Head of Innovation
The Meath Foundation is committed to bringing positive change to Tallaght University Hospital and the community it serves, through innovation and excellence in Healthcare practice and research.
The Meath Foundation provided funding to enable Tallaght University Hospital to create the role of Head of Innovation. This funding was pivotal in giving the Hospital the opportunity to develop its ambition and potential to become a world-class leader in Healthcare innovation.
The Foundation’s funding of the Head of Innovation role supported Tallaght University Hospital’s vision to establish the Hospital as a leading site, both nationally and internationally, for research in a complex clinical environment.
The Sky’s The Limit
The Foundation recognises the benefits of Arts & Health for our patients, their families, hospital staff and the wider community. Over €460,000 has been provided to support a creative arts and health programme specific to patient, staff and Healthcare department needs that aims to improve the Hospital experience by making arts accessible to all.
The Meath Foundation provided funding to support The Sky’s The Limit, a permanent installation of uniquely designed hot air balloons in Tallaght University Hospital. The artwork was created as part of a collaborative arts and health project in 2018-2019, coordinated by Alison Baker Kerrigan, TUH Arts Officer, and facilitated by Lucia Barnes, lead artist. The project involved more than 600 participants including hospital staff, patients, visitors and the wider Tallaght community, connecting through Rua Red Arts Centre, Tallaght Community Arts Centre, The Civic Theatre, Tallaght Library and Tallafest 2018.
The project aimed to create a unique, permanent art installation within Tallaght University Hospital. The project encouraged the involvement of patients, staff and the local community to be at the creative centre. For patients, it aimed to provide a distraction away from clinical worries, outcomes and treatments. For staff, it sought to foster relationships throughout the Hospital and the local community. Inclusivity was an important aspect of the project as was establishing a sense of pride, achievement and wellbeing through engagement in a creative experience.
The Sky’s The Limit is a permanent installation, enhancing the atrium of Tallaght University Hospital by providing multiple viewing points of beauty, reflection and enjoyment. View a short video that captures the project.
Improving Quality of Care
Quality Improvement is at the core of the Meath Foundation’s belief that today’s good practice can be improved to tomorrow’s better practice. Tallaght University Hospital is known for Quality Improvement. The Foundation has supported this by committing around €1million in funding since 2014 to promote and improve quality of care and delivery. This funding provides opportunities for staff to pursue quality improvement and innovation projects arising from their knowledge of issues that directly impact the effectiveness of patient care and experience.
A project supported by the Meath Foundation explored ways to improve detection and management of Delirium in the Emergency Department. Delirium is a clinical syndrome involving disturbances in cognitive function, perception, attention and consciousness. The funding received from The Meath Foundation helped to drive the improvement of the detection and management of delirium in the Emergency Department.
Coaching and Mentoring
The Meath Foundation acknowledges the importance of professional development for those working in the Healthcare sector. Between 2013 and 2024 we have provided a total of €520,000 in funding to support staff development and education.
The Meath Foundation funds the Athena Mentoring Programme which supports colleagues who are new to the Hospital or starting a new role. Mentoring can improve self-confidence, develop communication skills, and help with goal setting. Mentoring can also provide opportunities to see new and different perspectives and learn from knowledge and experiences.
The Meath Foundation also supports The SOAR Coaching Programme which provides one-to-one confidential and practical support for personal and professional development and is free all colleagues at the Hospital. Coaching can help build resilience and create trusting, productive relationships. It aims to strengthen self-belief and self-confidence, which can lead to greater personal effectiveness and resourcefulness.
The Coaching Programme can be helpful in managing change, dealing with conflict or managing relationships at work. Coaching can also help promote better work/life balance and assist with managing stress. The Coaches use their knowledge and expertise to enhance self-awareness, facilitate thinking and encourage new perspectives and solutions. Perhaps most importantly, Coaching provides a safe and completely confidential space to reflect on, understand and make sense of experiences.
Testimonials from colleagues who have experienced coaching funded by The Meath Foundation:
“I cannot thank the Coach enough for all of her help. I now have very clear direction of where I want to be and have the insight to know how to get there.”
“Coaching gave me not only the tools to apply to difficult situations but I have become more focused on my future goals and how to achieve them.”
“I have learned to think outside the box, appreciate my attributes and think positively about my future here.”
Healthy Meals Scheme
The Meath Foundation provides opportunities for staff to pursue quality improvement and innovation projects arising from their knowledge of issues that directly impact the effectiveness of patient care and experience.
The Healthy Meals Scheme supported by the Meath Foundation Quality Improvement fund saw healthy ready meals delivered to dialysis patients. The scheme was targeted at those who wouldn’t qualify for the regular meals on wheels service. This project successfully demonstrated the feasibility of provision of kidney friendly meals via an alternative food delivery method to a cohort of vulnerable patients that currently do not qualify for Meals on Wheels. It demonstrated a high level of patient satisfaction with the service and food provided.
Voice of the patient:
“They’re very handy for after dialysis. I have a meal defrosting now for when I get home.” Age 82, 47 months on Dialysis.
“The meals brought me back to a place of good physical health.” Age 46, 31 months on Dialysis.
“I’d probably eat a burger and chips or a ready meal/cottage pie from Aldi, but they’re not kidney friendly, if I wasn’t getting these.” Age 48, 37 months on dialysis.
Developing Leadership
The Meath Foundation understands the importance of education and professional development for those working in the Healthcare sector. A key focus is developing leadership.
Each year the Foundation funds Leadership Fellowships that enable a number of colleagues at Tallaght University Hospital to pursue a Master’s degree in association with the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland Institute of Leadership. The Leadership Fellowships provide an opportunity for Hospital colleagues to enable change within the hospital, to empower staff and develop their leadership potential, to improve efficiency and to contribute to the development of the Hospital as a provider of best quality Healthcare services. Although grounded in up-to-date academic research, courses are flexible and practical. Students learn to analyse complex organisational and managerial problems and deploy a broad range of management tools to identify and assess solutions. The practical application of learning is emphasised.
“Undertaking an MSc in Healthcare Management has given me the opportunity to see our Healthcare organisation in a different perspective and appreciate its complex environment. The programme has also given me a deeper understanding of the functions of a leader and how they affect employees and the working environment around them” – Rene Angelo Garcia, Clinical Nurse Manager 2 ICU
Children Helped by Adults to Talk about Stroke
The Meath Foundation provides funding for staff to pursue quality improvement and innovation projects arising from their knowledge of issues that directly impact the effectiveness of patient care and experience. An example is the development of “CHATS: Children Helped by Adults to Talk about Stroke” which is a guide to help adults talk to and support children and young people after stroke.
This project was completed under the guidance of the Quality Improvement Lead as a Green Belt project carried out by the Principal Clinical Psychologist and the Social Work Team Leader. Close working collaboration was also established with Arts Officer.
The Meath Foundation funding covered the costs of an illustrator who developed bespoke images communicating the main themes identified by the families and augmenting the key research messages about supporting children’s wellbeing at a time of parental illness. The funding also gave the opportunity for graphic design input to create the resource for digital dissemination and covered the printing costs for hard copy booklets for the stroke patients and families in the Hospital. This resource has been promoted within the Hospital, through a wider professional networks and via conferences and websites in Ireland and internationally.
Phase one of the project involved collaborating with the Irish Heart Foundation to interview stroke survivors and their families about their experience of supporting children after stroke. Research shows how important it is to give children and young people age appropriate information and support when someone close to them has a serious illness, e.g. a stroke. The project started in January 2021 and the CHATS resource was officially launched in April 2023.
The aim of the project was to develop an accessible resource that would inform and enable adults to provide evidence based, age appropriate, information to their children about stroke and to better understand and meet the support needs of their children following a stroke.
CHATS fills an information and support gap for stroke survivors and families in the acute stages. CHATS helps families understand common reactions for children and young people and to start conversations and give support. This can prevent the development of long-term psychological difficulties for children and young people, which benefits stroke survivors and promotes family health and well-being.
CHATS is a time effective intervention for the Social Work and Psychology staff on the stroke team who are not resourced to cover this topic in any depth in their day to day work. Dissemination of the resource across Ireland, in UK and European forums and on International websites has raised the profile and highlighted the positive work of both TUH and The Meath Foundation.
