Our Team

Dr Than is a respected researcher and academic emergency medicine physician. He is currently serving as Director of Emergency Medicine Research in the South Island’s largest hospital and has previously tutored at The Centre for EBM in Oxford. He is one of the most published emergency medicine physicians in Australasia and has a strong interest in evidence based diagnosis. Dr Than received the inaugural Beaven Medal for excellence in health service delivery research. He holds a Health Research Council of NZ fellowship for the investigation of cardiovascular disease in the ED. And he is a member of an international expert task-force on “Education in Cardiovascular Biomarkers”, which aims to produce educational materials for clinicians and laboratorians. In additional to his clinical accolades, Dr Than has also received a Decoration for Bravery by the Commonwealth of Australia, The Surf Lifesaving Australia Meritorious Award for Bravery, and The Royal Humane Society of Australia Bronze Medallion.

With more than 30 years’ experience in Emergency Medicine, Dr Safih draws on a depth of knowledge. He served as the Clinical Director in the emergency department of a large tertiary hospital for a decade before turning his specialist skill set to the rural sector. He still practices tertiary level emergency medicine, supervising and mentoring trainees, while also working as the Clinical Director across a group of smaller rural hospitals. He has a passion for quality and safety in emergency care – and also teaches on emergency medicine and trauma courses. He is an advisor to the Health and Disability Commissioner. He has held a number of Emergency Medicine College portfolios and is currently involved in accreditation of overseas Specialist applicants. Outside of work, pre-covid, his passion was travelling with his partner. Currently he’s enjoying family time with his partner, local travel, and time with children, grandchildren and pet Boxer.

Dr Freeman is a pioneer of emergency medicine in NZ. He has been practising medicine here in the Aotearoa, and earlier in the UK, for 45 years – and has specialised in emergency medicine for 26 years. His legacy includes being the driving force behind instilling ultrasound as a core skill for all emergency medicine trainees and doctors. Dr Freemans eminent career started in the UK where is was born and raised. There he gained in medical degree and began down the track of emergency medicine specialty. Dr Freeman has been in NZ for almost 30 years and has become leading light to the Emergency Medicine fraternity here. He has worked in metropolitan and regional hospitals alike. His healthcare leadership roles comprise a longstanding Clinical Directorship, Vice Presidency of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, NZ Councillor for ACEM, and Chair of NZ Faculty of ACEM.

Dr Harvey is an Emergency Medicine Specialist and Emergency Medicine Researcher with over 75 publications to his name. He has been practicing Emergency Medicine for over 25 years, in both NZ and Australia, and continues to lead an urban trauma centre here in Aotearoa. Dr Harvey is considered a world expert on lipids as an antidote in toxicology. He is also a pragmatic clinician who led the restructure of his local ED in preparation for COVID-19 and, furthermore, used the first NZ lockdown to come up with an innovative low-cost pandemic ventilator alongside a neighbour cum engineer. Outside work he enjoys kiwi summers at the beach with his wife and four children.

Dr Chanwai has a depth of knowledge and practical skills developed over 20+ years of practising emergency medicine. He specialises in both Emergency Medicine and Travel Medicine. In addition to working in a number of metropolitan emergency departments (including  Whangarei, Auckland City, Middlemore, Starship and Waikato Hospitals) Dr Chanwai has also spent 8 years in the Australian outback working with rural communities such as Kalgoorlie and Alice Springs, which face the added challenges of limited resources and health inequities. He was an early adopter of virtual healthcare and has experienced digital delivery on both sides of the Tasman. Precious spare time is spent with family and he enjoys mountain biking and gym sessions

Dr Alshaar is both a Specialist and GP – he obtained a Fellowship Degree in Emergency Medicine in 2012 and another in General Practice in 2018. Despite being born and raised in Iraq (where he obtained his medical degree in 1995), Dr Alshaar has an impressive knowledge of the healthcare landscape in Aotearoa. He came to NZ in 2002 and has spent the last 20 years working his way up the medical ladder here while also experiencing the practice of medicine in various DHBs throughout the country. He concurrently works for a North Island DHB as an Emergency Specialist and with a South Island DHB as a GP. His wife (an Ophthalmologist) works for a separate DHB. Together they have two energetic daughters, and they all share a love of sport.

Dr Rush trained as an emergency physician in Auckland and has since broadened his experience by working as an ED Consultant both here in NZ and in major trauma centres in the UK. In addition to working in busy EDs, he also teaches emergency and resuscitation medicine as an Honorary Senior Lecturer. Outside of medicine Dr Rush is kept busy with three young children and dreaming of fishing adventures.

Dr Bonning has been a doctor for almost 35 years and has specialised in emergency medicine for more approximately 18 years. He has served in numerous healthcare leadership roles including ED Director, Chair of the NZ Faculty of ACEM, President of ACEM (of which he was the first ever kiwi elected), and Chair of the New Zealand Council of Medical Colleges. Furthermore, he has served as an Advanced Paediatric Life Support (APLS) and Advanced and Complex Medical Emergencies (ACME) Instructor, a Police Medical Officer, and an expert advisor to the Police, Coroner, Courts, and Health and Disability Commissioner. Dr Bonning  has worked extensively in EDs throughout Aotearoa, Australia and the UK, providing him with broad, first-hand knowledge of various models of care. He is a passionate advocate for equity and sustainability – both in medicine and life.

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Dr Dobbins has been practising as an Emergency Medicine Specialist for over 18 years. He has extensive experience in the NZ healthcare sector and has also spent almost a decade working as a doctor in the United States. He is a founding member and trustee of Sepsis Trust New Zealand and has a special interest in wilderness medicine and the management of trauma in austere environments. In addition to practising emergency medicine, Dr Dobbins is enjoying mentoring the next generation of med students and house officers. If not working, he can likely be found playing in the beautiful waters of Raglan.

Dr Prince is passionate about medicine and ultrasound and draws on experience that spans the globe. This doctor cum adventurer is well travelled – she’s practised medicine in South Africa, the UK, NZ and Australia and has been an expedition doctor on trips to Mongolia, Canada, Antarctica, Nepal, the Amazon and the Australian outback. It may be no surprise then that her hobbies include mountain biking, surfing and snowboarding. After completing her undergraduate training in South Africa, Dr Prince gained her FACEM qualifications in New Zealand, and then realised her Diploma of Diagnostic Ultrasound in Australia. She has spent the best part of the last decade working as an emergency physician in one of Australia’s leading teaching tertiary hospitals. She is also an instructor with EMUGs (a NZ organisation that upskills clinicians in the use of ultrasound). Dr Prince always wanted to be a doctor and now, having realised her childhood dream, she thrives on her ability to help people in their time of need.

Dr Harvey is an Emergency Medicine Specialist and Emergency Medicine Researcher with over 75 publications to his name. He has been practicing Emergency Medicine for over 25 years, in both NZ and Australia, and continues to lead an urban trauma centre here in Aotearoa. Dr Harvey is considered a world expert on lipids as an antidote in toxicology. He is also a pragmatic clinician who led the restructure of his local ED in preparation for COVID-19 and, furthermore, used the first NZ lockdown to come up with an innovative low-cost pandemic ventilator alongside a neighbour cum engineer. Outside work he enjoys kiwi summers at the beach with his wife and four children.

Dr Chanwai has a depth of knowledge and practical skills developed over 20+ years of practising emergency medicine. He specialises in both Emergency Medicine and Travel Medicine. In addition to working in a number of metropolitan emergency departments (including  Whangarei, Auckland City, Middlemore, Starship and Waikato Hospitals) Dr Chanwai has also spent 8 years in the Australian outback working with rural communities such as Kalgoorlie and Alice Springs, which face the added challenges of limited resources and health inequities. He was an early adopter of virtual healthcare and has experienced digital delivery on both sides of the Tasman. Precious spare time is spent with family and he enjoys mountain biking and gym sessions

Ms Falconer been working in Aotearoa’s healthcare system for more than 30 years. She has served on the frontlines as a nurse, in management roles, on projects, and senior nurse leadership. At one time she led the operational management for a brand-new emergency department, which would become one of Australasia’s largest with a diverse team of 240 staff and a budget of several million. Ms Falcober has developed special interest in quality improvement, innovation, safety, reducing harm and system design. In addition to co-founding and leading Emergency Consult, Ms Falconer also frequently consults to clinical departments that need help identifying/implementing change, works with the Ministry of Health, and owns hygiene and cleaning company VIPCare.

Mr Whitcher is an experienced executive with a track record in leading privately-owned companies through growth (both acquisition and organic). He is adept as improving bottom-line results and is now leading a well-established and respected construction company. Mr Whitcher is a Business Mentor, a current member of the Institute of Directors (MInstD), and has 15 years of directorship experience. He is a former Director of Waikato Frame & Truss Ltd, Hamilton Hardware Retail Ltd, and T/A Mitre 10 MEGA Hamilton. His strength lies in cultivating mutually beneficial partnerships to meet business objectives and is a onfident leader with strong communication skills.

Tim Norman is a business manager who draws on a healthcare background in primary and emergency critical care. He has worked extensively throughout the New Zealand health system – initially in nurse management and operational management roles and more recently in a project, change management, and consultancy capacity. He has a passion for healthcare innovation and disrupting the status quo but balances that with rock-solid pragmatism, and a strong desire to deliver results and the best possible patient care. Recently, Tim has focused on chest pain management – work that will be published in a British medical journal – and has joined Emergency Consult to help the team deliver their Specialist practice rapidly and conveniently through telehealth. He’s described as a good bugger who never fails to turn up and make things happen.

Mrs Hillary is a 20-year veteran of the marketing discipline with a special interest in values-based businesses. Her work has spanned the breadth of communications, brand and marketing and has traversed key sectors of New Zealand’s economic and social wellbeing including healthcare, FMCG, primary industries, technology, local government, and manufacturing. As an independent marketing consultant, Mrs Hillary is now focused on businesses who have the drive and vision to do good. Having spent three years working with an international conference that showcased healthcare innovation and improvement – inspiring senior health executives and clinicians – she is excited to be working with frontline doctors to see a revolutionary concept realised for the people of Aotearoa.