Irish healthcare service firm to locate in Sherwood, add 255 new jobs

by Roby Brock ([email protected]) 3,309 views 

RelateCare, an Irish healthcare communications and services organization, announced Thursday (March 2) it will open a facility in Sherwood and create 255 new jobs within three years.

The jobs will support back-office functions for hospitals and healthcare facilities for clients in the U.S.

RelateCare, headquartered in Waterford, Ireland, began as a joint venture between Rigneydolphin and leading U.S. healthcare institution Cleveland Clinic in 2014 and already employs 100 staff in Arkansas primarily in the Little Rock area.

“RelateCare has seen rapid growth over the past two years, with our administrative and clinical solutions increasingly supporting a wide range of health systems in the United States,” said Conor O’Byrne, CEO of RelateCare Group. “We’re delighted to widen our U.S. operations here in Sherwood, Arkansas during a very exciting time of customer expansion for our company. Our goal is to provide a flexible working model that affords our employees great opportunities to progress and upskill to support our dynamic business. As a homegrown Irish organization increasingly focused on growing in the U.S., we now have a really strong platform to continue to drive solutions and create value for our healthcare clients here.”

RelateCare provides patient-access and patient-engagement solutions to leading healthcare organizations around the world through its technology platforms. Part of the Akusus Group, the company has seen rapid growth over the last decade and currently employs more than 1,400 people in Ireland and the U.S., with 500 of those jobs added in the past year alone.

The new hub in Sherwood will serve to support RelateCare’s clientele through remote clinical support services, post-discharge management services, and telehealth and patient appointment scheduling services.

RelateCare plans to hire new management executives, support staff members, and access-to-care staff members. More than 20 million appointments are scheduled through RelateCare each year.

“We are proud to welcome RelateCare to Arkansas, where it will find a robust workforce to power its operations,” said Clint O’Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. “Arkansas continues to provide a competitive business environment for international companies to grow and thrive.”

“I would like to welcome RelateCare to the city of Sherwood,” said Sherwood Mayor Mary Jo Heye-Townsell. “This announcement is a major milestone for our city, as it not only creates new opportunities for our residents, but also drives economic growth and development. The infusion of new jobs will bring in more money to our local economy, stimulate business growth and create a positive ripple effect for years to come. I am thrilled to see our city thriving, and I know this is only the beginning of even greater things to come.”