The Southern District Health Board will share another health board's planning executive for nine months while it reviews the role being vacated by Robert Mackway-Jones.
Dr Sharon Kletchko is general manager of strategy and planning at Nelson Marlborough District Health Board. She will work at both health boards for nine months, an email to staff from Mr Mackway-Jones said this week. She has been appointed to the new fixed-term role of ''strategy, funding and integration'' director at the southern board, starting May 13.
''Sharon brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Southern DHB which will be invaluable as we progress many of our Southern Way initiatives and priorities in our annual plan,'' the email said.
Dr Kletchko had worked as the lead district health board representative on a number of key sector initiatives, the email said.
Chief executive Carole Heatly's report to today's board meeting in Invercargill also outlines the arrangement.
Ms Heatly's report indicated Dr Kletchko would split her time evenly between the two health boards.
Mr Mackway-Jones leaves the health board on May 24, after heading both finance, and planning. The board split the roles back in two, appointing a finance director who started last month.
The board will review the planning role, before advertising externally for a replacement.
Dr Kletchko is also a registered medical practitioner with 40 years' clinical experience, including specialising in nephrology, general medicine, intensive care, and emergency medicine.
