On Monday 29th of April, Dr Amohia Boulton joined friends and colleagues to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Te Hikuwai Rangahau Hauora | Health Services Research Centre (HSRC), at Victoria University of Wellington. Dr Boulton is currently an Adjunct Professor at the centre having first become involved with the HSRC in 1996 as a master’s student.
At that time, Dr George Salmond CNZM, MB ChB(U NZ), Ph (Otago), FRACP, MCCM (NZ), FAFPHM led the centre and encouraged the then fledgling researcher, to consider undertaking an evaluation of a local Māori health and social services provider for the dissertation component of her master in Applied Social Science Research degree. It was this work, and the encouragement of colleagues Assoc Prof Kathy Nelson and Prof Jenny Neale that set Amohia on her career in health services research.
Amohia was one of two guest speakers for the evening, the first being Prof Jackie Cumming, herself a former Director of the centre and one of Amohia’s PhD supervisors. Both Jackie and Amohia spoke about the centre’s many achievements in the course of its 30 years; the impact the centre’s work has had in influencing both national health policy and local level practice; and the contribution the centre had made to growing new and emerging researchers.
The night was hosted by the centre’s Manutaki Takirua (Co-Directors) Drs Kirsten Smiler and Lynne Russell who spoke not only of the importance of the whakapapa and positioning of the centre, but the role it has to play in informing future decisions about Aotearoa’s health service needs.
Congratulations Te Hikuwai Rangahau Hauora | Health Services Research Centre (THRH). Whakauae wishes you all the best for the next thirty years in your journey of producing robust and practical, evidence-based research.
