Invited new zealand Speakers

Afraz Adam
Chief Medical Officer MBBS. FRNZCUC

Dr Afraz Adam offers a wealth of experience across multiple medicinal disciplines, treating patients across Australasia. He is a Fellow in urgent care and has been actively involved in hospital medicine, emergency rooms and accident and medical clinics. Dr Adam is an advocate of medicinal cannabis, believing that it has the potential to improve patient’s lives significantly through relief of chronic pain, anxiety, depression, insomnia, inflammation, diabetes control, alcoholism – and much more. He promotes a holistic approach to medicine and believes that sound nutritional health, mental fortitude, exercise and evidence-based supplements are the solution to a myriad of modern-day health issues.

Jamie Allen
Executive Officer | Taranaki Retreat Trust

Kia ora; ko Jamie tōku ingoa. I am Executive Officer of Taranaki Retreat Trust - a residential support base providing timeout for people experiencing distress or at risk of suicide. This timeout space, and Waimanako (where you can just rock up) is more needed in our society than ever as so many of us experience depression and suicidal thoughts; and as our communication becomes increasingly virtual rather than person-to-person. The Retreat is about the good stuff : walking alongside one-another – and sharing and dealing with burdens.

I’m part of our support Team, and offer Workshops / guide some of our Peer Support Groups; I have never known a team or a community like ours. It’s a humbling and amazing place to be. I am passionate about person and whānau-centred approaches to wellbeing in mental health, addictions and suicide prevention/postvention support. I believe in co-design and co-production models, where structures grow from the grass-roots as a basic premise of safety and delivery of trauma-informed care. I believe that, for the hauora of our tāngata whai ora to improve, structures (including funding models) critically need to change (and could change, relatively simply), to enable and support clinical and non-clinical supports working collaboratively for effective whānau ora. I am a loving Dad of four; the heartbreak and journey of loss of Carrie, our daughter, is intimately woven into the story of the formation of Taranaki Retreat; and our kaupapa of finding our way to hope through suffering.

I look forward very much to meeting you at the conference, and feel hugely privileged to have been invited to speak.

Danny Bedingfield

President, Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand

Danny was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the age of 37, just nine months after his father lost his five year battle with advanced prostate cancer. He has been an advocate for younger men to get tested and has been part of multiple media campaigns during Blue September to try and raise awareness around the benefits of regular PSA testing.

Danny is the support coordinator for the Porirua area and attends many events in the greater Wellington region. Danny is a digital native and very keen to help the Foundation move forward into the 21st century and utilise online tools to promote our message.

Danny is a Regional Facilitator with Cyclone Computer Company Ltd, is a Microsoft Certified Trainer, Google Educator and Adobe Educator. He lives in Titahi Bay with his wife and daughter and occupies his downtime with snorkeling, kayaking and spending time with his family. Danny is also a keen photographer and videographer and loves combining his passion for travelling and the outdoors with filming and making movies.

Vincent Chan

Vincent is a New Zealand trained Urologist specialising in Andrology, prosthetics, male infertility and microsurgery. Born and raised in West Auckland, he attended The University of Auckland School of Medicine and completed the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons advanced training in Urology.

Vincent is currently completing an Andrology Fellowship in Melbourne and will return to Auckland with a unique set of skills to offer for patients with men's health conditions.

Ashani Couchman

Ashani Couchman is a Urological surgeon who is a sub-specialist in Transitional (adolescent) urology and Neuro-urology.

A graduate of Auckland Medical School in 2003 and she completed her surgical training in New Zealand. This was followed by fellowships at the Institute of Urology (London), Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (London) and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (London) and Western General Hospital (Edinburgh) culminating in a consultant position at Kingston Hospital, Kingston-upon-Thames.

She is the Neuro-urologist at the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre, The Royal Adelaide Hospital and is a visiting specialist at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia.

Xu Cui

Xu has been working as urology nurse specialist for last 6 years and has developed a strong interest in urinary incontinence.

Xu will talk about urodynamic study at the conference.

Elizabeth Dennett

Dr Elizabeth Dennett (BMedSci, MBChB, GradDipMed, MMedSCi, MApplMgt(Healthcare), FRACS, FASCRS) is a specialist general and colorectal surgeon. In addition to her clinical practice she is an Associate Professor of Surgery at Otago University and the Clinical Director at Te Aho o Te Kahu, the Cancer Control Agency.

Elizabeth is a member of the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia and New Zealand; Section of Colorectal Surgery Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS); International Anal Neoplasia Society; New Zealand Association of General Surgeons and the Pharmaceutical and Therapeutic Advisory Committee (PTAC), PHARMAC. She holds Fellowships in general surgery from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and colon and rectal surgery from the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. In addition, she has been the Chair of the New Zealand National Training Board for general surgery and Chair of the Board in General Surgery, RACS. She was a college examiner in general surgery, being the first New Zealand female general surgeon appointed to the Court of Examiners RACS.

Paul Klenner

2023 Kiwi Bank - New Zealander of the Year - “Local Hero” medallist selected in the top 100 in New Zealand for:

His work with the Look Good Feel Better charity, championing the online zoom classes.
His work to build confidence in people facing cancer.
Facilitating and instructing a local men’s fitness program for men that have of had cancer of any type (Men Cancer Gym).
Actively involved locally supporting/leading men’s cancer groups/s and working with individual men new to diagnosis.

https://nzawards.org.nz/awards/new-zealand-local-hero-year/2023-medallists/

Paul spent circa 40 years in the Oil and Gas industry. Initially in Project Engineering design and construction, progressing to Managing Major Projects. Paul was also Engineering Manager (being part of the Snr Management team managing the business and organisation) for a large Operating Petrochemical Company. Paul has worked internationally and across all project areas.

In 2013., he won “NZ Project of the Year” which he managed, then in 2014 he won the “NZ Project Manager of the Year” award, both awards from the NZ Project Management Institute.

In 2018, aged 60 after a cancer diagnosis he left this stressful, high intensity work environment and focused on his cancer treatment and recovering well.

4 years on from treatment Paul is now:

A Cancer Survivor – called to help the next one in the line behind him

Local Co-Coordinator for “Men Cancer Talk” support group for men with cancer (Cancer Society) and all that involves.

Gym Instructor/facilitator (group classes) for “Men Cancer Gym” for all men that have/had Cancer.

“Look Good Feel Better” zoom class facilitator nationally for Men & Women with Cancer.

Support Coordinator for the NZ Prostate Cancer Foundation in NP and all that involves.

Speaker to business’s/organisations – advocating for Prostate Cancer awareness and getting tested.

“Reset Your New Normal” short course writer and presenter for people with cancer – assisting people to give up how it was/want it to be and isn’t and accepting how it is.

Community/User Representative to the project team for the new Radiation Machine Project (new Cancer treatment centre) at the New Plymouth hospital.

Mindfulness Practitioner

In the process of becoming a Chaplain/Pastoral care support – hospital connectivity with for men having a Urology operation. Also being a contact and conduit to connecting these men to all the support and opportunities for them.

Overall, a sprocket in chain assisting to bring it all together locally, meeting, involving and leveraging off all those out there that can make a difference for the men with cancer.

Proudly supported by

Lillian Grace

Lillian is CEO of Huatau, a business working to help teams expand their collective intelligence. In 2012 she founded data charity Figure.NZ. In 2018 she won NZ Hi-tech Award's Most Inspiring Individual.

Lillian is on the board of Stats NZ, and previously on the Data Futures Working Group, the Open Government Advisory Panel, and boards of Innovation Partnership, and CoRE Te Pūnaha Matatini.

Claire Hardie

Dr Claire Hardie is a radiation oncologist based at the Regional Cancer Treatment Service at Palmerston North Hospital and is the Clinical Executive for Cancer Screening Treatment and Support at MidCentral. She has a specialist interest in breast, prostate and lung cancer.

As the Chair of the National Radiation Oncology Working Group and a Clinical Advisor to Te Aho o Te Kahu she is aware of the challenges of delivering a public radiation oncology service to a widely geographically dispersed population and the impact that travel to regional cancer centres has on the decisions patients make related to their cancer treatment.

Ruakere Hond

Dr Ruakere Hond is a prominent member of the Parihaka community, being kaiakōrero for Te Paepae o Te Raukura, one of the whare in Parihaka and also a Trustee of the Papakāinga. Ruakere's research and work has largely been centred on Māori language revitalisation alongside community wellbeing and development. His doctoral research in public health at Massey was on the nature and role of speaker communities in achieving positive Māori health outcomes.

From the late 80's Ruakere became an active participant in community-based reo initiatives such as Te Ataarangi and Te Reo o Taranaki, he worked at Taranaki polytechnic and in Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi based in Whakatāne. His work has included running Te Ihi Tū, a Maori prisoner habilitation centre and is currently managing a Te Ahu o te Reo training programme for education workforce in the region of Manawatu, Whanganui and Taranaki. Currently, Ruakere is a member of the Waitangi Tribunal and also with Te Mātāwai in Te Taihauāuru.

Dr Ruakere Hond is a prominent member of the Parihaka community and a trustee of Parihaka Papakāinga. His work has largely been on Māori language revitalisation and community development. From the late 80's he became active in community-based reo initiatives.

Currently, Ruakere manages a reo programme for education workforce in Manawatū, Whanganui and Taranaki, and is a member of the Waitangi Tribunal.

Nicky Lawrence

Nicky is a Medical Oncologist at Te Toka Tumai Auckland with an interest in genitourinary cancers and clinical trial methodology, and is Deputy Director of Cancer Trials New Zealand at Waipapa Taumata Rau / The University of Auckland.

Nicky completed her medical oncology training in Auckland, and her fellowship at The University of Sydney where she was awarded her PhD evaluating the design of cancer clinical trials in the era of targeted and immunological therapies. She convened the inaugural NZ concept development workshop in 2016, and is a member of the international steering committee for the ACORD protocol writing workshop.

Giovanni Losco

Giovanni is an adult and paediatric urologist from Christchurch, New Zealand. He completed fellowship training in paediatric urology at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and gained extensive experience in reconstructive urology, female urology, pelvic organ prolapse, urethroplasty and urological care of spinal injuries while working at the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and the Institute of Urology, University College Hospital, London. Prior to that, he worked at Concord Repatriation General Hospital in Sydney where he focussed on bladder dysfunction with a particular interest in male and female incontinence.

Dot Milne

Dot Milne founded and co-ordinates the New Zealand Painful Bladder Support Group (NZPBSG).

As a registered Nurse she developed an interest in Painful Bladder Syndrome after personal experience. Realising there was little information and support Dot set up the support group and began researching the problem. She took post grad papers to increase her knowledge and was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship to study in Boston alongside a professor of urology with an interest in PBS.

The group is in the process of becoming a charitable trust and Dot is working to increase nursing involvement in the management of PBS.

Wesley Milne

Wes (he/him or they/them) has lived in New Plymouth for ten years and calls both here and Scotland home. Wes is the Taranaki regional coordinator for RainbowYOUTH, working throughout the region with queer, gender diverse, intersex and takatāpui rangatahi, their whānau and wider communities providing support and advocacy. They are focused on ensuring rainbow communities have access to safe and affirming services all throughout healthcare.

Andrea Nixon

Andrea Nixon has been working as a Urology Practice Nurse/Manager in Whangarei for over twenty years. Here she works alongside her husband Tony (Urologist) providing a comprehensive urology service which provides a high level of clinical care to all sectors of their community.

Andrea remains an active member of the New Zealand Urological Nursing Society, first joining the committee in 2009, taking up the position of Chairperson from 2013 - 2019. Andrea is passionate about urology nurse education. During her time in NZUNS she has been involved in the development of several awards and scholarships as well as the establishment of the NZ Standards of Practice for Urological Nurses, along with the aligned clinical competencies and related training workshop programs. Andrea has been instrumental in creating the Memorandum of Understanding between NZUNS and Urological Society of Australia - New Zealand Section, which has seen them combine their society’s annual conferences since 2015. A MOU with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand was also signed in that same year.

Andrea, along with her work with NZUNS, was also an active member of the Australia and New Zealand Urological Nurses Society (ANZUNS) becoming its President from 2017-2019. One of her objectives during this time was to explore collaborative initiatives with other international urological nursing groups and she was instrumental in establishing an international collaboration with BAUN and EAUN which culminated in an MOU being signed by all parties in 2019. This sees not only the sharing of resources such as Nursing Guidelines and International Nursing Journal access, but the very first international working party tasked with developing an international Urological Nursing Curriculum and Educational Framework. Andrea remains an active member of this international group, with publication of this due later this year.

Andrea’s contribution to Urological Nursing was recognised in 2019 when she received not only life membership to NZUNS but the inaugural Urological Association of Australia and New Zealand Award for Contribution to New Zealand Urology by a Urological Nurse. These awards will remain two of the greatest highlights of her nursing career.

On a personal note, Andrea is also a wife, mother and proud “Grammy” to seven beautiful grandchildren.

Monique Shaw

Monique has been a Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist in Taranaki for the past 10 years, with a background in Hospice Palliative Care prior to this. She completed her Masters of Nursing in 2019, focusing on Cancer Care, Long Term Conditions and the associated psychosocial impacts on patients and whanau, with “Survivorship” after a diagnosis being a particular area of interest.

Monique is the current President of the Taranaki Cancer Society, striving to ensure that the regional perspective and challenges in accessing cancer care and diagnostics outside of the main treatment centres is not lost, and that we continue to build relationships across the community, working collaboratively with all relevant providers, to make sure the patient remains at the centre of all changes in service delivery and service improvements.

Andre Westenberg

Andre works in private practice in Tauranga and has been a visiting urologist to Taranaki for the last 20 years.

His surgical interests include uro-ocology and reconstructive urology with a particular interest in the management of male urinary incontinence. Over the last 7 years he has developed a safe technique to enable the excision of renal tumours without the requirement to clamp the renal pedicle…so far.

Outside of urology he enjoys tramping, and climbing and manages a (now worthless) avocado orchard.

Yu-Ching Yu

Yu-Ching is a GP working at Carefirst Medical Centre in New Plymouth.

As well her general practice work in the last 5 years in Taranaki Yu-Ching started working as a medical practitioner with the assisted dying service since end of 2021.

Homi Zargar

Associate Professor Homayoun (Homi) Zargar is a urological surgeon with fellowship training in uro-oncology and advanced laparoscopic and robotic surgery. Originally from Iran, Homi is a New Zealand trained urologist practicing in Melbourne, Australia since July 2015.

Over the years of training Homi has developed an extensive academic and international profile and has published widely in the fields of minimally-invasive urology and uro-oncology with particular emphasis on kidney, bladder and prostate cancer. Homi is a consultant urologist at Western Health and Associate Professor at the department of surgery at the University of Melbourne.