finances of the organisation and works with the Chief Executive to ensure audited and accurate accounts are presented to the Board. She also proposes and maintains fiscal responsibility on the Executive. The Executive is ultimately responsible for the financial management of the Society and the Treasurer provides oversight for this.
Cathy, who works in private practice, is also a member of our Private Practice Network. This entails helping us produce resources for private practice and attending meetings, such as our quarterly meetings with ACC.
She was the Co-convenor of the 2022 Combined Scientific Congress held in Wellington.
Renee Franklin is a Consultant Anaesthetist in Tauranga. She works in both public and private practice. Renee is the clinical lead for the pre-assessment clinic at Tauranga Hospital and has a strong interest in perioperative medicine. She is the NZSA’s perioperative representative and a member of the NZ Perioperative Network and the Perioperative Medicine SIG Executive. Renee was part of our organising committee for the NZSA conference held in October 2020 in Wellington.
Jonathan Panckhurst is a Consultant Anaesthetist at Nelson Hospital. He is keen to represent the anaesthetic interests and issues of regional centres, and to project these at a national level. Jonathan holds the NZSA Education portfolio and is the Chair of the Aotearoa New Zealand Anaesthesia Education Committee.
Lynette McGaughran is a Consultant Anaesthetist at Tauranga Hospital. A pre-medical role as an Anaesthetic Technician has led to a continued interest in supporting and advocating for the anaesthetic assistant workforce. She holds this portfolio within her role at Tauranga Hospital and is holds the Assistant to the Anaesthetists portfolio on the NZSA Executive.
Caroline Ariaens is a Consultant Anaesthetist at Waikato Hospital. She is the Chair and NZSA representative of the National Obstetric Anaesthetists Network (NOA) and is our representative on the Perioperative Network, Caroline has also produced online content to provide guidance to women on breastfeeding.
Dr Nathan Kershaw is a specialist anaesthetist based in Dunedin, working across the public and private sectors. In 2009, he was the inaugural trainee representative of the NZSA, and is delighted that trainees and young consultants continue to be actively woven into the structure of Society.
Nathan also identifies as a clinical informatician, having an interest in digital health within anaesthesia and across the wider healthcare ecosystem. He runs an online community called the eHealth Forum and is a board member of Health Informatics New Zealand, and is looking for ways to contribute to the Society in this area.
Hannah Middleton is a Trainee Representative on the Executive Committee. She is an Anaesthetic Registrar in her AT2 year on the southern scheme, currently working at Christchurch Public Hospital.
Sarah Tomlinson is a Trainee Representative on the Executive Committee. She is currently in AT1 on the Midlands training programme working in Waikato Hospital.
