EXCELLENCE IN CARE
In Safe
Hands
Steve Cummins talks to Eamonn Fizgerald, CEO of Hermitage Medical Clinic about ten eventful years at the helm of a very steady ship.
P
rivilege, Respect, Fulfillment. These are
ing them and giving them the comfort that this is a place
ald, CEO of the Hermitage Medical
and dignity. That takes continuous commitment from
three words that come to Eamonn FitzgerClinic, when I ask him to reflect on his
first 10 years as the head of the impressive
Lucan hospital, located just off the M50.
where they’ll be looked after well and cared for with respect dedicated people. So it is a humbling experience to work
with these people who do this daily out of a strong sense of vocation and professionalism.”
“It’s been an immense privilege for me both personally and
More than 460 staff work at the Hermitage carrying,
the hospital,” he tells me from his office on the second floor
receiving and caring for its patients in a holistic, dignified
professionally to be a contributor to the development of of the aesthetically pleasing building that looks as fresh
and modern as the day it first began caring for patients in
December 2006. “This hospital was born out of a vision of the promoters” he continues, “who, back then, would have
comprised of Jimmy Sheehan, George Duffy, Sean Mulryan, Larry Goodman and John Flynn. They came together and decided that it would be appropriate to develop a
hospital in West Dublin to meet, not just the local needs of the community, but also the regional, national and eventu-
ally international needs, because we do get patients coming from abroad. So yes, one feeling would be one of privilege to be part of that.
That privilege, Fitzgerald says, extends to the patients and
staff he has come to serve over the past decade. Walking to and from his office it is abundantly clear the importance of the human element in both the success of the Hermitage and what Eamonn Fitzgerald values as its CEO. As we
stroll to and from his office, he stops to speak with patients; offers others a smile; and greets staff as they busy about their day. It brings us to that other word, Respect.
“I would be very respectful of the generosity of spirit of
the colleagues that I work with,” Mr Fitzgerald says. The Nurses, Doctors, Allied Health Professionals, people in
Finance, HR, Supply Chain, Medical Records, Theatre, Laboratory, Radiology, CSSD, Cardiology, Oncology,
Radiotherapy, Day-Care, ICU, Emergency Department, Engineering, Logistics, Catering, Household Services,
Reception – the whole spectrum that it takes to care for
patients and families , both in terms of meeting and greet8 | Hermitage Medical Clinic
daily, that dedication to uphold the Hermitage’s ethos of
manner that is of the highest standard. There are also 250 consultants doing likewise. In total, close to half a million
patients (Outpatients, Day-Care and Inpatients) have been cared for at the Hermitage since the day it opened, a fact
that gives the hospital’s CEO a genuine sense of fulfillment. “It’s fulfilling and rewarding to make a contribution to
health and social gain,” he says. “The health gain is obvi-
ously for all the people who have been through the doors of the hospital and cared for over the years, but the social gain is also very much there in that the hospital has provided
an excellent community service. The access to quality-as-
sured health care is not just for the benefit of the individual patients and indeed their families, but also the community and society at large, because we are heavily invested in
health and wellness as well as treating people who have illnesses.”
When Eamonn Fitzgerald took the reins of the Hermitage
in September 2006 – four months before it opened its door – he faced an exciting challenge, but a challenge nonethe-
less. After more than 20 years in the public health sector, he had moved into the area of independent health provision
and had before him a brand new hospital in a stunning setting. The challenge was to develop an organization within
those walls that could carve out a set of values that reflected the hospital investors’ commitment to deliver high-tech, community-focused care to its patients.
“In terms of the journey we’ve taken over the past 10 years, it has been in the development of that organization, a