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Affidea Ireland CEO Tom Finn Colm Mahady/Fennells

From patching up wounds in south central LA, to bringing cutting-edge healthcare to Donegal

Tom Finn, head of private healthcare firm Affidea Ireland, has had a colourful career to say the least.

AS TOM FINN peered down on Los Angeles from his airplane window, the city burned beneath him.

The Carlow native was flying back to Ireland after working in emergency departments through the worst of the LA riots of 1992.

After four LAPD police officers who were filmed beating black man Rodney King were found not to have used excessive force, the city exploded into violence for days. Dozens of people were killed and hundreds more injured as racial tensions that had been simmering under the surface finally flared.

Finn was one of those who faced the unenviable task of trying to cope with managing an overflowing emergency department.

Working as a nurse and ER night manager in Inglewood, one of the roughest areas of the metropolis, he already had clearly seen the stark contrast between his new home and his old one shortly after he arrived as a 27-year-old in 1991.

“I had a colleague from Australia who went back two weeks after she came over because someone was shot in front of her on Sunset Boulevard,” he tells Fora.

“On the first night that I was there, there were gunshots in the car park. Three of the nurses had handguns with them in ER – one of them was ex-military and the other two had worked in the police, so I suppose the emergency department attracts a certain type of person.

It wouldn’t be unusual on any night to have three, six, 10 people who were victims of violent crime. We used to call it the ‘homeboy express’ – someone would get shot, and the homeboys would drop him off and just go out again. It was surreal but I didn’t think about it that way at the time, you just did it.

Even with that said, the free-for-all that gripped the city after the King verdict was bad.

“Everyone had to work (during the riots), it was wild with so many people coming in, we had two armed security guards with German shepherds inside the hospital doors, not even outside,” he says. “When I think back on it now there was a degree of craziness.”

la riots Finn worked in LA during the 1992 riots YouTube YouTube

Nevertheless, Finn’s experiences in the US helped to give him some steel and open his eyes. Now the CEO of the Irish arm of Affidea, one of the largest specialist healthcare companies in Europe, the Carlow native fell into nursing largely by accident.

“I was the worst Leaving Cert student ever, Jesus Christ… I grew up on a farm and school was not high on the agenda,” he says.

I worked for six months selling sheep at the Leinster market and then six months selling hardware (before) my sister sent in an application for nursing. It wasn’t points based at the time, and when I went for an interview I realised that it might not be too bad.

Despite being a career that he largely fell into, nursing hasn’t gone too badly for him.

What do you do and how long have you done it for?

Finn, now 52, stayed in Los Angeles for about 12 years after he first moved there. While studying in college, he held several different positions including vice-president of an ambulance service before returning to Ireland in the middle of 2002, taking up a senior job with the public health service.

It was an absolute struggle personally and professionally, there were two different cultures and worlds of work. I found it hard adjust to the pace of the public service.

“In California, if the board decides to do something, you do it that afternoon. If you tried to do something here you would get 20 reasons why you couldn’t do it instead of a solution. Nothing happened, you couldn’t get things done.”

However it was during this time with the health service that he crossed paths with a company called Euromedic. At the request of then-Minister for Health Mary Harney, Finn helped to tempt the company to Ireland in 2007. When the opportunity to take over as the CEO of Euromedic Ireland, then re-branded as Affidea, came along Finn jumped at it.

18/7/2015. Alexis Fitzgerald Funeral Scenes Former Health Minister Mary Harney Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

Affidea is a pan-European business, with about 157 clinics in 15 different countries. Its offering varies slightly depending on where it is located, and in Ireland the firm specialises in providing diagnostic services, providing technology to find out what is wrong with people.

The bulk of its offering includes scans such as MRIs, which are used to find abnormalities in the body such as tumours, X-rays and ultrasounds. Finn took over the position of Irish CEO in a transition period for the company as it was coping with an expensive rebranding and high losses.

What are your costs and how do you make money?

Affidea makes its money by charging patients for scans. The bulk come from those either covered by insurance or clients paying in cash.

As with most private healthcare firms, the reasons why many would use Affidea instead of going through the public system are shorter waiting times and the hope of getting access to better equipment or staff.

Finn says that the firm charges between €60 and €70 for X-rays, between €90 and €120 for ultrasounds and between €200 and €300 for MRIs, which he describes as the company’s “big-ticket item”.

Affidea claims the price of processes such as MRIs has dropped by about a third since it entered the Irish market.

Nevertheless, Finn warns that costs for patients are likely to increase in the near future as the company looks to reverse losses. The firm, which is on track to have revenues of about €20 million this year, wound up nearly €6 million in the red during 2013 and lost a further €4.4 million in 2014, just as Finn joined.

Although he says that the company has traded better in 2016, he adds: “Competition has driven down prices dramatically. Our prices are far lower here than in Northern Ireland.”

He doesn’t say by how much prices might rise in the future but says that customers will see an improved service with more modern equipment and better turnaround times.

“The costs of staffing for us are huge,” he says. Slightly over half of the company’s near 280 staff are permanent employees while the rest are ‘locums’, essentially contract workers, often hired to fill gaps when there are problems finding enough skilled staff.

cwp181_Affieda_DL Affidea Ireland CEO Tom Finn Clive Wasson Clive Wasson

What is your market?

Affidea’s patients are split nearly 50:50 between those with insurance and those paying out of their own pocket.

Finn says that rather than targeting a particular type of patient, the firm instead looks to establish links with GPs.

Everyone who comes to our clinics needs a referral so we target the people who have the power to refer patients, GPs and physios,” he says. “We have four relationship executives who meet with GPs and explain our services and listen to their concerns.

The company’s eight standalone clinics are spread across the Republic, with outlets in locations including Dublin, Kilkenny and Cork. The company leases space rather than building or buying themselves, and Finn says that the firm is planning to further expand its footprint in the coming months.

“We will be opening a new centre in Tallaght before Christmas and we have sites at various stages of readiness in Waterford, Athlone, Limerick and Galway,” he says.

Last year, the company performed around 125,000 scans and this year it is expected the figure will rise to 155,000.

What is the competition?

Almost all facets of the healthcare industry are fiercely competitive and diagnostics is no exception.

There are several companies operating in Ireland that provide a similar service to Affidea, with some of the similar-sized players including Alliance Medical and Global Diagnostics. Many of these companies are also looking to recoup losses built up over the years.

When it comes to the public service, Finn sees the state and his own firm as working in tandem with each other rather than being in competition.

Affida’s largely private model in Ireland is slightly unusual as many of its outlets in Europe operate on a public-partnership basis. But even here, the company operates several clinics on the west coast of the country on behalf of the HSE.

cwp117_Affieda_DL The official opening of Affidea's Letterkenny facility Clive Wasson Clive Wasson

What is your vision?

Finn says that he has a responsibility to make Affidea Ireland a “strong and viable company” due to the large number of illnesses the firm ends up diagnosing each year, and is now looking to plug the staffing gaps and shore up operations after losses.

“We want to become the diagnostic employer of choice for people who want to become part of the profession,” he says.

On his own employment, Finn says that a move back to the public service at some point is possible, but unlikely.

I would go back, but only if I could control the outcomes and have the authority to make the changes I needed to. Otherwise absolutely not.

More probable is that Finn will stay put for the moment, although he adds that he might be tempted to move at some point as Affidea expands internationally.

“I am absolutely committed to Affidea. In my 22 months here I’ve taken two days off and I enjoy every day,” he says.

“Affidea is expanding within Europe and the Middle East. If it was in the context of moving to America I might (take it), but at the moment I am enjoying rebuilding Affidea in Ireland.”

It is giving me a real level of enthusiasm. It is probably one of the toughest jobs that I have ever done but also one of the most fulfilling.

This article is part of our weekly series examining the nuts and bolts of businesses. If you would like to see your company featured please email news@fora.ie.

Written by Paul O’Donoghue and posted on Fora.ie

Read: Why taking a ‘minimalist’ approach to new lobbying rules is a mistake for Irish firms

Read: A Dublin hair salon has been ordered to pay €10,000 for dismissing a pregnant worker

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    Mute DJ François
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    Jun 17th 2020, 7:50 AM

    Trumpflake whinges about freedom of speech on twitter, while trying to censor a book.

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    Mute Nicholas O'Halloran
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    Jun 17th 2020, 7:16 AM

    Would love to buy it

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    Mute Joe Bloggs
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    Jun 17th 2020, 7:44 AM

    @Nicholas O’Halloran: I’d say Bolton & the publishers are delighted with this, it’s going to push sales through the roof.

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    Mute Joe Toner
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    Jun 17th 2020, 7:35 AM

    It hasn’t been “vetted” yet!!. When that’s done the book will run to about 3 pages…..

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    Mute Evan
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    Jun 17th 2020, 7:50 AM

    @Joe Toner: its just the bit between contents and index they have an issue with, to be fair.

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    Mute Paul Potts
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    Jun 17th 2020, 8:10 AM

    Get it on the shelves.

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    Mute Paul O'Sullivan
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    Jun 17th 2020, 7:55 AM

    The book should not be published.

    A man that worked in a Goverment Administration that is still sitting should be restricted from publishing such a book.

    There should be a time frame for such books something like 5 years after that particular administration has ended.

    51
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    Mute Brendan Greene
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    Jun 17th 2020, 8:03 AM

    @Paul O’Sullivan: nonsense. Numerous ex-ministers and advisers of sitting governments all around the w p rld have published books.

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    Mute Locojoe
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    Jun 17th 2020, 8:10 AM

    @Paul O’Sullivan: Transparency in Government?

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    Mute Paul O'Sullivan
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    Jun 17th 2020, 8:34 AM

    @Brendan Greene: why is it nonsense?
    It is an attempt to cash in, and possibly interfere in an upcoming election.

    I would not like to see it ever happen in Ireland..

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    Mute Edmund Murphy
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    Jun 17th 2020, 8:58 AM

    @Paul O’Sullivan: if what he says us true the it’s important for the next election. Informed voters is what you want in a democracy. If it’s not true then trump can sue.

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    Mute Arch Angel
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    Jun 17th 2020, 9:02 AM

    @Paul O’Sullivan: I can see your point and, ordinarily, I’d agree with you, however these are far from ordinary times and there have already been several books written from inside this administration.
    There’s also the assumption that John Bolton will break the national secrets act and release some sort of juicy, salacious gossip which I very much doubt. The man has been around far too long and is far too seasoned to do something so stupid, no what he can do is give an honest, view of Trump one that may be very unflattering and believable. They may be able to stop this release within the US but not internationally, and it will leak back into America, so a wasted exercise.

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    Mute Joe Toner
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    Jun 17th 2020, 9:58 AM

    @Paul O’Sullivan:
    Might not be a bad thing.

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    Mute Peter Hughes
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    Jun 17th 2020, 10:39 AM

    @Paul O’Sullivan: Let me guess lies and toxic poison form Trump and his followers etc ok but facts in a book not ok……I expect nothing less no wonder the US is such a mess.

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    Mute Terry McClatchey
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    Jun 17th 2020, 11:33 AM

    @Arch Angel: The threat however is to use civil law to protect Trump’s personal reputation. If the issue was genuinely one of national security, it would be an issue for criminal law and official prosecutors.

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    Mute Sam Greene
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    Jun 17th 2020, 11:38 AM

    @Paul O’Sullivan: why? If there are concerns about trumps behaviour as President, then they should be known, we all get Performance Reviews in our jobs, this is Trumps performance review. No wonder hes worried.

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    Mute Arch Angel
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    Jun 17th 2020, 11:46 AM

    @Terry McClatchey: Perhaps it’s one masquerading as the other. We know Trump has a somewhat inflated ego and likes to believe he’s a genius in all areas. It wouldn’t be impossible for him, fearing ridicule, to issue civil proceedings based upon claims of threats to national security.

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Jun 17th 2020, 1:17 PM

    @Arch Angel: I don’t think John Bolton can give an honest view of much at all

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    Mute Kevin
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    Jun 17th 2020, 1:37 PM

    @Paul O’Sullivan:

    How many voters ever cast their ballot based on some overhyped political potboiler that hits the shelves 5 months before an election? There’s a myriad of channels for political“interference” when attempting to influence the electorate. It’s been 50:50 Rep:Dem for decades in the US & For those who will bother to vote their minds are mostly made up. Bolton is a militant ultra nationalist right winger who has the smarts, tenacity and vindictiveness to tell DJT to GFHIMSELF. This is more about a personal vendetta than anything else.

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    Mute Paul Mcnevin
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    Jun 17th 2020, 3:21 PM

    @Paul O’Sullivan: So Trump is doing fine as the US president?

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    Mute ahhhhh its
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    Jun 17th 2020, 8:54 AM

    Jack Simpson: something something mr Tough guy Bolton, something sleepy Joe, something something dem hoax, something no he can use ramps and drink water unaided, he was sabotaged by Obama

    Etc etc

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    Mute Edmund Murphy
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    Jun 17th 2020, 9:00 AM

    @ahhhhh its: was jack bot on again with its I love trump, Putin did nothing wrong script?

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    Mute Wayne Connor
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    Jun 17th 2020, 12:03 PM

    @ahhhhh its: don’t say his name 3 times cos then he’ll appear !

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    Mute Simon Power
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    Jun 17th 2020, 9:59 AM

    This Court case is a marketing coup for Bolton’s book. Nothing sells faster than a “banned book.”

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    Mute Isabel Oliveira
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    Jun 17th 2020, 10:55 AM

    What a sad day that anyone considers John Bolton as a voice to be heard . War criminal of the worst kind.

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    Mute John Moloney
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    Jun 17th 2020, 10:40 AM

    I wonder will john bolton tell as much lies in this book as he did when he national security adviser i don’t think thats possible but we will wait and see

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    Mute Sam Greene
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    Jun 17th 2020, 9:30 PM

    @John Moloney: well he wont wont be the only liar then would he. Trump rolls lies off his tongue every week and gets away with it.

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Jun 17th 2020, 9:50 AM

    Some advice for Donald J Trump- if you don’t want people to write books about how bad your presidency is, stop doing stupid things!

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Jun 17th 2020, 4:56 PM

    @Dave Harris: amd a follow up, if they do write a book don’t mention it, don’t fight it. I swear he must have shares in publishers.

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    Mute eddie horgan
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    Jun 17th 2020, 10:40 AM

    I doubt Bolton hasn’t taken due diligence before having the book ready for sale

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    Mute WreckDefier
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    Jun 17th 2020, 9:00 AM

    Apart from Trump and Bolton when one signs a conditions of employment
    document for any job which includes not revealing sensitive information
    to the public, then one is obviously in breach of conditions of employment.

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    Mute Cowboy Paddy
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    Jun 17th 2020, 12:56 PM

    @WreckDefier:
    You are a federal employee, held by a federal employee contract…

    Read the contract and find the place where it says you can’t write a book…

    Trump tried to get WH staff to sign a different (more secretive contract) but that was grossly illegal…

    John Bolton didn’t work for Trump. He worked for the US People and apart from state secrets, he can say what he likes…

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    Mute WreckDefier
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    Jun 17th 2020, 1:57 PM

    @Cowboy Paddy: The article here states that “The Department of Justice lawsuit says Bolton failed to have the text vetted, meaning his book would be in clear breach of agreements HE signed as a condition of his employment and as a condition of gaining access to highly classified information”. This, the DOJ says, “risks compromising National security”.
    There will be many more greedy people like Bolton who will make a lot of money out of all this and who don’t give a fiddlers
    about what Trump did or did not do during his presidency.

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    Mute Gavin Burke
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    Jun 17th 2020, 1:19 PM

    Bit I thought Bolton was the best guy for the job?
    Until he was fired!
    Like when he said he would drain the swamp of corruption and thibgs like nepotism.
    Then hired all his family!
    And I thought he was the most open President in history??
    But then why does he sue people, and pay hush money and hide tax returns and put gag orders on people?
    And was is all news that doesnt praise him fake?
    And how come the election is onlh rigged if he loses in his opinion?
    #notaleader

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    Mute Evan
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    Jun 17th 2020, 11:32 AM

    He should just use his aides vaccine.

    3
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    Mute Wade Wilson
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    Jun 17th 2020, 5:49 PM

    Trump: Bolton’s boom is full of lies!

    Also Trump: Everything in Bolton’s book is classified!

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