Two SpaMedica employees are each celebrating a decade of service – having made a significant contribution to the company, which has grown from a team of 10 to over 1,580 staff, serving thousands of cataract surgery patients each month.
Registered general nurse Helen Milligan was the very first ophthalmic nurse employed by SpaMedica in 2012. Colleague Leanne Durante, now regional promotions manager, initially joined a bookings team of just three people and was the company’s first service promotions executive (SPE).
Both Helen and Leanne were based at the company’s first site in Manchester, established in 2008.
Today, SpaMedica is the largest NHS cataract surgery provider in the UK, caring for patients nationwide. It now employs 278 registered nurses who have followed in Helen’s footsteps, and will soon recruit its 1,600th employee across more than 43 hospitals.
Helen Milligan says: “There have been so many special patients and lots of special times over the years. In the early days, everyone had to help out with everything, as we were such a small team. Even the CEO would mop the theatre floor and fold letters into envelopes to help staff get home on time. The team spirit has always been fantastic, which makes the work environment so much nicer, and easier.
“I love looking after patients, getting to know them at pre-assessment and helping calm their nerves. It’s wonderful too when they come back for their second eye to be treated, and they leave with better sight and a better quality of life.”
Leanne Durante agrees: “It’s brilliant to have played a part in helping so many patients get their sight and independence back over the years – the last ten years really have flown by.
“I’m very proud of how my career has developed. SpaMedica has provided me with amazing opportunities to move up the ladder – I was given the freedom to create the role of SPE and to build the department from scratch, before being promoted to Team Lead. Two years ago, I was promoted again and I now oversee seven employees.
“I’ve realised that anything is possible, given time and experience. I plan to continue working hard and learning more, ready to take on any challenges and opportunities that come my way. The job is so rewarding – I love what SpaMedica stands for and why we do what we do. We never tire of hearing patient stories of how surgery has changed their lives.”
SpaMedica’s expert team is dedicated to delivering the highest quality care, while helping to reduce NHS cataract surgery waiting times, with appointments available within just four weeks.
Richard Woodward, SpaMedica’s Chief Executive Officer says: “It’s fantastic to hear of Helen and Leanne’s ten-year milestone. Their loyalty and passion for ensuring every patient has a positive experience with us shines through – they are very valuable members of the SpaMedica team and we’re grateful for the huge contribution they have made to the company to date.”
Helen is pictured below left, and Leanne is pictured below right.
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