OptiRTP CEO Attends AUT Future of Health Conference
Left to right: Professor Brett Cowan, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean/Tumuaki, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, AUT; Dean Cowles, Head of Hauora Māori & Cultural Safety, Southern Cross Healthcare and AUT alumnus; Mark Rainford, Vice President of Product Strategy and Ecosystem, Orion Health and AUT alumnus; Matthew Carroll, Head of School, Allied Health and Professor of Podiatry, AUT (Panel Facilitator); Dr Martin Chadwick, Chief Allied Health Professions Officer, Ministry of Health | Manatū Hauora; Associate Professor Rachel Macdiarmid, Acting Head of School of Nursing, AUT; James Baxtor, Clinical Director, Foot Mechanics Group
OptiRTP CEO Jon Doherty attended AUT’s Future of Health: Where Aotearoa Leads Next conference, joining leaders from across New Zealand’s health system to discuss the next phase of healthcare innovation.
Panel discussions explored the role of AI and digital systems in clinical decision-making and administrative efficiency, with speakers emphasising that technology should empower health professionals rather than replace them.
The conference also addressed the importance of embedding Te Ao Māori into clinical systems and governance, with participants noting that equity and cultural safety must accompany clinical reform.
Dr Martin Chadwick, Chief Allied Health Professions Officer at the Ministry of Health, posed a question that resonated with attendees, asking what population-level impact new approaches could achieve if funded.
OptiRTP is currently focused on U.S. clinical validation and market entry, with New Zealand remaining part of the company’s longer-term planning.
About OptiRTP
OptiRTP is a New Zealand health-technology company developing Optimum Bio Sound Therapy (OBST), a neuromodulation platform registered as an FDA Class I medical device. The platform has delivered over 352,393 therapy hours to more than 1,100 users. www.OptiRTP.com
