Good morning everyone.
It is a pleasure to be here in Galway at the opening of Croí House.
I wish to warmly congratulate Croí on this marvellous new facility. I believe it is the first purpose built centre of its kind dedicated to cardiovascular disease prevention and rehabilitation. It is entirely in line with the great work done by Croí over the last 27 years in tackling CVDs – the set of diseases responsible for the largest number of deaths in this country.
My congratulations go especially to the many people who helped establish this House and who have generously given of their time and energy to fundraising for it.
And there have been many, many people involved over the years between Directors, Croí Friends Committee members, staff and of course the army of hugely loyal volunteers behind the success of the centre. You have all done sterling work in shaping the services of Croí for the people of Galway and the west of Ireland. For each of you, this is the culmination of your commitment and vision.
Of course, on days like today when we celebrate the start of a great new chapter in your services, and in reflecting on the commitment behind them – we also remember those who can’t be with us today – particularly deceased volunteers and staff board members. I am thinking especially of your former Chairman, the late Ray Rooney who passed away in 2009 and who was very supportive of the Croí House concept. Ray was a founding member of Croí along with your current chairman Professor Kieran Daly and Professor Pat Finnegan. He was also a recipient of the Galway People of the Year Award along with Kieran and Neil Johnson for the difference they made to people’s lives by founding and leading Croí.
Ray’s commitment along with yours in fighting heart disease and stroke is extremely commendable and will serve as a complement to similar services provided by the Health Service Executive. I know you have worked extremely well with them over the years too.
As I said, cardiovascular disease remains the most common cause of death in Ireland. And I believe it must be addressed through population-based approaches, which target the entire population as well as high-risk approaches, which focus on individuals in contact with health services.
The Department of Health's 2010 Cardiovascular Health Policy established for the first time a framework for the prevention, detection and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In terms of detection and treatment this work has been taken forward by the HSE’s cardiovascular related programmes for Stroke, Heart Failure and Acute Coronary Syndrome. I understand that these programmes, together with those undertaken by Croí, aim to improve patient care.
The HSE’s Service Plan 2012 includes a commitment to begin plans for the management of chronic disease (including stroke and heart failure) in primary care. Many of the HSE’s National Clinical programmes are working to improve cardiovascular disease care and outcomes and I am certain the partnership between the work of the HSE and Croí will continue successfully.
This new facility, the Croí Heart and Stroke Centre, is the first-of-its-kind in Ireland and Europe. The project is a ‘flagship’ initiative for the promotion of cardiovascular health and wellbeing as it focuses on Prevention and Rehabilitation; Patient & Family support.
The centre will operate as an Institute for Teaching & Training, Education and Research. I understand that collaborative relationships have already been established with NUIG, DCU and Imperial College, London. Croí has also appointed a Director of Prevention Programmes. Under a joint funding arrangement between Croí, HSE West, NUIG and Kerry Group, a Diploma and Masters in Preventive Cardiology will be launched at NUI Galway in September 2013. This is a great development for the future.
Annually, the Institute will develop and deliver a range of professional education and development training courses for doctors, nurses and allied healthcare professionals. I hear that the Institute is currently collaborating on a number of research projects in the areas of heart disease and stroke prevention; gestational diabetes; obesity; behaviour and lifestyle change and exercise prescription. I would like to wish you every success with these projects.
Croí House will also of course be a Centre for Healthy Living. A 14-strong multi-disciplinary health team are developing and delivering innovative programmes in the areas of risk factor screening, early detection and cardiac diagnostics and lifestyle and behaviour change to a range of groups. Currently, over 80% of GP’s in Galway City and County are referring ‘high risk’ patients to the Croí MyAction Programme - your 16 week lifestyle and behaviour change intervention programme aimed at reducing the risk and incidence of cardiac and stroke events. It is the only programme of its kind in Ireland and has been running now for over 3 years – so well done to you on this initiative.
In addition, Croí House will be a centre for Patient & Family Support. It will provide a range of supports to patients and families, which includes short-stay accommodation for relatives of those undergoing surgical or other procedures at the West’s Regional Cardiac Centre. Furthermore, the Centre is collaborating with, among others, the Department of Health Promotion NUI Galway, in developing educational and awareness initiatives and campaigns, targeting the general public in cardiovascular health promotion. And indeed every year Croí reaches a much larger population through its general health promotion campaigns.
This is a great day for Croí House and the people who it will serve and support in the future.
Before concluding and in acknowledgment of the great corporate support which Croí received I would like to thank Creganna-Tactx Medical – who were the first corporate supporters of the naming programme at Croí House. I see the Board Room, now known as ‘The Creganna Room’, has also been sponsored by Creganna.
MSD Ireland – have also been significant education partners over the past 5 years and have recently been joined by Medtronic and The Bon Secours Hospital Galway as generous supporters of Croí’s Community Education Programme. I would like to thank each of these organisations for their support. They are all part of today’s success story.
Thank you again for the invitation to open this new facility. With that may I wish it and all its patrons every success for the future.