A breath of fresh air: Reflections on the Collaborative Care Aotearoa Conference

After a quarter century in New Zealand's healthcare technology space, I've become accustomed to a certain climate.

Territorial barriers between suppliers and health providers, mutual suspicion, control struggles, and an environment where collaboration is scarce and innovation is claimed by all.

I've watched as:

• Software vendors and healthcare organisations talked past each other

• Central government looks local innovators with scepticism and disinterest

• PHOs launched initiatives that faltered and seemed so removed from there purpose

• Trust eroded and cynicism pervaded 

• Tall poppies were pruned

So when I attended the Collaborative Care Aotearoa Conference in Wellington, I was unprepared for what I experienced.

A cultural shift worth noting

For once, the atmosphere wasn't charged with unstated agendas or competitive positioning. Instead, I witnessed something I'd almost forgotten was possible: genuine alignment around improving healthcare outcomes.

The discussions felt different. People weren't just promoting solutions—they were collectively exploring problems. The focus wasn't on who would get credit, but on how we might actually move forward together.

More than just talk

What struck me most wasn't just the content of the presentations (though Jess Morgan-French's insights on rural Māori primary care and Ray Delany's candid talk on why digital projects fail were particularly valuable). It was the quality of the connections forming across traditional boundaries.

The evening at Pipitea Marae exemplified this shift—conversations continued over kai with a spirit of whakawhanaungatanga (a Māori concept that refers to the process of establishing relationships, connections, and a sense of belonging through shared experiences.) that felt authentic rather than perfunctory.

Small gestures, big meaning

In 25 years, I've never received a written thank you from conference organisers for the support. This time was different. The appreciation felt real because the shared purpose was real.

Perhaps it's too soon to declare the start of a change in our sector's culture. One conference doesn't transform decades of entrenched behaviours. 

But for the first time in a very long time, I left an industry event feeling genuinely hopeful.

Sometimes, a fresh start is simply refreshing.