Meggi Schuiling-Otten is married and the mother of a 10-year-old son. Born and raised in Germany, where she also studied, Meggi moved to the Netherlands in 2002.
She has enjoyed working in different management positions in the youth, youth mental health and mental health sectors over the past 18 years both in Germany and the Netherlands. She works towards connecting sectors in order to promote balanced and better integrated care assistance to children and their families. Her strengths lie in connecting sectors and in promoting quality of care as well as project and change management.
We asked Meggi to tell us a little more about herself and her vision for the future in her new position.
When did you take up the post as Director of Stichting Pal?
On April 1, 2013 I was appointed as Director of ‘Stichting Pal’. My primary mission is to bring innovation and renewal to children’s palliative care in the Netherlands and to the foundation itself. Themes such as encouraging local partnerships (including in case management and training), stimulating research and engaging in political lobbying for the uniqueness of children’s palliative care are all high on my agenda.
What is your background, your qualifications and your experience in children’s palliative care?
I began my career working as a physiotherapist with children with multiple disabilities, often with a limited life expectancy. Later I studied pedagogy with a focus on disabilities and psychology. I am currently studying for a Master of Business Administration degree. With my position as director of Stichting Pal I feel that I have returned to my roots, but this time with far more experience.
How does Stichting Pal serve those working in children’s palliative care in The Netherlands?
We support professionals and organisations from the field by creating politic and administrative support and bring serious bottlenecks under the spotlight. We also stimulate research, create projects and share skills and knowledge. We involve professionals from different domains in child palliative care work closely with our organization. So we come to innovations that are put forward from the field. It is a continuous process of reciprocity.
What short and long term goals do you have for Stichting Pal?
Stichting Pal is in a phase of rebuilding. We have to make a change from a foundation run by volunteers (driven experts) with passion and knowledge about children’s palliative care to an organization with, in addition to passion and knowledge, power and financial stability. At this moment we are working on a new legal structure and a review of our mission, vision and core values. From this point we will redesign our organizational philosophy and long-term strategy within the next few months. So perhaps we can talk about this in six months time.
Go to their website to find out more about Stichting Pal or visit their Facebook page
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