Dr Beehre has joined Wairarapa DHB after working in general medicine at Wellington Hospital for the past 15 years. His previous experience has also included working at Middlemore and North Shore hospitals, and at Wairarapa Hospital during 2004-05.
During his time at Wellington Hospital, Dr Beehre led the development of the Goals of Care project. The initiative, which focused on developing more individualised treatment plans for patients who are admitted to hospital, is now being rolled out by the Health Quality & Safety Commission across the country.
Dr Beehre says he is looking forward to the challenges and opportunities his new position will provide.
“After 30 years of clinical medicine, I wanted to do something different that still utilised my skills and experience. This role offered new challenges and the opportunity to do something worthwhile for the community here.”
As part of his CMO role, Dr Beehre advocates for the needs of the medical workforce in strategic and organisational planning.
“My role is also focused on supporting both senior and junior medical staff during the current challenges in the sector with Covid-19 and other issues including medical workforce planning.”
Alongside his medical career, Dr Beehre has a ‘parallel career’ as a photographer and writer. He completed a Master of Fine Arts in 2012, published a book earlier this year, and is currently curating a photographic exhibition for a gallery in Wellington.
Dr Beehre will be working at WrDHB three days a week, spending the remainder of the week on his creative pursuits and plans for building a cottage on land north of Masterton. He says the CMO role provided the chance to bring forward a planned move to the Wairarapa.
“From the time I first worked here as a locum in 2002, I thought it would be an ideal place to live as it provides the possibility to be out of the city and enjoy a rural lifestyle, but still have easy access to Wellington and the cultural amenities that are there. It offers the best of both worlds.”
