“I was in a service delivery manager role and I saw the opportunity to move into health,” she said.
“I’ve long-standing relationships with health leaders here [and] I was interested to come across into health, but remain focused on improving outcomes for whānau and families in our Tairāwhiti region.”
Barrington acknowledged the challenges health services faced, but was excited about what was happening.
“As a remote and small health district we experience many of the challenges that come from that level of remoteness and diversity … we continue to evolve the changes in health. There’s a lot of momentum. It’s a really exciting time to be in health.
“Looking at the data and the demographics – there are real challenges ahead of us if we think about an ageing population and the needs that they will have. However, it is very dynamic right now. There’s a lot to be excited about.”
Barrington said Gisborne Hospital had a lot to offer career-wise and progress was being made in filling the gaps.
“We’re really seeking to encourage New Zealand residents, New Zealand-trained health professionals and those outside of Tairāwhiti to come and join us here.”
Being part of a workforce that was invested in its community had attracted “some really impressive applicants to roles here … as well as bringing people back to Tairāwhiti in the last year or two as they see those opportunities aren’t so evident in other communities”.
“About 18 months ago, we found ourselves with many gaps in key clinical services. It’s really heartening that we’ve made huge headway on that.
“We’ve worked to bring about an international campaign, we’ve strengthened our recruitment approach when people interface with us and we’ve really thought about what applicants are looking for when they want to join a community and let them really understand what they can bring and what it would look like if they were delivering care here. And that’s paid off.
“Later this year, we will have the lowest vacancies we’ve seen in a long time in Tairāwhiti across those specialist workforces.
“We’ve managed to secure some key people in roles. Things like ophthalmology … a specialism that’s often hard to recruit.
“We’ve got other key roles coming later in the year. A cardiologist has started with us this month … having secured another cardiologist to join our team is a really good news story.”
Weather events had had an impact but Barrington said she and her leadership team had strong connections with the district council, emergency management and emergency services to “ensure we lead collectively through these events”.
Barrington has had a special interest in the holistic approach to health since her tertiary days, when she studied Mason Durie’s Māori healthcare Te Whare Tapa Whā model, which involves a combination of whānau, tinana (physical), hinengaro (mental) and wairua (spiritual) health.
“In coming into healthcare seven years ago and thinking about how we lead and respond to families and their needs, thinking holistically is the foundation … to interact with the community that need our support and to listen to how we can deliver that in a way that meets their needs.”
In her down time, Barrington enjoys craft work and heading up the East Coast with husband Derek – their caravan in tow.