Having worked for 18 of Catholic Healthcare’s 25 years, Managing Director, David Maher feels his personal and professional journey is strongly embedded in the Catholic Healthcare story.
“I joined in 2001 to head up our hospital in the Hawkesbury area,” says David. “Back then our focus was on hospitals and I worked in this area, in various roles, for nine years. As we adapted as an organisation we started to focus more on aged care. In 2010, I was appointed Managing Director with the vision to expand our footprint in the aged care sector – home care, residential aged care and retirement living.”
Looking back at the early years, David’s first thought goes to the tremendous vision Catholic Healthcare’s forebears had in creating a new lay-led Church organisation, as a means of continuing the health and aged care ministries of the Church.
“I am always humbled by the notion of those that have come before us; have walked this path already; and have charged us with the responsibility to continue their legacies.
“The core essence of Catholic Healthcare has always been our people. It is as true on the day I walked into the organisation as it is today – it’s about relationships and connecting. Staff with residents, clients and patients; staff with staff. We are a people organisation, and nurturing and supporting our staff to be the best people they can be, so we provide the best care we can provide, has always been a strong feature of the Catholic Healthcare way.
“It is humbling to look back on where we have come from and enormously exciting to think of the future. Aged care provision is on the cusp of a new direction and our young, vibrant organisation is ready to respond to these changing times.
“Looking forward, for me, my greatest single challenge is to identify how we can do more. How as an organisation can we do more to enrich the lives of our residents, clients, patients and staff. How can we make a greater difference in the lives of those we serve?
“That has been the challenge in the past and it continues to be the challenge in the future.”