Long-serving Waipuna Hospice chief executive Richard Thurlow has decided to step down from the “fantastic organisation” after 16 years. Hospice board chairwoman Debbie Pattullo said in a media release that Thurlow’s leadership had been instrumental in shaping Waipuna Hospice into the “respected institution it is today”. “His dedication and passion have left an indelible mark on all of us, and we owe him a great deal of gratitude for this,” Pattullo said.
In Thurlow’s 16 years at the helm, Pattullo said it had tripled its number of volunteers and patients cared for, doubled its clinical staff and secured triple the funding from Te Whatu Ora - Health NZ and theformer Bay of Plenty District Health Board. The hospice’s charity shops had expanded from two to six locations, increasing gross income from $400,000 to $5 million a year, Pattullo said..
