Lifelong learner, Marchie Rose Morillo-Pagtanac’s journey is a powerful example of growth, resilience, and giving back. Beginning with a Level 2 Health and Wellbeing programme, she has progressed through a Dementia Limited Credit Programme, and completed an Apprenticeship in Diversional Therapy.
And now the learner has become the assessor. Having recently completed her Assessor training through work-based learning provider Careerforce, Marchie is now shaping the next generation of health and wellbeing professionals as a registered workplace assessor.
Currently, Marchie holds dual leadership roles as Facility Manager and Clinical Manager at Lexis Care, a provider of hospital, rest home, and psychogeriatric services in Auckland. She stepped into the Clinical Manager role in 2022 and, just twelve months ago, took on the additional responsibility of Facility Manager. Her role is complex and demanding, combining clinical excellence with operational oversight.
Lifelong learner and assessor, Marchie Rose Morillo-Pagtanac
“Clinically, I’m responsible for providing safe, effective, and evidence-based care while maintaining professional standards,” she explains. “That includes leading registered nurses and healthcare assistants, ensuring appropriate supervision, delegation, competence, and compliance with best practice. Operationally, I make sure services run efficiently, documentation is accurate, and regulatory requirements are met. This integrated approach supports both high-quality care and strong organisational performance.”
“I’m passionate about caring for the elderly and some of the most vulnerable members of our community.”
Marchie’s professional journey in New Zealand began on a student visa, where she studied Diploma in Health Services Management Level 7. Later she worked as a Health Care Assistant at Lexis Care (then known as Anne Maree Gardens). Driven to grow, she completed her Diversional Therapy qualification and, as a registered nurse in the Philippines, went on to secure New Zealand nursing registration. This opened the door to valuable experience at Auckland City Hospital before she returned to Lexis Care in a leadership capacity. Following the sale of Anne Maree Gardens to new owners, her responsibilities expanded further, cementing her position as a trusted leader within the organisation.
What fuels her every day is a deep commitment to the people she serves. “I’m passionate about caring for the elderly and some of the most vulnerable members of our community,” she says. “Supporting their dignity, wellbeing, and quality of life, and knowing my work positively impacts residents and their families keeps me motivated to lead with compassion and integrity.”
“Being an assessor is about so much more than marking assessments, it’s about guidance, feedback, cultural responsiveness, and truly supporting learners.”
Her decision to become an assessor was entirely self-driven. At the time, Lexis Care had no qualified assessor in their team, limiting staff access to structured work-based training and development. Seeing this gap, Marchie stepped forward. “I wanted to be able to properly mentor, assess, and support our staff, and to make sure assessments were fair, consistent, and evidence-based,” she says. Completing the qualification through Careerforce broadened her perspective and strengthened her confidence. “Being an assessor is about so much more than marking assessments, it’s about guidance, feedback, cultural responsiveness, and truly supporting learners.”
Careerforce’s flexible, online, self-directed learning model worked perfectly for her. She also credits the strong support she received along the way in her training to become a registered assessor. “Each learner is assigned a Careerforce advisor, and Korelli (Mulitalo) was amazing. He really excelled in how he trained us as future assessors and made sure we were continuously supported, even after the workshop day.”
For Marchie, lifelong learning isn’t just a philosophy, it’s a way of life.
Now, Marchie is putting her new qualification straight into action. She is currently assessing staff across Dementia LCP and Levels 2, 3, and 4, with nine staff members actively training through Careerforce under her guidance. “We’ll be supporting them with workshops and rewards to keep them motivated and progressing,” she says.
And she’s not stopping there. Always thinking ahead, Marchie has already taken her next step: “I’m currently completing postgraduate studies at the University of Auckland.” For Marchie, lifelong learning isn’t just a philosophy, it’s a way of life.
For more information about Careerforce work-based learning programmes and becoming an assessor, please visit www.careerforce.org.nz.
Susan Tattersall