Corporate Publications BOPDHB Orientation & Information Booklet | Page 22
Tricia Keelan – General Manager Māori Health Gains and
Development
Iwi Ngāti Porou, Te Aupouri, Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongomaiwahine
“I lead the transformation of our DHB towards Toi Ora, our collective iwi
vision for flourishing descendants of Toi.”
As the Executive Lead of Toi Ora, everything I do is geared towards
moving our system and people closer to Toi Ora.
I believe in constantly challenging a status quo that disadvantages tangata
whenua and contributes to pervasive illness and inequity. A status quo
which is correspondingly ill equipped to support mauri ora, whānau ora, hapū ora, iwi ora and wai ora for
the people and the taiao.
The way to challenge the status quo is by visioning and creating better solutions, demonstrating benefits
of doing things differently, and, working in mahitahi to design and implement Toi Ora pathways that
empower whānau to take control of and lead their own wellness.
At an executive level, we have driven the development of Te Toi Ahorangi, our Toi Ora Strategy alongside
Te Rūnanga Hauora Māori o Te Moana ā Toi. This brave new Toi Ora Strategy provides the strategic
impetus to effect transformation towards Toi Ora across our whole of DHB system. In June 2019 the
Strategy was fully endorsed and adopted by the DHB and it will be launched in September 2019. For the
remainder of 2019 myself and the team will continue to focus on setting up our Toi Ora change waka:
leaders, crew, work programme, partnerships, structure, processes, tools and resources, and progressing
our first set of projects toward Toi Ora.
The future is exciting here in Te Moana a Toi.
A little about me ...
My whānau is everything to me. I am grateful for the support of my husband Upokotea and I’m inspired by
my children, Keelan, Maia and Mikena.
I know first-hand the importance of whānau legacies. I was raised by my great grandparents as a baby,
and grew up in a loving whānau with my parents Wikepa Keelan and Patricia Keelan, and brothers
Col Bill Keelan and Taina Keelan. My parents, great grandparents and wider whānau have very much
influenced who I am and my vision for the future of Aotearoa.
I am inspired by indigenous self-determination and innovation. I am passionate about te reo me ōna
tikanga and I strongly believe that authentic Tiriti o Waitangi partnership is the core enabler of Aotearoa
becoming a leader for action on climate change and the best place in the world for all children to be
raised.
Being part of creating a world in which all mokopuna will be naturally nurtured within mana atua, mana
tupuna, mana moana, mana whenua and mana tangata is why I love what I do.
Nga manaakitanga
Tricia Keelan
[email protected]
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