SÁÁ appoints new chief executive

SÁÁ has appointed Baldvina Ýr Hafsteinsdóttir as its new chief executive, mbl.is reports. She will take up the position shortly.

Hafsteinsdóttir is a nurse with a master’s degree in nursing and a diploma in public administration. She joins SÁÁ from the South Iceland Health Institution, where she is executive director of primary healthcare and prevention services.

She has 16 years of management experience in healthcare. In her current role, she has operational responsibility for a division covering 10 locations and more than 500 employees serving over 35,000 residents in South Iceland.

According to SÁÁ, Hafsteinsdóttir has led extensive changes in healthcare, including the takeover of new nursing homes, the merger and restructuring of departments, and the introduction of new technology. She also has experience in developing management teams, quality management, human resources and negotiations with ministries, Iceland Health Insurance and trade unions.

She previously spent 10 years as a nursing department manager at Ás nursing and residential home in Hveragerði. Before that, she worked for the South Iceland Health Institution as a nurse and later as a department manager in its surgical and internal medicine departments. She has also served on the boards of the National Association of Health Institutions and the Association of Managers in Elderly Care.

“We are extremely pleased to have Baldvina Ýr join SÁÁ at this important time,” Anna Hildur Hildibrandsdóttir, chair of SÁÁ, said in the announcement. “Her appointment is an important step towards creating stability, rebuilding trust and strengthening cooperation within the organisation.”

Hafsteinsdóttir said her first priorities would be to listen, learn about the organisation and speak with staff and other key stakeholders.

“The aim is to create stability, strengthen cooperation and continue building on the extensive knowledge and experience within SÁÁ,” she said.

The appointment comes after conflict within SÁÁ.