MoH Manager Wins Top Public Service Award

Ministry Of Health Manager Wins Top Public Service Award

Ministry of Health Information Management and Technology Services Manager Deidre Butler has won a top public service study award for women.

The Ria McBride Public Service Management Award will be presented to Ms Butler by Prime Minister Helen Clark during a ceremony at Premier House today.

The award is open to female public service employees who show the potential to be promoted to high-level management and is sponsored by the State Services Commission and administered by the New Horizons for Women Trust.

It is one of many second education and training awards offered to women and various groups by the Trust and commemorates the life of Ria McBride, a long-time public servant who began her career in the 1940s and who was a strong campaigner for equal employment opportunities for women. She died in 1999.

With no university background, Ms Butler, 35, and mother of twin three-year-old daughters, has been in the information and technology profession all her working life. She reached her present senior role with hard work, determination and skills that were largely selt taught.

Ms Butler has been in the Ministry of Health for the past five years and has led many successful information management and technology initiatives for the Ministry as well as the health sector.

She also convenes the GOVIS Forum which is an interagency body that promotes coordination, collaboration and leadership across the Government's information, management and technology professionals.

The Ria McBride Award offers up to $12,000 to the winner to fund training and it will be used by Ms Butler to develop her skills as a senior manager.

Ms Butler says she will attend the Oxford University Strategic Leadership Programme in May 2002. She also plans to spend time working with senior counterparts at the United Kingdom's Department of Health as the health sector is closely aligned with New Zealand's.

"I feel really honoured to be given this opportunity to attend formal study. The information technology and management industry in the health sector is a fast paced and challenging environment to work in so I am determined to make the best use of this award and the opportunities presented to me."

"I am also looking forward to working with other senior managers and academics in this area."

Ministry of Health Director General Dr Karen Poutasi said Ms Butler had made her mark in the technically demanding IT and information management sector and as the manager of a high performing team of 45 specialists.

"She also has the personal intellectual capacity to get the best out of her academic course and I am sure she will gain considerably from an exposure to new management techniques and thinking as well as the knowledge of new health care information systems."

ENDS

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