Te Rau Ora appoints former youth health midwife Jade Chase

Jade Chase, a Māori health leader with more than 20 years of experience, is Te Rau Ora’s new Director, Innovations.

Te Rau Ora describes Chase as a proud uri of Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Whitikaupeka. Her career has been dedicated to creating opportunities for whānau Māori to thrive.

Tumu Whakarae Riki Nia Nia says Chase is highly regarded by the Te Rau Ora whānau and across the health sector in Aotearoa. Nia Nia adds that her policy expertise and understanding of the machinery of government will strengthen Te Rau Ora’s ability to influence strategic policy settings.

Chase began her career as a youth health midwife. She has designed and led kaupapa including Hapū Wānanga, Whare Ora (Healthy Homes) and the first national rangatahi strategy for Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

At Manatū Hauora she led regional wānanga to ensure Māori aspirations were reflected in the implementation of the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022. She also led system-wide initiatives on equity, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and anti-racism, including Houhia: Equity by Design.

The COVID-19 Care in the Community approach she helped design enabled Māori-led hubs across Aotearoa. More recently, she led a programme to strengthen the alignment between health investment decisions and the needs and aspirations of communities. The approach is now attracting interest across the wider health sector.

Chase is a mother of two and grandmother of three. She now lives in Pōneke, but spent most of her life in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty.

In her new role, she will work alongside whānau, communities, partners and the Te Rau Ora team. She aims to support new ideas and grow Indigenous innovation.