Nine years as chair and 10 years on the Bay of Plenty District Health Board are close to an end for Mary Hackett, who on Friday celebrated her tenure in public office by imprinting her palm in the concrete structure of Tauranga Hospital's newest building.

Mary's palm print was recorded in a concrete tile of Tauranga Hospital's newest building at the 'topping' ceremony on Friday morning.

Constructed by Fletcher Construction as a continuation of Project Leo, project director Jeff Hodson says the building has a floor area of 1000sqm on each level and involved a team peaking at 40-50 people during construction.
The new building offers intensive care unit facilities, critical care facilities and day stay facilities.
The building has five levels, however, only the first two will be occupied to begin with, leaving the hospital with room for appropriate expansion into the future, says Mary.

She is proud of her work on the Bay of Plenty District Health Board and says the services offered are far better now than they were 10 years ago.
"When I started the facilities were not good, but the new building and operating theatre have given Tauranga a good hospital."