Our People
We have around 60 experienced staff working in a range of exciting public health roles including:
- Health promotion
- Health protection
- Research and evaluation
- Policy and strategy development
- Social marketing and communications
- Programme leaders and issue leads
- Managers and public health physicians
- For a contact list, see here
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| Graeme Savage |
Our regional manager Graeme Savage sets the direction for Toi Te Ora Public Health Service, leads, inspires and manages staff.
Toi Te Ora’s mission is to achieve health and well being for all through leading, developing, championing and implementing collective public health action.
All our staff work across the region within this beautiful part of New Zealand. Toi Te Ora - Public Health Service has offices in Tauranga, Rotorua and Whakatane.
Medical Officers of Health
Medical officers of health strive to improve, protect and promote the health of the population. Their main areas of work include environmental health, communicable disease, health improvement and health services planning.
Toi Te Ora - Public Health Service has three medical officers of health who are trained as specialists in public health medicine. Dr Phil Shoemack, Dr Jim Miller and Dr Neil de Wet work as public health watchdogs and advocates.
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| Dr Phil Shoemack | Dr Jim Miller | Dr Neil de Wet |
Medical officers of health gain information through their personal grapevine and hard data provided by health protection officers. This includes notifiable disease rates, the presence of algal blooms, sewage spills and food complaints.
“The job becomes a bit easier as you meet more people and spend time working in the region,” says Dr Phil Shoemack, who has lived and worked in the Bay of Plenty and Lakes Districts for more than 25 years.
Advocacy includes everything from working with people on a personal level through to prosecution and the application of legal powers.
