New Zealand Rehabilitation Association

15/06/2026

Event Announcement: A REHAB CONVERSATION: Health systems leadership, enabling digital innovation across rehabilitation services, 29 Jun 2026.

Speaker: Dr Becky George

Dr Becky George is an accomplished clinical digital health leader with more than two decades of experience spanning frontline practice, systems leadership, and national digital transformation. In her new role as Group Manager, Clinical Common and Specialised, Digital Apps and Products within Digital Services at Health NZ, Becky leads work that shapes digital alignment, strengthens governance, and ensures digital solutions are safe, equitable, and fit for purpose.

An occupational therapist by profession, Becky has held previous national roles including Clinical Director with Digital Services at Health NZ, Clinical Principal Advisor and Acting Chief Allied Health Professions Officer at the Ministry of Health. Her leadership has contributed to improving health outcomes through clinical digital safety, sector-wide engagement, and policy development across Aotearoa’s digital health ecosystem.

Becky’s doctoral research focused on investigating the enablers of developing health systems leaders in Aotearoa. A Fellow of HiNZ and AIDH, CHIA-certified informatician, and co-founder of the Allied Health, Scientific and Technical Informatics Group, she has co-authored national standards and strengthened digital capability across the workforce. Known for her inclusive leadership and systems-level perspective, Becky is committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Pae Ora, ensuring digital transformation improves equity and outcomes for all communities.

Register here:

15/06/2026

The Traumatic Brain Injury Conference NZ is returning to Christchurch in 2027 and there is one month left to submit your abstract!

Abstract submissions close: Midnight Monday 14 July 2026.

We welcome submissions from researchers, clinicians, healthcare professionals, service providers, advocates and people with lived experience to share insights, research and innovative approaches in traumatic brain injury care and rehabilitation. Get in touch if you’d like to discuss your submission!

https://www.braininjuryconference.nz/

11/06/2026

Rachelle is delighted to announce a newly funded Health Research Council project: Flourishing Health Systems: Embedding Disabled People’s Expertise in Health Design.
https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/Heart-research-gets-a-boost-with-HRC-funding

Disabled people and tāngata whaikaha Māori continue to experience significant barriers to accessing health and rehabilitation services that support them to live well, participate fully, and flourish across the whole of their lives, as so clearly shown in two very recent reports:

https://www.hqsc.govt.nz/news/disability-data-gaps/

https://www.hdc.org.nz/our-work/research-and-data-reports/health-experiences-of-disabled-people-report/

Too often, services are fragmented, difficult to navigate, or designed without enough attention to the expertise of the people and whānau who use them. And this is especially true for those who are not funded by ACC.

This 3-year research project asks what could change if disabled people’s and tāngata whaikaha Māori lived experience and expertise were embedded earlier in health system decision-making — including service design, planning, commissioning and evaluation.

Working alongside disabled people, tāngata whaikaha Māori, whānau, Health New Zealand and research partners, the project will develop and test practical ways to support more equitable, accessible and responsive health and rehabilitation systems for those who are not funded by ACC.

We are excited about this work and grateful to the many people and communities whose wisdom, challenge and partnership have helped shape the kaupapa so far.

04/06/2026

https://www.researchreview.co.nz/nz/Clinical-Area/Other-Health/Rehabilitation/NZ-Rehabilitation-Research-Review-Issue-75.aspx

Rehabilitation Research Review features key medical articles from global Rehabilitation journals with commentary from Professor Kath McPherson. Covering topics such as alcohol rehabilitation, cardiac rehabilitation, stroke rehabilitation, pulmonary rehabilitation, respiratory rehabilitation, addicti...

04/06/2026

Before you employ, refer or fund speech-language therapy, ask whether the SLT is NZSTA-registered. Speech-language therapy is not regulated under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act in Aotearoa New Zealand. Instead, the profession is self-regulated through the New Zealand Speech-language Therapists’ Association.

NZSTA registration provides an important layer of public protection. Registered speech-language therapists must meet qualification and professional standards, complete ongoing professional development, make annual declarations about their practice, and follow NZSTA’s Code of Ethics and Conduct.

Employing a registered speech-language therapist helps ensure the person you engage is qualified, current, accountable and committed to safe, ethical and culturally responsive practice.

04/06/2026

As we enjoy Samoan Language awareness week, try out some phrases!

🌺 Samoa Language Week Challenge 🌺

Can you learn and use one Samoan phrase today?

Small steps help keep languages strong.

If you're a speech-language therapist, educator, student or supporter of communication access, share your favourite Samoan word or phrase in the comments.

04/06/2026

DO you know all there is to know about APHASIA? It is Aphasia Awareness Month. STAR Space - Speech Therapy & Reconnection created this awesome infographic for spreading the word.

04/06/2026

🌟Have you explored your Member Rewards?

As a RANZCR member, you have access to an exclusive rewards program designed to support your financial wellbeing, insurance needs, legal services, travel and more.

The RANZCR Member Rewards Program offers a curated collection of benefits and services designed to support members both professionally and personally in ways that are relevant, useful, and quietly valuable.

Discover the full range of benefits available to you >> https://ow.ly/8VxG50Z6XqS

04/06/2026

New Event from ACC.
A message from Sophie Aitchison:
Register for ACC Secondary Care Market Engagement Event

We hope you’ll join us for our next online market engagement event on secondary care services on 16 June 2026. During this event, we’ll provide an update on our efforts to develop an improved service delivery model for secondary care services and what we’ve heard from the sector as part of the detailed design.

This work is the next step in our efforts to strengthen how we commission secondary care services to support better recovery outcomes for injured people and a sustainable Accident Compensation Scheme. It’s an important part of our Turnaround Plan.
One of the key changes we’re proposing is developing a new Musculoskeletal Secondary Care Service, which would replace the current Clinical Services for kiritaki (clients) with musculoskeletal injuries. The new service would strengthen eligibility and referral processes to ensure only those who really need specialist care receive secondary care services.

As part of the design process, we’ve been engaging with the sector at different stages and seeking feedback through short surveys, meetings with suppliers, professional bodies, and the Musculoskeletal Secondary Care Clinical Advisory Group.

During our market engagement event, we’ll share:
-More details about the new Musculoskeletal Secondary Care Service
-A summary of the feedback we’ve received from the sector
-What the proposed changes mean for our Clinical Services, Elective Services, and High‑Tech Imaging contracts
-Key dates for the upcoming contract tenders


Event details:

Tuesday 16 June 2026
12.00pm to 1.00pm

register here:

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