Ropata Medical Centre practice manager Adrian Tucker took out the supreme award in the NZ Primary Healthcare Awards | He Tohu Mauri Ora.
A focus on relationships and kindness has rained success down on Adrian Tucker as the “superstar” winner of the supreme award in the inaugural New Zealand Primary Healthcare Awards.
Named practice/business manager of the year at the awards ceremony on the Auckland waterfront on Saturday night, Mr Tucker went on to scoop the supreme award.
“I never even anticipated winning the first award. I had done that and I was quite relaxed. I never considered that I was an entrant for the final,” Mr Tucker tells New Zealand Doctor.
“There were some extremely stunning winners, some very well-deserving winners there. I never expected it to be me.”
Mr Tucker thanked the Ropata team, including Ropata Medical partner and GP Sarah Painter, who nominated him for the practice manager award.
Dr Painter says she nominated Mr Tucker – who is also co-manager of the practice’s PHO, Cosine – because he goes above and beyond what is expected in all his work. “He’s an exceptional practice manager.”
The awards judges said: “Adrian sounds like a superstar practice manager. As described, he has shown leadership in the model of care changing in the practice, with a strong focus on the patients’ perspective and equity.”
Leadership to bring out the best
Mr Tucker prefers to think of himself as a leader, rather than a manager.
“Leadership – it’s trying to get the best out of people,” he says. “I only have one thought process when it comes to leadership: kindness.”
“You can achieve anything if you’re kind. Even if you’re delivering bad news, you can do it with kindness.”