Ashley Bloomfield
Ashley Bloomfield | |
---|---|
Director-General of Health | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office 11 June 2018 | |
Preceded by | Chai Chuah |
Personal details | |
Born | Ashley Robin Bloomfield 1965/1966 (age 55–56) Napier, New Zealand |
Alma mater | University of Auckland |
Occupation | Public health official |
Ashley Robin Bloomfield[1] (born 1965/1966) is a New Zealand public health official. He is the chief executive of the Ministry of Health and the country's Director-General of Health. He has been the public-facing health specialist liaising with the media during the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand on behalf of the government, since the first press conference on 27 January 2020.
Early life and family[]
Bloomfield was born in Napier[2] in 1965 or 1966, one of three children of Allan Olaf Bloomfield and Myreine Alice Bloomfield (née Osborne).[3][4][5] His mother was a schoolteacher, while his father was a lieutenant colonel in the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (Territorial Force) and a manager at Mitsubishi Motors in Porirua, and was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1974 New Year Honours.[3][4][6]
Bloomfield grew up in Tawa, a suburb of Wellington, and was educated at Scots College, where he was head prefect,[3] dux, played 1st XV rugby[7] and was a member of the cast of the college's production of Oklahoma![8]
Bloomfield graduated Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Auckland in 1990.[1][3] About the same time, he married his wife, Libby, also a doctor, and the couple went on to have three children.[3]
Career[]
Bloomfield completed several years of clinical work and from 1996[9] specialised in public health medicine,[10] concentrating on non-communicable diseases.[11][12] In 1997, he graduated from the University of Auckland with a Master of Public Health degree, with first-class honours.[13]
Between 2004 and 2006, Bloomfield was the Ministry of Health's acting director of public health.[14][15] From 2006 to 2010, he was the ministry's chief public health adviser.[9]
From late 2010 to late 2011, based at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Bloomfield worked on non-communicable disease prevention and control with a global focus.[11] From 2012 to 2015, he held leading positions across district health boards with Capital & Coast District, Hutt Valley, and Wairarapa. From 2015 to 2018, Bloomfield was chief executive at Hutt Valley District Health Board.[16] In the first half of 2018, Bloomfield was seconded to the Capital & Coast District Health Board where he was interim chief executive. Since 11 June 2018, he has been the chief executive of the country's Ministry of Health and the country's Director-General of Health.[1][3][11] Since he started as the ministry's Chief Executive he has attended a leadership programme at Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.[9]
Colleagues describe Bloomfield as "measured, methodical, calm and sensible".[9] Former health reporter Tess Nichol, writing for the American online magazine Slate, described him as "New Zealand’s current obsession, an unlikely heartthrob, a mild-mannered health care hero".[17] Former prime minister, Geoffrey Palmer, remarked about Bloomfield: "It is a long time since a public servant has become so well-known."[18] Perhaps in part due to the relative effectiveness of the COVID-19 measures taken by the New Zealand Government, Bloomfield has developed a cult following.[19] Facebook pages and merchandise have been created celebrating Bloomfield, and at least one person has had his image tattooed on their body.[20][21][22] When Bloomfield played for an invitational Centurions side in their 2020 rugby match against the , children took placards to the game to support him. Bloomfield chose the nickname "The Eliminator" for the match, in which he opened the scoring with the first try.[23][24][25]
In November 2020, Bloomfield was named one of the best-dressed men on David Hartnell's best-dressed list.[26]
In August 2021, Bloomfield apologised to the New Zealand Parliament's health select committee for providing them with incorrect information about a United Nations worker from Fiji who later tested positive for COVID-19.[27]
References[]
- ^ a b c "Wai 2575, #A59" (PDF). Waitangi Tribunal, Department of Justice. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
- ^ Hyde, Sahiban (20 May 2020). "Covid 19 coronavirus: Ashley Bloomfield stuns boy, 6, with handwritten response to letter". Hawke's Bay Today. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f Fisher, David (11 April 2020). "Ashley Bloomfield's rise to the top – the inside story". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ a b "Allan Bloomfield death notice". The New Zealand Herald. 15 February 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ "Bloomfield–Osborne". Hawke's Bay Photo News. Vol. 3, no. 5. April 1961. p. 15. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ "No. 46163". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 1 January 1974. p. 36.
- ^ "Covid-19 coronavirus: Inside Dr Ashley Bloomfield's work and family bubble". The New Zealand Herald. 7 May 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
- ^ Barton, Monika (31 August 2020). "Hilary Barry shares photo of teen Ashley Bloomfield performing in 1983 school production of Oklahoma!". Newshub. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
- ^ a b c d Macdonald, Nikki (7 March 2020). "Coronavirus: Ashley Bloomfield is the face of NZ's virus defence". Stuff. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
After taking the job – and after attending a leadership programme at Oxford University – Bloomfield said he subscribed to a 'convene and collaborate' and 'ensuring direction not giving direction' model of leadership, rather than command and control.
- ^ "Cometh the hour…". Otago Daily Times. 21 March 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- ^ a b c "Introducing Ashley Bloomfield". Ministry of Health. 13 June 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
- ^ Thomas, Rachel (28 March 2020). "The face of the Covid-19 response: Who is Ashley Bloomfield?". The Spinoff. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- ^ "Graduation search results". University of Auckland. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ Kiriona, Renee (28 April 2004). "Check for Sars symptoms, doctors told". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
- ^ Errol, Kiong; Johnston, Martin (18 January 2006). "Bird flu campaign to target 1.4m households". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
- ^ "Dr Ashley Bloomfield: Director-General of Health and Chief Executive". Ministry of Health Manatū Hauoa. New Zealand Government. 25 November 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
- ^ Nichol, Tess (6 April 2020). "The extremely competent, somewhat boring civil servant who has New Zealanders' hearts aflutter". Slate. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- ^ Palmer, Geoffrey (10 May 2020). "Geoffrey Palmer: Hallelujah! New Zealand government works". The Spinoff. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
- ^ "The Ashley Bloomfield Show". Newsroom. 1 April 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ^ "Covid 19 coronavirus: Dr Ashley Bloomfield taking holiday after 'relentless' six months". The New Zealand Herald. 1 July 2020. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ^ Ward, Tara (22 May 2020). "All the weird and wonderful creative tributes to Dr Ashley Bloomfield". The Spinoff. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ^ Molyneux, Vita (5 August 2020). "Morrinsville woman gets portrait of Ashley Bloomfield tattooed on her leg". Newshub. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ^ Chumko, Andre (25 July 2020). "Dr Ashley Bloomfield helps his Centurions XV team win the parliamentary rugby match". Stuff. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ^ Porter, Joe (24 July 2020). "Dr Bloomfield the 'Eliminator' to star alongside ex All Blacks". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ^ "Bloomfa! Dr Ashley Bloomfield scores try in annual parliamentary rugby match". The New Zealand Herald. 25 July 2020. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ^ "The best dressed Kiwis list is out, who makes the cut?". Stuff. 22 November 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
- ^ "Covid 19 coronavirus: Ashley Bloomfield apologises to MPs for giving wrong information on infected UN staffer". The New Zealand Herald. Radio New Zealand. 7 August 2021. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- 1960s births
- Living people
- People educated at a United World College
- People educated at Scots College, Wellington
- University of Auckland alumni
- Alumni of Saïd Business School
- New Zealand public servants
- New Zealand public health doctors
- 21st-century New Zealand medical doctors
- 21st-century New Zealand public servants
- People from Napier, New Zealand