About Us
Who we are, what we do
Total Healthcare is a Primary Health Organisation (PHO) that contracts Tāmaki Health as its management support organisation. Tāmaki Health contracts medical providers to deliver the services required in the PHO/District Health Board (DHB) contracts. The providers include Local Doctors and White Cross offering clinics to 220,000 patients, 75% of whom are deemed high needs.
The PHO Board has strong community and consumer representation and it works in partnership with communities to improve the health of all, with emphasis on Māori and Pasifika people, and other communities with health disparities.
Total Healthcare continues to address the broader determinants of health – not only physical and psychological but also social. Projects include Total Healthcare’s programme for vulnerable young mums and its continuing support for Gandhi Nivas to help families experiencing family harm.
Total Healthcare has achieved significant recognition from the Ministry of Health, the National Health Board and the DHBs as an organisation that embraces new opportunities and maintains a strong focus on improving access to high-quality health services for high needs patient populations.
Management

Mark Vella, Chief Executive Officer
Mark began his career as a primary school teacher, later moving into special education working with children with disabilities and eventually working his way up to the national office of the Special Education Service.
He has experience in a variety of senior Government and commercial roles such as national contracts manager – Special Education Service (Ministry of Education) and later senior advisor to the Minister of Education. In the early 2000s, Mark moved into health as a project manager, and later a senior manager, for ProCare Health, where he worked in community and mental health, as well as in the PHO’s commercial arm. Mark joined Total Healthcare as its Chief Executive Officer in 2008.
In his spare time, Mark enjoys boating, property development and spending time with family.
Governance
Total Healthcare has charitable status, and is governed by a Board of Trustees.
| Name | Position | Representative | Occupation |
| Willie Ropata | Chairman Executive Committee, Health Outcomes Committee | Maori | Teacher |
| Tupou Manapori | Health Outcomes Committee | Pacific | Teacher |
| Dr Richard Hulme | Executive Committee, Clinical Director Total Healthcare, Chairman of Health Outcomes Committee | Medical, Pacific | General Practitioner |
| Dr Kanti Patel | Trustee | Medical | General Practitioner |
| Ranjna Patel | Chairperson of Executive Committee, Executive Trustee | Medical | Practice Manager |
| Dr Mahesh Patel | Trustee | Medical | General Practitioner |
| Sanjay Kumar | Chairman Audit & Finance Committee | Medical | Chartered Accountant |
| Dr Ellis Situe | Trustee | Medical, Pacific | General Practitioner, Consultant |
| Kerry Oxenham | Trustee | Other Health | Pharmacist |
| Karen Sutton | Trustee | Other Health | Physiotherapist |
| Jordan Situfu Salesa | Trustee | Other Health | Physiotherapist |