New Clinical Directors and Chief Academic Officer for the West/North West Hospitals Group

The West / North West Hospitals Group has recently appointed four Clinical Directors and an interim Chief Academic Officer to advance the integration of the Hospital Group and to provide leadership for training and education across the Group.
The existing Group governance structure has been streamlined and now a total of four clinical directorates will manage the clinical specialities across all hospitals. The new directorates are:

• Diagnostics Directorate (incorporating Radiology and Laboratory Medicine) – Dr Colm O’Donnell, Clinical Director.
• Perioperative Directorate (incorporating Surgery, Anaesthesia and Critical Care) - Dr Paul Naughton, Clinical Director.
• Medical Directorate – Dr Donal Reddan, Clinical Director.
• Women’s and Children’s Directorate – Dr Geraldine Gaffney, Clinical Director.
• The interim Chief Academic Officer is Dr Anthony O’Regan.

 
Bill Maher, CEO of the West / North West Hospitals Group commented, “One of the Group priorities was to strengthen the governance structure across all hospitals in the Group and to establish four new directorates which would be responsible for driving improved clinical performance.
 
“The new directorates, under the leadership of the new Clinical Directors, will be responsible for providing high quality and equitable services for all patients based on excellence in clinical practices and teaching and to support the principle that the care of the patient comes first at all times.
 
“The Clinical Directors are responsible for implementing the national clinical care programmes, developing service plans and setting performance targets. This will lead to improved quality, performance and ensure greater efficiency by involving the appropriate medical, allied health professionals, pharmacy, nursing, administrative and support service staff working together as one business unit.
 
“The Clinical Directors will also play a key role in quality and safety by implementing the National Standards for Better Safer Healthcare, conducting regular clinical audits and implementing the risk management and complaints procedure in each directorate.”
 
“The interim Chief Academic Officer is responsible for developing a structured and integrated approach to education and training for all healthcare professionals in the Group. This includes establishing a Graduate Medical Education Department to co-ordinate Non Consultant Hospital Doctor and Consultant training and creating a system of support/mentoring for all trainees.
 
“The role will also involve working closely with our academic partner, NUI Galway to ensure a cohesive and integrated approach to undergraduate medical, nursing and allied health professional education.
 
“The Chief Academic Officer will also be responsible for identifying research priorities for the hospital group, with a particular focus on those that are consistent with the strategic priorities of NUI Galway and for developing relationships with industry and other strategic partners to support new innovative projects across the Hospital Group.
 
“I wish the new appointees the best of luck with their new roles and I look forward on reporting on further developments at our public Board Meetings which will take place in Roscommon on 03 June and in Mayo on 02 September.”
 
Photo Details:
The West / North West Hospitals Group has recently appointed four Clinical Directors and an interim Chief Academic Officer to advance the integration of the Hospital Group and to provide leadership for training and education across the Group. From left to right: Dr Donal Reddan, Group Clinical Director for the Medical Directorate; Dr Colm O’Donnell, Group Clinical Director for the Diagnostics Directorate; Dr Geraldine Gaffney, Group Clinical Director for the Women’s and Children’s Directorate; Dr Paul Naughton, Group Clinical Director for the Perioperative Directorate; and Dr Anthony O’Regan, interim Chief Academic Officer.