Our Mission
Thousands of surgeries are cancelled annually, with 30% being cancelled due to patient factors.
Research shows that even 4 weeks of prehabilitation can reduce cancellations and improve outcomes significantly.
SurgReady is dedicated to patient-centred care and holistic lifestyle approaches. We are committed to health promotion, health equity, and expanding access to safe surgery.
Patients should be informed and empowered to play an active role in their own health journeys.
Leadership
Ronan Payinda, Founder
-
Ronan Payinda is a medical student, public health leader, and digital health equity advocate in New Zealand. He is a UNICEF Young Ambassador, and has been recognised as a Young Health Programme (YHP) Impact Fellow by One Young World and AstraZeneca for his work in health innovation.
Ronan is a member of the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Working Group at the World Federation of Public Health Associations, and is involved in research on AI and health promotion for the WFPHA and JMIR Infodemiology.
Dr Sam Manger, Co-Director
-
Dr Sam Manger is a clinical and academic General Practitioner and industry healthcare consultant with a focus on lifestyle and social determinants. He is the Academic Lead of the Postgraduate Degrees in Lifestyle Medicine at James Cook University College of Medicine and Dentistry, as well as the Immediate Past-President of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine. He is an Ambassador for the Federal Government initiative Equally Well Australia, Advisory Group Member of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, host of The GP Show podcast for health professionals and was awarded the RACGP QLD GP of the Year in 2021.
Clinical Advisory Board
Dr Sophie Jayamaha
-
Dr. A.S. Jayamaha MBBS, DA, FFARCSi, MBA, FANZCA, DipIBLM, FASLM is a Senior Staff Specialist in Anaesthesia at the Prince Charles Hospital in Queensland, Australia, with a special interest in perioperative health and wellbeing. She is an International Board Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician, wellness coach, and an advocate for healthy lifestyle approaches in pre-anaesthesia optimisation.
Dr Christopher Wong
-
Dr Christopher Wong is an Anaesthetist in Whangarei, New Zealand and is a Fellow of the Australia and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists. He has undertaken fellowship training in Perioperative Medicine and Echocardiography. Furthermore, he has completed postgraduate studies in both perioperative medicine and echocardiography. Chris enjoys motivating patients to improve their health while they are on the 'preparation list' for their surgeries.
Dr Sunil Kumar
-
Dr Sunil Kumar MBBS MRCA FCAI FRSA FBSLM Dip BSLM/IBLM is a Board-Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician based in Manchester, UK, with 30 years of experience in medicine and over five years dedicated to empowering patients through lifestyle interventions. He is a recognised leader in perioperative lifestyle medicine and prehabilitation, promoting its importance to doctors, healthcare professionals, and communities nationally and internationally.
Dr Kumar is the founder and lead of the Prehabilitation and Lifestyle Medicine Special Interest Group at the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine and the author of The Power of Preparation for Surgery, which focuses on enhancing surgical outcomes through prehabilitation. With a background in anaesthesia and fellowships with the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine, he integrates his expertise to optimise health spans, prevent chronic diseases, and support surgical recovery through personalised lifestyle interventions. His advocacy extends to his role as an Honorary Ambassador for the Personalised Care Institute, where he continues to advance lifestyle medicine through education, keynote speaking, and published works.
Professor Chris Bullen
-
Professor Chris Bullen is a public health medicine specialist at the University of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, where he holds the position of Professor in Public Health and serves as the Academic Director of the National Institute for Health Innovation (NIHI) at the School of Population Health. His research expertise is primarily in tobacco control, focusing on intervention strategies to help people quit smoking and broader challenges for other aspects of tobacco control. He is active in advocating for research-informed tobacco control policy in New Zealand and elsewhere. He is also deeply involved in research on digital health innovations and global health.
Professor Bullen completed his medical degree (MBChB) at the University of Auckland and after a decade of clinical work in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, obtained a Master of Public Health (MPH) and a PhD in Community Health from the same institution. Professor Bullen has published over 250 journal articles and delivered many conference presentations. Additionally, he has held leadership roles in several national and international health organisations and professional bodies, most recently as President of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco from 2023-2024.
Dr Michael Ayling
-
Dr Michael Ayling is a senior anaesthetist in the South West Sydney region in public and private practice. He is clinical lead for pre-admission clinics for a major tertiary hospital. He is a fellow of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine and has a keen interest in developing protocols for pre-habilitation.
Professor Bruce Arroll
-
Professor Bruce Arroll is a general practitioner and Professor of General Practice at the University of Auckland. He has led international research and implementation on health coaching, patient lifestyle motivation, and behaviour change. He holds a PhD in Medicine and is a leader in medical education improvement in New Zealand.
Technical Advisory Board
Luca Zampese
-
Luca Zampese is the Founder and Director of Equitech, a digital consulting organisation dedicated to ensuring cybersecurity, quality IT services, and digital equity in New Zealand. He is a socialpreneur, an IT Analyst at Tū Ora Compass Health New Zealand, and a UNICEF Young Ambassador with a focus on digital equity and mental health.
Dr Nishat S Y
-
Dr Nishat is a Senior Manager in Data & AI (Microsoft Azure), focusing on Cloud and Healthcare IT. With over 15+ years of experience, she has led transformative digital projects and with an innovative mindset various healthcare software products, including addressing global public health challenges. Her work spans the USA, Sweden, India, and New Zealand, showcasing her commitment to integrating advanced technologies including AI, blockchain and machine learning to enhance health systems worldwide.
Dr Nishat holds an active USA digital healthcare patent and has published a paper on blockchain in digital healthcare management systems, which can be used across a wide range of healthcare sectors. She is passionate about advancing digital healthcare delivery enhancements through strategic and innovative solutions. She is known for a collaborative, supportive and mind-shift leadership style with core strengths that include leading digital transformations, driving data-driven innovations, designing patient-centric healthcare products, mental well-being, supporting immigrants (students) with guidance, and integrating with advanced technologies. She is also passionate about advancing public health through strategic and innovative solutions and continues to work as a mentor to women in tech.
