Bandon woman opens her latest OT clinic

Staff members, children, and Deputy Jerry Buttimer at the launch of The Sunflower Clinic, run by Julie O’Sullivan, right.

A BANDON woman has recently unveiled the latest premises for her burgeoning occupational therapy business.

Julie O’Sullivan, from Castlelack in Bandon, the daughter of former teacher Sean O’Callaghan, has launched the ‘Sunflower Clinic’ at a new premises in Tramore Commercial Park on the Tramore Road in Cork.

The offices were opened by Jerry Buttimer TD, who is the Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children.

Over 50 people attended the launch including parents, children, teachers and other healthcare workers from many disciplines including speech therapists, educational psychologists, play therapists, GPs, resource teachers, school principals and university lecturers and staff.

Mr Buttimer praised Julie O’Sullivan and her team for providing the service for children in need in the area. Jerry went on to relate his own experience of family members with autism and special needs, and he expressed a view that independent organisations such as the Sunflower Clinic play a vital role in the support of the HSE to deliver specialist services for children in the community.

Julie thanked Mr Buttimer for his kind words and then announced that the Sunflower Clinic had recently reached a significant milestone when they saw their 5,000th client at the clinic.

‘Resources are not infinite, as we are only too aware, and I firmly believe that independent organisations like ourselves, can and will, have a key part to play in the delivery of these services,’ said Julie.

The Sunflower Clinic – an independent occupational therapy service started in Cork in 2006 – is part of a nationwide business with four more clinics in Killarney, Limerick, Kilkenny and Naas, and it now employs a total of eight full-time OTs, an OT assistant and a receptionist.

Each of the clinics provide a fully-equipped sensory integration treatment room with suspended equipment, soft-play area and a variety of fine-motor toys and therapy equipment.

Julie was educated at Colaiste Toirbhirte in Bandon, and later at Trinity College in Dublin.

Her husband, Mark O’Sullivan, is also a director of the business.