We caught up with Brigid Ryan, Operations Manager for the Healthcare sector. Brigid shares her career journey and her perspective on how Bidvest Noonan has been so successful in the sector.
How did you get started in the industry?
I started working at Bidvest Noonan in 1999 as a Mobile Area Manager. Prior to joining Bidvest Noonan, I had worked as a Healthcare Professional and I was able to use this experience to progress to the role of Operations Manager in our Healthcare Division. My first contract was at one of Cork’s busiest hospitals, and now as Operations Manager, it remains one of my key accounts to this day. It grew from there, and I have had many other healthcare partnerships since.
What sets us apart in the industry?
We were one of the first companies to introduce rigorous site auditing. I remember explaining the concept to our clients at the time. It was basically a way to provide evidence of the quality of our service and to provide a history of consistent quality of service. Many standard practices that the industry takes for granted now were innovations that we were the first to introduce.
What is unique to working in healthcare?
I believe it is the nature of the working environment and the level of training and IPC knowledge required to perform our work in a healthcare facility. Our people are working in very challenging environments surrounded by vulnerable patients, busy staff, and visitors. Our teams have constant interaction with people while working and this can be both rewarding and challenging. Our work plays a key role in breaking the chain of infection in a healthcare environment. That is why our people must complete a wide range of infection, prevention, and control training to ensure a safe, clean environment for patients, staff, and visitors.
Is Infection Prevention and Control important to the sector?
It is hugely important, and I believe we have extensive expertise in this area. Our Healthcare Division now has an Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) nurse specialist on the team. Through this investment, we have been able to expand our IPC expertise and continue to improve the service we provide. We have been able to further support our site-based teams by empowering them with the knowledge to ensure that Infection Prevention and Control is at the heart of our cleaning activities on site.
