Who we are
In this section you will find our mission, our trustees and a brief history of the Foundation.

The Hutt Hospital Foundation Trust raises funds for projects to improve the health and comfort of patients and their families at Hutt Hospital.

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Mission
The Foundation’s mission is to involve our community in our hospital and health services. It raises funds to improve the health and comfort of patients and their families, and the clinical development of staff, based in the Hutt Hospital.
Trustees:

Stephanie is currently working in the Hutt Hospital Emergency Department in the position of Charge Nurse [ACNM]. Working in the ED Stephanie has a passion for paediatric emergency care which she has had for the past 13 years. Due to her passion, 4 years ago she won a national competition which Gareth Morgan ran known as New Zealand’s Hardest Working Nurse. Since winning this Stephanie has project managed a team which have developed and constructed the concept known today as ‘The Tree Hutt’ which offers distraction therapy in the ED and is now expanding hospital wide.

Simon Edwards moved to Lower Hutt in 1988 and from then until 2016 was editor of The Hutt News. Among his most vivid memories of all the local events and changes in the city in that time was when up to 20,000 people thronged High St in 1991 to protest a proposal to centralise health services to Wellington and downgrade Hutt Hospital. It was indelible proof of how highly locals regarded their hospital.  Simon is now a Hutt City councillor and a communications advisor to Federated Farmers of New Zealand. He is delighted to work with other trustees on initiatives that will boost Hutt Hospital patient care and comfort.

Gabriela is a business analyst in her own business consultancy – Virtual Business Solution Ltd. Prior to joining VBSL, Gabriela was an Associate Principal at WHK [now Crowe Horwarth] where for 11 years she was providing accounting and business growth advisory services to many small to medium size businesses. Prior to joining WHK, she gained extensive practical commercial experience through financial control and management roles within the retail, wholesale, hospitality, theatre and film sectors.

Tony has been the Chief Executive of Hutt City Council since 2007. Prior to working at the Council in a number of roles, he held finance based positions with Bank of New Zealand and KPMG. Hutt City Council strives to make Hutt City a great place to live, work and play.  The Hutt Hospital is essential to that objective and he believes supporting the Hutt Hospital Foundation is a good way of making a positive difference to the lives of people in the Hutt. He considers it is a privilege to be a trustee of the Hutt Hospital Foundation and looks forward to the Foundation growing its support base and funding many more initiatives to improve patient health and comfort.

Hutt Hospital Foundation Trust History
The Hutt Hospital Foundation Trust was formed in March 1993 following a Government announcement in 1992 of an intention to restructure the health system and reduce the number of hospitals by consolidating them into one large regional hospital providing the full range of emergency, trauma and surgical needs.
At a public meeting held in 1992 the residents of the Hutt Valley area resolved to actively support the retention of a full service hospital in the Valley with the capacity to provide emergency, surgical and medical functions.
To achieve this, in March 1993 the Trust was formed with the powers:
Community support for the Hospital was strong and the outcome of the restructuring was that Hutt Hospital was retained as a separate unit with its own independent Board, a major improvement on previous governance of all the regions hospitals by a single Board with little community input.
With the initial objective achieved, the retention of the Hutt Hospital, the Trust redirected its energies to maintain a strong community awareness of the Hospital’s importance to the community and visitors.
A number of fundraising functions and open days were held and the funds used for equipment to support the Hospitals specialist activities, such as a clinitron bed for the burns unit, testing equipment for children’s hearing and major assistance with the renovation of the children’s ward, the art work, neonatal resuscitation units, televisions and video equipment being supplied.
Over the last 5 years the Trust has, with the help of the Hospital, funded and administered the provision of scholarships to Hutt Valley residents seeking to work in the health sector in the Valley.
Hutt Hospital has developed a high reputation for its clinical excellence and its interaction with the community. The establishment of the Trust has been a significant part of this. It has provided community support to the Governors, Managers, and Staff of the Hospital and continues to do so.
Click here to visit the Hutt Valley DHB page for HHFT
About Us
The Hutt Hospital Foundation Trust is a registered charitable trust that raises funds for projects to improve the health and comfort of patients and their families at Hutt Hospital.
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