Our Health is our Wealth
March 01, 2010Emergency Medicine Renal Dialysis Laboratory & Pathology Services
General Medicine; Assessment and Rehabilitation Radiology Services including CT Unit for the Elderly and MRI Scanners
General Surgery and Theatre services Outpatient Clinics including visiting
Orthopaedic, Dermatology, and cancer
services clinics
ICU (intensive care)/CCU
(coronary care) Day Ward Service
Maternity Services including the Early Oncology Unit
Pregnancy Unit & the Special (supported by the Mater Hospital, Dublin)
Care Baby Unit
Acute Psychiatry Medical Assessment Unit
Paediatrics Endoscopy Unit
Gynaecology
Cavan General Hospital opened it's doors to the public in 1989 and was incorporated into the Cavan & Monaghan Hospital Group in 1993. The hospital provides acute general hospital services to the catchment area of Cavan & Monaghan and parts of surrounding counties. These services include the following:
The opening of the new MRI facility in 2009 came as a huge boost to the region, as it allows for top-of-the-range, non-invasive radiography. The scanner - which is expected to carry out up to 3,000 scans per year - was jointly funded by the HSE and a generous contribution from the estate of the Blume family.
All services are provided in conjunction with Monaghan Hospital as part of the Cavan Monaghan Hospital Group. Effectively, it's one hospital on two sites. Monaghan has a minor injuries unit, rehabilitation & stepdown beds, a day theatre and an outpatients department. Cross-border services are also provided for E.N.T. and urology for Monaghan, Cavan and Louth patients. These services are provided on the Monaghan Hospital site supported by the Co-operation and Working Together organisation.
We met up with Hospital Group General Manager Dermot Monaghan and Medical Services Co-ordinator Bridget Clarke - both of whom have strong GAA connections - to get a closer look at the day-to-day running of the hospital and to further understand its essential role in the day-to-day life of Cavan people.
There are 206 inpatient beds in Cavan General Hospital and 26 Rehabilitation and Step Down beds in Monaghan Hospital. There are also a significant number of Day Care beds in both hospitals which facilitate patients having procedures and treatments on a Day Care basis. The Hospital group employs just over 1,000 staff between the two sites with an annual budget of approximately 92 million euro.
In response to our question as to how does the current economic downturn impacted on the group's ability to provide its critical service to the people of Cavan and Monaghan, Dermot stated the following:
"We had a cost containment programme to meet the reduced budget which we succeeded in achieving, even though we experienced an increase in the number of patients and in overall activity," Bridget added "The hard work and commitment of our staff to implement these cost reduction measures in very challenging times has been vitally important and is greatly appreciated. We have a very committed work force here and they played a big part in the efficiency of the services throughout the hospital group."
When asked if the Hospital services are generally taken for granted by the public at large, Dermot responded by stating "In general we believe that the public very much value our local hospital services and are very appreciative of these. In striving to improve our hospital service, we value feedback from patients and the public in relation to the quality of the services we provide and use this opportunity to make required changes. We accept that the service is not always perfect and therefore we have quality assurance systems in place in order to reduce potential adverse events from occurring. As new health challenges such as H1N1 [swine flu] have emerged, we have dealt with them efficiently and the public have been generous in their praise of our response.
Bridget stated: "We have a huge commitment to the community to uphold our services and we endeavour at all times to provide the best services possible. We strive to treat all people with dignity and respect. There are new challenges presenting themselves every day but everybody pulls together and works together and it is hugely rewarding."
Dermot joined the Hospital Group, as General Manager in 2007 and is a native of Augher, County Tyrone. He represented the O'Neill County at minor, U21 and senior levels in gaelic football. He played for the Tyrone minors for three successive years and captained them in 1981. He has also won county SFCs in 1983 and '85 and a senior league medal in 1986. He's currently a member of the Tyrone county referees panel. Bridget also knows a thing or two about the national code as she is married to former Cavan star Jody Clarke, who is still playing a bit of junior football with Shercock these days at the ripe old age of 41!
On the GAA front, the Hospital staff includes members of clubs from Monaghan, Cavan, Tyrone, Fermanagh and Meath and the management are currently considering re-launching the hospital's inter firms football team.
The healthy lifestyle promoted by the GAA works hand-in-hand with the hospital's emphasis on healthy living. Of course, when people are participating in sports there's always the possibility of incurring injuries and to this end the Cavan Monaghan Hospital Group caters for emergencies and minor injuries. There is also a physio department in both hospitals and a possibility that a sports clinic might be considered once the new MRI scanner is bedded down.
"In the current financial climate our biggest challenge is to balance the demands of patients needs against that of a budget reduction. Dermot notes. "In any business, this means you have to either reduce your cost base or else prioritise the services you will provide."
Bridget is proud of what the group has achieved under difficult circumstances in recent years: "Our biggest achievement to date is to protect frontline services, which we have done for the past two or three years. It's going to be difficult to squeeze any more out of the system. We have streamlined and reconfigured all our services to ensure maximum efficiency to ensure value for money.
"We're asking for the public's co-operation in helping us become more efficient so that we can continue to provide a top-quality healthcare service."
Twenty-one years on from its genesis, the hospital is a jewel in Cavan's crown. If everybody works together, it can continue to provide locals with a modern, friendly and efficient service. Tweet
