Health Minister Jonathan Coleman sacked the 11 board members on 17 June due to a worsening deficit, saying he was not confident they could be resolved by that board. He appointed Dunedin legal consultant Kathy Grant as Commissioner.
Dr Coleman said Southern was forecasting a final deficit of $27 million for the current financial year. "That figure has effectively doubled in the last six months."
Mrs Grant said today that Angela Pitchford would join Richard Thomson and Graham Crombie as deputy commissioners.
Dr Pitchford is the national director of Emergency Services at the Ministry of Health and has also spent 13 years as Clinical Support Services chair at Canterbury DHB, Mrs Grant said.
"Dr Pitchford will bring to the Commissioner's team both her experience and her strong clinical focus," she said.
"There are in my view real strengths to the team, in having a perspective from a senior and respected clinician from outside Southern DHB."
Dr Pitchford's appointment takes effect this week.
Other members
• Kathy Grant is a legal consultant at Gallaway Cook Allan in Dunedin
• Southern health board member Richard Thomson, who was sacked as Otago District Health Board chairman in 2009
• Graham Crombie, chairman of Dunedin City Holdings
Mrs Grant receives $1400 for each day she spends sorting out the organisation. Mr Thomson and Mr Crombie are paid $900 per day.
