Adaptive Skills for Change: A view from Aotearoa’s (New Zealand) system redesign

Change is the norm globally. Organizations and systems worldwide are trying new things to improve health outcomes. Aotearoa (New Zealand) is in the process of addressing health issues through reorganizing into one health governing system – a process started by one government and then revised by a subsequent government. Clinicians, leaders and managers often struggle to assess the impacts of these types of large-scale change, and how to work through uncertainty. Join the conversation with Jazz Grewal, health system leader and social worker, as she highlights the ways in which people need to process change, and how her perception of “change management” is about managing self – because change happens.

Jazz has a diverse background in both the health and social care sector spanning over 30 years in the UK and Aotearoa. With a career that began in psychology and social work, Jazz has been involved in leading innovation and change focused on the prevention of family violence, sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) and youth suicide, both locally and across the motu.  

More recently her mahi has been on developing and implementing strategic interventions for improved integration of primary, secondary and community services to better serve the health needs of vulnerable people and their whanau.

This experience has ignited her passion for supporting and empowering the health and disability sector to collaborate with communities to address system challenges and achieve Māori health equity, especially as we navigate the transformational reform of our health and disability system. Jazz resides in Wellington with her three teenagers and her dog Marshmallow.