New Clinical Director and Associate Clinical Director Appointed at Green Cross Health

Green Cross Health is proud to share the appointment Dr Kim Hurst as Clinical Director and Dr Richard Dales in a newly created role of Associate Clinical Director.

Kim and Richard bring a wealth of experience to their roles as senior specialist General Practitioners, who are well respected in their own communities and are also involved in teaching the next generation of specialist GPs in New Zealand. They bring their strong clinical voices to the leadership of New Zealand’s largest corporate primary care organisation.

Kim brings extensive experience and a strong track record of clinical leadership, innovation, and service development. After completing her GP training with the UK Royal Air Force in 2006, she moved to New Zealand in 2009 and has since held a range of leadership roles focused on solving complex system challenges through team-based care and workforce empowerment.

Kim has been within the Green Cross Health network since 2011, first as a business partner at Silverstream Health Centre and then moving to become a current co-owner at The Doctors Whakatipu. Most recently, Kim has led our Virtual Care and Practice Innovation work, evolving The Doctors Online from a limited casual platform to a suite of virtual support services that benefit practices across our network. Her work has helped ease workforce pressures and support continuity of care for patients.

Throughout her career, Kim has driven the development of new models of care, from community-based nurse-led services to mobile testing during the COVID-19 response in her Clinical Director role with Te Awa Kairangi PHO. Kim has built strong relationships across our network, collaborating with Regional Business Managers, Medical Centre Managers, and GP Leads to deliver high-quality, modern primary care solutions.

Richard completed his training in London and enjoyed working in rural medicine in Australia before serving the community of Herefordshire for two decades as a GP partner. His mahi in Herefordshire included founding a GP provider federation that enabled primary care service delivery at scale, providing significant benefits to the local patient population and supporting local secondary care providers. He was also involved in overseeing the pastoral well-being of GPs in Herefordshire.

Since moving to New Zealand with his family in 2021, Richard has settled in the beautiful Bay of Plenty and is now the GP Lead at The Doctors Bayfair & Papamoa. He is a GP trainer and enjoys contributing to the teaching of the next generation of primary care specialists.

As Associate Clinical Director, Richard will drive national representation of Green Cross Health with key stakeholders, external agencies, and primary care funders to ensure we are represented at the forefront of funding discussions. He will also support Kim in her work to enhance collaboration across our network practices, improve connectivity, and maximise the sustainability of primary care service delivery.

Green Cross Health is excited to see two senior GPs step into leadership roles to drive clinical innovation.