Eye on more than numbers

CAPITAL PROGRESS: Hawke's Bay District Health Board candidate Dan Druzianic is more than a numbers man, overseeing risk as chairman of the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee. PHOTO/FILE

Dan Druzianic was appointed to the Hawke's Bay District Health Board for his financial acumen, but as chairman of the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee he oversees much wider concerns.

The committee looks at "what if" risks, such as if tap water was unclean, as well as long-term strategic risks such as shifting demographics.

The committee also oversees internal audits on health board divisions "which tells us how well things are working".

"It is quite broad - it's not all about the numbers," he said.

The managing director of a chartered accountancy firm, if elected it will be his third term.

In his first term he was a government appointee but successfully ran in the last elections for a seat on the board after encouragement of fellow board members looking to lock in his skills, in case the National Party lost the parliamentary election.

"We have been able to set some money aside that has ticked some pretty big capital projects off and we have another couple coming down the line."

New projects include an $8 million to $9 million endoscopy unit, which will complement increased government funding on screening the health of digestive tracts.

The "solid" savings were not at the expense of patient services because of widespread productivity gains.

"Because funding is tight we do have to be working smarter and better in areas so we can save a bit of money for capital projects. But in the big scheme of things the overall budget is $500m and the surplus we set aside is $3m.

"While $3m is not a lot in percentage terms it can do a lot of good."

His accountancy firm, Moore Stephens Markhams, has a business advisory service and Mr Druzianic recently travelled to the United States where he undertook a week-long version of a Harvard MBA programme for professional services firms.

He said one of his many learnings was the importance of collaborative leadership and institutional knowledge.

"I have enjoyed my second term on the District Health Board. We have a really good team with some new faces in there. We are making good progress."