Dr Maxine Ronald
Breast cancer, general surgeon, Māori health equity
Dr Maxine Ronald (Te Kapotai ki Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Hine and Ngāti Rangi) is a general surgeon working in Northland specialising in oncoplasty for breast cancer patients. She holds the current distinction of being the only wahine Māori consultant breast cancer surgeon in the world.
Maxine is also the first Indigenous councillor at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), member of the Aotearoa New Zealand National Committee Surgery and past chair of RACS Indigenous Health Committee.
She is a clinical advisor to Te Aka Whai Ora Māori Health Authority, member of the Planned Care Task Force, member of the Steering Committee for Medical Workforce, the National Māori Pandemic Group, and Hei Āhuru Mowai Māori Cancer Leadership Group.
Maxine was recently appointed to Te Pae Whakatere — Breast Screen Aotearoa Review Committee. She is an advocate for Māori health equity and increasing the Indigenous surgical workforce in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia.
In 2023 Maxine was awarded the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) Māori Health Medal in recognition of her transformative advocacy over several years for Indigenous health equity. She played a significant role in developing the Cultural Safety and Cultural Competency framework for surgical Trainees and was instrumental in the addition of cultural safety to RACS competencies.
Photo credit - John Stone (featured in e-Tangata).
Links:
https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Maxine-Ronald-2165560801