September 23, 2021
Courage needed to position Māori Health Authority
Be fearless.
That’s the advice from Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency chair Merepeka Raukawa Tait to the new Māori Health Authority board.
The board will be co-chaired by Sharon Shea and Tipa Mahuta, who are currently serving on two of the 20 district health boards which will be disestablished under the health sector reform.
The other members include Dr Sue Crengle, Dr Mataroria Lyndon, Lady Tureiti Moxon, Fiona Pimm, Awerangi Tamihere and Dr Chris Tooley.
Ms Raukawa-Tait says she knows many of them, and believes they’re up for the job.
She says they start with a clean slate, so they can define what the authority will do and fight for the resources to do it.
“It is definitely around resourcing, but the other thing is, it’s to be absolutely fearless, to have a very clear vision of what families living well will look like, and to make sure they keep that in front of them the whole time and that they have the utmost courage to say ‘this is absolutely what we need and we will take nothing less,” Ms Raukawa Tait says.