About health management
Health management involves the managing of systems, personnel and resources that provide health care to people. Roles range from team leaders within clinical teams, to clinical directors or service managers, to chief executives of major health organisations like District Health Boards or the Ministry of Health. Practice is concerned with the systems and processes which support clinicians to provide health care, with a focus on groups of people (such as patients who require renal dialysis or people with chronic respiratory illness who live in central Auckland). Doctors who work in health management must balance the individualisation of treatment with the advantages of processes and systems that provide consistent quality of care and that best utilise available resources.
Specialty contacts
Rod Perkins
University of Auckland
Department of Health Systems
Senior Lecturer Health Management
Tel: 373-7599 ext 86590
Income
Those who take on health management responsibilities within their specialty (such as clinical director or managing partner in a group practice) generally earn at a similar rate to their specialty salary for the time they devote to health management.
Positions in departments of public health or the Ministry of Health range across the specialist salary scale and depend on experience and seniority. Doctors who take up positions such as chief medical officers in a hospital would usually be paid near the top of the specialist salary scale. Doctors appointed to senior health management positions such as CEO of a DHB are currently paid about $200,000–$300,000.
There is a range of opportunities for doctors in health management in the private sector in consultancy roles and in pharmaceutical, IT and other companies. These positions can be paid $100,000–$250,000 or more, depending on the business and your level of experience.
New Zealand doctors working in health management talk about the reality of working within this field.
