New Bay health boss all ears

By Julia Holmes
Phil Cammish is at the bottom of the heap.
At least that's how the Bay of Plenty District Health Board's new chief executive likes to see it.
"I always draw a little picture. It reminds me who I'm dealing with," he says, sketching an inverted pyramid on his office whiteboard to illustrate his management style.
"Ninety per cent of the people I deal with are more qualified academically and intellectual than I am.
"There are plenty of people who can contribute and want to contribute. If I treat it the other way, more fool me."
Turn it upside down and it might represent some of the more process orientated industries he has worked in, he adds.
"But that's not what health is."
Three weeks into the job and Mr Cammish, 55, is keen to make it known that, while he may be the head honcho, he is not above taking other people's ideas on board.
Listening, says the snowy-haired Yorkshireman, is one of the biggest parts of his role.
"I am a really positive person and personable, I hope. I want people to feel able to talk with me and express their views. I have a very open style. Yes, I have a big job to do, but it's just one of the jobs we do in the Bay of Plenty District Health Board. People should not be intimidated by what I am, but should take me for who I am."
This is the approach he plans to take not only with staff but also the wider community.
"Part of my role is creating and maintaining a profile. It's about getting out there and being available for people. I like to be out and about, not trapped in my office."
Mr Cammish is fuelled by a passion to improve community health, to prevent people from becoming ill in the first place.
"We need to address chronic disease early and consistently ... work with GPs, primary health organisations, community services, non-government organisations, iwi organisations.
"Unless we start to make sure there are major health shifts at the primary health level it will continue to be difficult to meet the demand for acute health services."
Mr Cammish says his post of the past two years as district manager of the Cairns health service district, Queensland Health, ignited this passion.
Working with a population of a similar size and profile to that in the Bay of Plenty, he "gained an interest and an insight into preventative care".
He believes his work with indigenous people is particularly relevant for helping to meet the health needs of the high Maori population in the Eastern Bay.
Prior to working in Queensland, Mr Cammish spent a number of years running various arms of Waikato Hospital, including radiology and clinical services, eventually becoming general manager of commercial and business development.
He then went on to lead the planning and funding team at the Waikato District Health Board.
"I came into health in 1994. I went to Waikato to do a short-term contract ... nine and a half years later ... it's typical of health. Once You get in. You can't get out."
Mr Cammish spent some time in Australia in his teens and moved to New Zealand with his wife Aileen in 1973.
Being back in New Zealand brings the couple closer to their son Steven, 34, who lives in Auckland.
Career and family may have been two of the big drawcards in bringing Mr Cammish to the Bay but there were also forces of nature at work.
"I need to be somewhere where I can see and be close to water. I want to make an investment in Tauranga. I'm going to be here until I'm older ... I don't know about greyer."