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Thank you Merryl Lane
Care Assess is saying a huge “thank you” to one of our founding directors, Merryl Lane, who recently resigned as Clinical Advisor in June 2013, after more than 13 years of building and growing this organisation since its inception in 1999.
Merryl is well-known and highly respected across Tasmania’s health and community care sector, having worked in the industry since 1972. She was first registered as a nurse in 1975 at the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH), before completing her Bachelor of Nursing in 1984 at the University of Tasmania (UTas).
Her roles since that time have included nurse educator at the RHH and at Tasmanian Ambulance, staff development in Tasmania’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), clinical management of a medical ward at the RHH, community health policy development and case management of Frail Aged Packages.
Merryl’s journey with Care Assess began in October 1996 when she joined ‘Careworks’ (The Southern Tasmania Coordinated Care Trial) as a Care Coordinator, led by Project Manager Steve Webber from DHHS.
Following the completion and evaluation of Careworks, Merryl joined Judy Aldridge and Robyn Hawson to co-found Care Assessment Consultants Pty Ltd and commence operation in 1999 to begin working with GPs in Southern Tasmania, performing comprehensive health assessments and shortly after providing Veteran’s Home Care assessments in 2000.
Merryl then led the organisation to successfully commence and expand state-wide Care Assess’ provision of Home and Community Care (HACC) services by establishing three HACC programs in the South, North and North West of Tasmania. This included in 2002, Care Assess’ HACC Home Care program; then in 2004, Care Assess’ HACC Post Acute Packages (PAP) program; and then in 2007, our HACC Home-based Independence Program (HHIP).
Merryl piloted all of these programs initially in the South, before expanding services to the North and North West regions in Tasmania. She was recognised for her outstanding achievement in the growth of the organisation as a finalist in the Tasmanian Business Leaders of the Year award (2009).
Merryl resigned as Director of Care Assess in 2010, but continued working in and with the organisation, initially as Clinical Manager in our HACC and Community Care programs, and then in an advisory role up until June 2013.
She will be remembered among many things for her absolute dedication to the organisation, her commitment to client centred and holistic care, her passion for wellness and the independence model, her strategic decision-making and pivotal role in moulding each of our HACC programs, and her love of innovation and development of new and improved models of service delivery to improve client health and wellbeing.
Thank you Merryl – the legacy you have left in Care Assess will continue to grow in everything we do!
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Addendum
It is with tremendous sadness that we advise that Merryl passed away on Wednesday 24 July 2013.
Merryl was a much loved friend of all who worked with her and will be greatly missed.
Care Assess have extended our deepest sympathies to Merryl’s family.
We will continue to remember the enormous debt of gratitude we owe to her and hold the memory of her and the legacy she has left with us close to our hearts always.
