Twenty three people who have been appointed as members of the Sláintecare Implementation Advisory Council, by Health Minister, Simon Harris come from a range of backgrounds, including healthcare, governance, change management and leadership. Maureen Browne reports.
The Minister said the Council combined patient/service user representatives, senior health service leaders, clinical leadership and a number of independent change experts from outside the health service who will bring expertise and an independent perspective.”
The Advisory Council which will provide advice and support to the Sláintecare Programme Office on the delivery of the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy, will be chaired by Dr. Tom Keane.
The Council is appointed for a term of three years, to coincide with the term of the inaugural Implementation Strategy.
It will meet between two and four times per annum. All Council discussions and engagement with the Sláintecare Programme Office will be conducted on a confidential basis. The Council will not be remunerated. However, Council members will have their direct travel expenses reimbursed.
Dr. Tom Keane
A native of Dublin, Dr Tom Keane, who has held leadership positions at the British Columbia Cancer Agency (BCCA) and the University of British Columbia (UBC), assisted the development and implementation of the National Radiotherapy plan in Ireland. He was subsequenty appointed as the founding Director of the National Cancer Control Programme in Ireland, with the goal of implementing the National Cancer Strategy.
Laura Magahy – Executive Director
Over the last 28 years Ms Laura Magahy has led some of Ireland’s most significant and transformational public-sector projects, including the €1 billion urban renewal of Temple Bar (1990 – 2000), Ireland’s first urban renewal project; the €284 million development of the Mater Hospital (2000 – 2014); and the Government initiative Irish Design 2015, which had considerable international reach and economic impact.
Dr. Siobhan Kennelly
Dr Siobhán Kennelly is consultant geriatrician in Connolly Hospital & CHO9 and honorary clinical senior lecturer, RCSI.
Dr. Anthony O’Connor
Dr Anthony O’Connor is a Consultant Gastroenterologist at Tallaght University Hospital since 2016 and Honorary Senior Lecturer in Gastroenterology at Trinity College Dublin.
Prof. Paddy Broe
Professor Patrick Broe is a Board Member Bon Secours Health System Limited, College Road, Cork and is the immediate Past President and Emeritus Clinical Professor of Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He is currently Group Clinical Director for the RCSI Hospitals Group and although recently retired from his public practice at Beaumont Hospital continues to practice privately in the Bon Secours Hospital, Glasnevin, Dublin.
Dr. Colm Henry
Dr Colm Henry is the Interim Chief Clinical Officer of the HSE. Prior to this current appointment, he was National Clinical Advisor and Group Lead for Acute Hospitals in the HSE from 2014 to 2018 and National Lead for the Clinical Directors Programme in the HSE from 2012 to 2014. He was appointed as Consultant Geriatrician to the Mercy University Hospital in Cork in 2002 and was the hospital’s Clinical Director from 2009 to 2012.
Annette Kennedy
Ms. Annette Kennedy was elected 28th President of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) in June 2017 after serving four years as Vice President. Annette was appointed Commissioner on the WHO High Level Advisory Commission on NCD’s and Mental Health in 2017 by the Director General.
Dr. Ronan Fawsitt
Dr Ronan Fawsitt is a full-time GP and Chair of the Carlow-Kilkenny ICGP-St Luke’s Hospital Local Integrated Care Committee (LICC).
Gillian O’Brien
Ms Gillian O’Brien is the Director of Clinical Governance at Jigsaw – The National Centre for Youth Mental Health. In her current post, Ms. O’Brien is responsible for ensuring safe, high quality and effective clinical practice in 12 Jigsaw youth mental health services nationwide. She trained as a clinical psychologist; obtaining her Bachelor’s degree from Trinity College Dublin and her Doctorate from Queen’s University Belfast. She has also completed a Professional Diploma in Clinical Leadership at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Roisin Molloy
Ms Roisin Molloy has a BA in Applied Social Studies in Social Care and previously worked in the voluntary health sector for 12 years before taking a career break to raise her young family.
Roisin is married to Mark and they are parents to five boys. In 2012, her fifth son Baby Mark tragically died shortly after birth as a result of a number of “Care Failings and Systems Failure”. The impact of her baby’s avoidable death and her search for the truth thrust Ms Molloy and her husband into the roles of campaigners, advocates and researchers. Their work has brought about many crucial developments in the health service such as the National Maternity Strategy, the National Perinatal Bereavement Standards and has campaigned successfully for Patient Safety to be prioritised in government and in our Health Service and were instrumental in the establishment of the National Patient Safety Office.
Brendan Courtney
The RTE documentary We Need to Talk About Dad, focused on the difficult choices faced by the Courtney family in trying to provide the best care possible for Frank Courtney after he had a stroke. It highlighted in particular the difficulties in navigating the Fair Deal nursing home support scheme and the fact that it does not cover care in the home.. Mr Brendan Courtney is currently in production with a follow up documentary, We need to talk about Mam – which looks at aging and retirement in Ireland.
Sarah O’Connor
A native of Tipperary and a graduate of University College Cork, Boston College and the European Institute of Communications, Ms Sarah O’Connor has a background in public relations, having worked at a PR agency for three yearsIn May 2018, she was appointed CEO of the Asthma Society of Ireland.
Brian Fitzgerald
Mr Brian Fitzgerald joined Beacon Hospital as Deputy CEO from St. James’s Hospital where he was the Chief Executive and Director of Finance. He is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and holds an MBA from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School. He also holds the position of Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Centre of Health Policy and Management at Trinity College Dublin’s School of Medicine.
Liam Doran
Former General Secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, Mr Liam was a Registered General Nurse and a Registered Mental Handicap Nurse and he also has a BA in Health Administration and an MA in Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations.
Leo Kearns
Mr Leo Kearns is the Chief Executive Officer of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. He joined RCPI as CEO in 2006, and since then has led a major programme of transformation. In addition to his role of CEO of RCPI, Mr Kearns served as National Lead for Transformation and Change in the HSE from 2013-2015.
Dr. Josep Figueras
Josep Figueras, MD, MPH, PhD (econ) is the Director of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. In addition to WHO, he has served major multilateral organizations such as the European Commission and the World Bank.
Joanne M. Shear
Ms Joanne Shear is the CEO and President of Primary Care Transformation Experts LLC. She has recently retired from her role as National Primary Care Clinical Program Manager at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) where she was a key leader in the development and implementation of the VHA patient centred medical home model.
Dr. Heather Shearer
Dr Heather Shearer is a Clinical Teaching Fellow in the School of Medicine at the University of St. Andrews. Dr Shearer studied psychology at Durham University and was awarded a PhD in Psychology from the same institution.
Dr Eddie Molloy
Dr Eddie Molloy specialises in strategy, large-scale change and innovation. For 40 years he has worked in Ireland and abroad in all sectors including high tech multinational companies, government departments and state agencies, higher education, NGO’s and the health service.
Paul Reid
Mr Paul Reid is Chief Executive of Fingal County Council since April 2014. He previously worked as the Chief Operations Officer in the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform from 2011-2014. where he was responsible for leading a whole set of reforms across the public service. In this role he negotiated the Haddington Road Pay Agreement, with the 26 Public Service Trade Unions, to reduce the public service pay bill by €1BN. From 2010 to 2011, He holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Trinity College, Dublin and a BA in Human Resources and Industrial Relations from the National College Ireland.
Prof. Mary Higgins
Professor Mary Higgins is from Kildare and trained in University College Dublin. Professor Higgins completed training in obstetrics in Ireland, before getting advanced training in maternal and fetal medicine. Since 2013, Professor Higgins has worked as a consultant obstetrician and MFM Subspecialist in the National Maternity Hospital.
Dr. Anna McHugh
Dr. Anna McHugh is a General Practice Registrar living and working in Co. Donegal. She graduated from NUI Galway Medical School with a first class honours degree and the Gold Medal in General Practice. She worked as a hospital doctor in Dublin and Australia before choosing Donegal to complete her GP training. She has served as lead NCHD for Letterkenny University Hospital, receiving national recognition and awards for patient safety and quality improvement initiatives which she implemented during her role.
Dr. Emily O’Conor
Dr Emily O’Conor is a Consultant in Emergency Medicine in Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown and is President of the Irish Association of Emergency Medicine. A Fellow of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine since 1999, she is a native of Clonee, Co Meath, graduating from Trinity College Dublin in 1991 and becoming a Member of the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland in 1994.
