Māori Health Team
Marama Parore (Ngāti Whatua, Ngāti Kahu, Nga Puhi) Māori Health Manager. Marama joined PHARMAC in 2004 and has overall responsibility for managing and implementing the Māori Responsiveness Strategy.
Since her appointment, Marama has played a lead role in the development of a new visual aid for asthma educators, and is also managing the wider roll-out of a project to encourage awareness of cardiovascular risk.
Marama has a background in community nursing, teaching, training and management. She has worked for the Public Health Commission, Plunket, the Central Regional Health Authority, and as a self-employed consultant.
Maryann Wilson (Tuhoe, Ngāti Awa, Te Aitangā a Hauiti) has been Māori Health Analyst for PHARMAC since September 2005.
This position was developed to increase PHARMAC’s capacity to assess and implement the goals of PHARMAC’s Māori Responsiveness Strategy (MRS), 2002.
Since her appointment, Maryann has been involved with reviewing the Māori Responsiveness Strategy to identify PHARMAC’s strengths and soft spots with the overall goal to improve prescribing and uptake for Māori on subsidised medicines.
Her work experience includes health research, project management, health service funding and health quality auditing both in New Zealand and in the UK. Prior to taking the position with PHARMAC, she was based at Canterbury DHB as the Māori Health Analyst within Planning and Funding.
Maryann is currently managing the national roll-out of a training program that aims to increase awareness in the Māori primary care workforce about the safe and optimal use of prescribed medicines. This program is called he Rongoa Pai, He Oranga Whanau – Whanau staying well with medicines.
Karen Vercoe (Ngāti Pikiao, Te Arawa) Māori Health Manager. Karen joined PHARMAC in May 2007, and has played a key role in the advancement of PHARMAC's organisational culture and responsiveness to Māori, and to Māori Health priority areas.
Karen has a background in sport, the not-for-profit sector and Iwi / Māori organisations. She was previously the General Manager of Te Papa Takaro O Te Arawa, a leading Māori sports organisation which gained its reputation through its innovative approach to obesity and Māori health related issues. She has also worked in secondary schools as a Sport Fit Co-ordinator and worked in an Outdoor Pursuits Trust and an Iwi Runanga.
Karen is a successful sportswoman, representing New Zealand in women’s rugby and touch. She was also a national assistant U18 girls touch coach and Bay of Plenty schoolgirl rugby assistant coach.
More recently, Karen has been elected to represent Ngāti Makino as a Trustee on the Te Papa Takaro O Te Arawa Board.
Page updated on 19 Oct 2009
