Vhi

Today, on International Nurses Day, I would like to honour the dedication, resilience, and compassion of nurses everywhere. Nurses are a crucial and integral part of healthcare. Their role has a big impact on our health service, delivering expert care and support across a wide variety of services, including mental health, intellectual disability, children’s, and integrated acute and community services. Their impact is felt in the everyday acts of kindness and professionalism that define exceptional care. I want to thank all nurses and student nurses, across all grades and areas of work, in our health service. Your care, compassion, commitment and skill make a profound difference to the lives of so many.

Riveting session from Dr Richard Hogan on the subject of ‘Parenting Tech Savvy Kids’ to Dunnes Dublin HQ employees this morning #corporatewellness Yvonne Murray

I have just finished my first month back in the Health Service Executive , this time in the role of CEO. Over the past month, I’ve had the opportunity to meet colleagues, both old and new, across services and hear directly about the work happening every day to support our patients and communities. What stands out most is the commitment, resilience and professionalism of the people delivering care. I met separate groups of doctors at the IMO Conference and also the RCPI Leadership Forum in the last couple of weeks. At both events, I tried to address frankly the challenge arising from the fact that the Irish population is getting older. The most important point is that we must stop describing this as a “problem”. It is a success. It marks the success of our vaccination campaigns in collapsing infant mortality rates; the people with heart disease living full lives due to stents, medications and other interventions; the rising survival and recovery rates from stroke; the falling death rates from cancers due to advanced medication and quality surgery. I could go on. The health service has done this. Now we must devise a health service to meet the needs of today’s population, to give people the care they need in the community and at home, while offering excellent short-term acute care to those who need it. I think much of my time as a CEO will be focused on bringing about that change in the health service. I have been meeting with colleagues in the regions to discuss the challenges we are facing on entering the second quarter of 2026, including our financial position, where we are currently spending more than our budget. This will inevitably require tight financial control and difficult decisions, but I am confident that we can work together to address these difficulties. I am very privileged to be in this role at a time of great opportunity and challenge for healthcare in Ireland. I look forward to leading the organisation and the reform programme already underway by supporting our staff to deliver quality healthcare services efficiently to meet Ireland’s healthcare needs.

Thanks to WuXi Biologics and the We Care team for the warm welcome yesterday where the wonderful Derval O'Rourke provided an inspiring talk to the staff. We also launched the new step challenge through the Vhi Wellness App. This team challenge will see teams getting together virtually to explore the Great Wall of China with each stage unlocking not just the distance walked but insights into the different regions, local culture and more. Special thanks to Clare Liddy MBS (HRM), BA (Hons) Eamonn Kelly Yvonne Murray and Karen McShane

A business owner I met in my community, Michael Jr. Cuffy , said this to me recently: "It is rare to have a connection with someone in your position that has your heart and is willing to help the community… They say in business, never lead with your heart. However, when I know I have someone who can be my tribe, I am all in." Thank you, Michael, I appreciate that more than you know. We’re taught, especially in law, that professionalism means distance. That credibility comes from being measured, not moved. That the best thing you can offer is your expertise, not yourself. But what I’ve noticed is: People don’t just need someone who knows the answer. They need someone who understands what’s at stake for them, and still shows up. That’s what community means to me. People who are genuinely trying to build something, who take care of their people, who do right by their community, and who needs someone in their corner who gets that. I didn’t go into law to review documents from a distance. I went into it for the moment someone realizes the weight isn’t all theirs to carry anymore. If that’s leading with my heart, I’ll take it.

Fantastic afternoon onsite at Teva Pharmaceuticals today supporting Workplace Wellbeing Day (a little early!). Trisha Lewis delivered an engaging and interactive cooking demonstration focused on quick, easy, and nutritious meals. A big thank you to Claire Crowley for organising the setup and welcoming us onsite, and to my wonderful colleague Marguerite Penrose for coordinating the event.

Loved being part of this Wellness Day at Platform94 💜 Great to see so much energy and engagement throughout the day, with people really taking the time to pause, reset and focus on their wellbeing. From the massages and yoga to the nutrition talk, it was a brilliant mix and such a positive atmosphere in the building. Huge thanks to the Platform94 team for the partnership and to all the fantastic facilitators and local wellbeing partners who made the day what it was. Delighted to be involved 👏

Thank you to Marie Donnellan and her team at Platform94 for their kind invitation to the Galway Mayor’s Ball 2026💜 A wonderful evening supporting local charities that make such an impact here in the West of Ireland. Mark Kerins Thomas Fisher Mary Murphy Dave Hickey

Today, on National HSCP Day, I want to take a moment to recognise the extraordinary contribution of our Health and Social Care Professionals across our health service. HSCPs include many professions engaged in therapeutic, psychosocial and diagnostic work across acute, community, disability specialist, mental health, older people, primary care and residential services. As a former Occupational Therapist myself, I have an appreciation for the skill, compassion, and commitment this work demands. I know firsthand the difference you make every day in the lives of patients, people who use our service, and their families. Healthcare is a team effort, and HSCPs are at the heart of that collaboration—working across disciplines, settings, and services to deliver person-centred care. Thank you for all you do.