Irene has spent 44 years working in health care, having swapped a career in NHS management to take over the running of the Hospice in September 2006.
She has proposed a number of initiatives designed to save the health service money, as well as improving the patient experience during her tenure:
- Strathcarron’s Hospice at Home service, the first Hospice care service of its kind in Scotland.
- Live your Life service replaced traditional Day Care services and now supports even more people across our local communities via a direct Support Line to the Hospice.
- The Lymphoedema service expanded to provide comprehensive support to all Lymphoedema patients in the NHS Forth Valley area.
- Creative Homecare, the Care at Home Social Enterprise Company, was established to generate income for the Hospice.
- The Hospice has also been significantly refurbished and developed over 17 years, including a new extension, the Carron View Wing, buying land to create additional car parking and remodelling the front entrance to improve access for ambulance patients.
- Strathcarron Hospice is at the forefront of innovative Community Development work to activate and empower local communities to support local people with life limiting illness.
- Our fundraising, lottery and voluntary source income has increased by nearly 400% in the last 17 years.
- Retaining 4 of our original 7 shops, we now have 12 shops in total as well as on line sales, creating more than 25 jobs and trebling our profit.
Strathcarron Hospice Today
Marjory Mackay, Strathcarron Hospice Director of Nursing, says:
“Irene has been an outstanding leader. She has transformed this charity into a business which has set us into good stead for the future. She has phenomenal vision and drive and helped us expand and excel in areas across the reach of the Hospice including transforming the building and services.
“Current and former staff, volunteers and board members at the Hospice will miss Irene’s wisdom, listening ear, encouragement, guidance, humour and stories. She has encouraged, inspired and taught so many of us and helped us grow as a team, as individuals and as an organisation.
“What an incredible journey and a huge achievement. She has helped change lives and leaves behind a great legacy. We are confident about the future of the Hospice.
“We all wish her a very happy retirement.”
Irene says: “We have the largest, and in my opinion the best Hospice in Scotland. I have no doubt the Hospice will be well looked after in the future. I would like to thank staff for all your friendship, support and overall for just doing a fantastic job.
“Working in a Hospice, it does change the way you think about life. Spending your working life trying to help people get the most out of their final months makes you wonder why so many of us waste time putting things off when we are well.
“We keep telling people to live the best life they can when they know they’re dying, and it makes you think ‘well, why would you wait until you’re dying?’
“Just go for it.”
All the staff and volunteers at the Hospice wish Irene a well-deserved fulfilling, relaxing and happy retirement.
We will miss you!
https://www.strathcarronhospice.net/news/fond-farewell-to-our-ceo-irene-on-her-retiral
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