News
Image shown: St Luke's Staff Portrait Project
Healthcare staff throughout the world have been deeply impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Faced with the initial uncertainty surrounding the nature, transmissibility and unpredictable trajectory of this virus, medical and nursing staff worldwide continued to care for their patients amidst concern for their own and their families’ wellbeing, drawing deeply on personal reserves.
Like their colleagues worldwide, the staff of St Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network have demonstrated remarkable resilience and fortitude over the last 18 months, tending to their patients with kindness and humour and supporting each other throughout. The network operates from three locations – St Luke’s Hospital, Rathgar, Dublin and St Luke’s Radiation Oncology Units in St James’s and Beaumont Hospitals.
To acknowledge their dedication and valour, a staff portrait project was initiated by Ema Staunton, Arts Co-ordinator at St Luke’s Hospital, to create a visual ‘thank you’ to all staff.
Staff were selected randomly from each department to participate in the project. Portrait sittings took place in the hospital gardens on 21 July 2021 with commissioned portrait artist, Aine Macken.
Aine created 26 watercolour portraits, capturing the essence of each staff member, and culminating in a permanent artwork for the hospital and staff. A custom-made LED sign accompanies the work which was installed in the hospital on 31 August 2021 and officially launched by General Manager Jackie Robinson.
