Whanganui District Health Board has four key function or core areas of business:

  1. Assessment of health needs, planning and monitoring of health and disability services

  2. Funding and purchasing health and disability services

  3. Providing health and disability hospital and health services, through a directly managed Crown owned public hospital and other services

  4. Governance, administration and management of Whanganui District Health Board in regard to the function or core business areas above.
These core business areas are consistent with the objectives and functions of district health boards as per Section 22 and 23 of the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000. From its Health Needs Assessment, (Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2001) the following health priorities have been identified for the region:
  • Smoking

  • Nutrition/obesity/activity

  • Alcohol and drug issues

  • Mental illness

  • Cardiovascular disease

  • Child health
  • Oral health

  • Diabetes

  • Cancer

  • Respiratory disease

  • Youth health

  • Injury prevention.
 
Whanganui District

These district priorities are also identified in the Whanganui District Health Board District Strategic Plan.

Whanganui District Health Board is one of the smaller district health boards in New Zealand.

The Board takes the name of Whanganui from the river that flows through the city. Local Mäori spell Wanganui with the 'h'.
Over the years authorities dropped the 'h' and the legal name for the city became Wanganui.
When referring to the region the Board uses the 'h' in the name but if referring to the city it uses the legal name.
 
Executive Management Team  
Memo Musa Chief Executive Officer
Peter Beirne General Manager, Corporate Services
Tracey Scheibli General Manager, Health Planning, Improvement and Funding
Jo Greig Communications/Media Advisor
Siwsan Packard General Manager, Human Resources
Brian Walden General Manager, Strategic Development
Richard Steedman Maori Advisor