Rami Rahal Te Aho o Te Kahu - Cancer Control Agency Wellington, New Zealand
Mr Rahal was welcomed to Te Aho o Te Kahu on 10 July with a pōwhiri. With over 30 years’ experience in health system leadership. Mr Rahal brings strategic vision to healthcare and government, particularly focusing on performance improvements in management, clinical practice, policy and planning.
Mr Rahal was responsible for establishing Canada’s first cancer system performance program and implementing the national cancer control strategy for Canada among other key roles during a 12-year tenure for Canada’s national cancer control agency.
Mr Rahal is internationally recognised for his work in cancer performance measurement, with over 50 publications on the topics of health care data, quality measurement and cancer system improvement. As well as his deep understanding of equity and how to work with indigenous communities for more effective outcomes. Holding several board member roles internationally and locally, Mr Rahal has informed a substantial amount of cancer projects.
Mr Rahal hopes to bring his skills and expertise to Aotearoa’s cancer system, being involved in Te Aho o Te Kahu’s inception, as the keynote speaker at the Cancer at Crossroads conference in Wellington in 2019. Mr Rahal has already demonstrated his commitment to the Agency’s Kaupapa by being involved in some of the Agency’s working groups and providing specific advice to the quality performance indicators work programme.
On the personal side, Mr. Rahal was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon and immigrated to Canada with his parents and younger sister in 1985. For most of the years since then, Mr. Rahal lived in and around Toronto, Ontario, Canada’s largest city. Most recently, he lived in the suburb of Burlington with his partner Brenda and his two stepsons, Noah and Jacob, aged 19 and 16, and their Golden Doodle Flo, aged 11. Brenda is an award-winning producer and editor for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s national evening news show. Mr. Rahal has two biological children: Rayan 23 and Tamara 20. He is an avid cyclist (road and gravel, and recently mountain biking) and scuba diver.