When you meet Noel Borg, one thing becomes immediately clear: even though he now serves as CareMalta’s COO, he is, first and foremost, a nurse. Noel believes in turning what many see as limitations into opportunities. This is something he says the Group has been doing for years, and has been proving it even more strongly in its recent work, through CareMalta and HILA.
Today, as COO, Noel sees his job clearly: “Whatever we do, the focus must always be on the person, respecting their dignity and ensuring quality of life.” Reflecting on the speed of change in the healthcare sector, he adds.
“Having been in the field for two decades, I think the industry sometimes evolves faster than it can understand itself, and this is not a criticism but a call to remain alert and open to transformation. As a company part of Vassallo Group, CareMalta Group must keep evolving.”
When CareMalta was founded 32 years ago by Nazzareno Vassallo, who was the Chairman of Vassallo Group at the time, it aimed to give older people a better way of living, not just another place to reside. That philosophy, Noel says, is still very much alive today. “We keep evolving, developing and adapting through models of care. Conceptualisation and operational -isation is how we are stepping ourselves into the future; leading us to a continuous legacy of care.”
Noel believes the strength of CareMalta is through HILA and vice versa, and this is only made possible if there is one operating model presenting common pathways of care. CareMalta, he explains, reviews processes of care and analyses them to set up an identity through the development of its mission and vision, which are aligned with Vassallo Group’s values: excellence, integrity, respect and innovation.
“Through all of this, we focus completely on person-centredness,” he adds. Noel refers to a holistic approach to systems management and how the identity of the person receiving care remains central to what CareMalta Group does. “Let us not forget that every operating model is subject to human error, and that is why each model needs to address such errors, because what we provide is a service of care towards people who take care of people.”
All of this has been sustained by the Memorandum of Understandings signed with two different faculties within the University of Malta. The first is with the Department of Health Systems Management and Leadership within the Faculty of Health Sciences to collaborate on enhancing safety protocols and practices; and the latest MOU was signed with the Department of Computer Information Systems at the Faculty of ICT, which will lead to deeper collaboration in AI, robotics, and digital health.
It is here that he says the company’s collaboration with academic institutions, such as the University of Malta, becomes deeply important. “I believe in these partnerships and relations, which aim to strengthen research, professional standards, and evidence-based practices, ultimately combining tradition with innovation.” To Noel, the future of the healthcare sector must be grounded in professionalism and evidence-based practice, and he
wants CareMalta to push even further, connecting local practice with what is being done internationally.
This means more research, increased training, and developing a culture where decisions are made by insight and knowledge. Noel points out how CareMalta has a legacy of quality care, and this should not be fragmented. “Our quality mark reflects the quality of care we provide… that quality leads our residents and service users to ultimately understand and experience it.” “CareMalta is a diverse Group that brings its employees together without distinction. I firmly believe our next chapter will be shaped by innovation and compassion and moving from quantity to quality; from assumptions to evidence, and from limitations to opportunities.”