Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly, TD, today (13 September 2013) announced that Ms Eilísh Hardiman has been selected as CEO of the Children’s Hospital Group. This follows an open recruitment process led by the Public Appointments Service.
The Children’s Hospital Group includes Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin, Children’s University Hospital Temple Street and the paediatric service at Tallaght Hospital. Ms Hardiman’s appointment as Group CEO follows the appointment in April of Dr Jim Browne as Chair of the Children’s Hospital Group Board, and the appointment in August of a further nine Board members.
The Board will oversee the operational integration of the three hospitals in advance of the move to the new children’s hospital. As client for the building project, the Board will also play a key role in ensuring the new hospital is optimally designed and completed as swiftly as possible. As Group CEO of the Children’s Hospital Group, Ms Hardiman will work closely with the Board and with the hospitals on these key priorities.
The Minister said, “The role of CEO of the Children’s Hospital Group is critically important in driving forward the integration of the three hospitals, and the project as a whole. This appointment is another milestone for paediatric acute services in Ireland and I am delighted that a person of the calibre, ability and experience of Eilísh Hardiman is taking up the role. The Government intends to make sure that our children get the best possible healthcare in the best possible environment. This announcement is another important step in achieving that for our children."
Dr Jim Browne, Chair of the Children’s Hospital Group Board, said “Eilísh has both the experience and the commitment to implement the change we want to see. As Chair of the Board, I look forward to working with her to address not only the challenges but also the enormous opportunities that lie ahead to enhance child healthcare in Ireland.”
Tony O’Brien, the Director General of the Health Service Executive, welcomed the selection of Ms Hardiman. He said: “Eilísh brings key relevant experience to this new challenge and she will have the full support of the HSE, in ensuring the successful operational integration of the existing three children’s hospitals in Dublin, in preparation for the opening of the new facility.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors
Eilísh Hardiman
Eilísh Hardiman is the Chief Executive (CEO) of Tallaght Hospital, Dublin for over 2 years. Affiliated with Trinity College Dublin, Tallaght Hospital is part of a strategic alliance with TCD and St. James’s Hospital to form Trinity Health Ireland – an academic health sciences centre. Eilísh took up post as Chief Executive at a time of significant challenges for the hospital due to quality, safety and governance issues being investigated by HIQA, as well as significant financial deficits. During her tenure to date her leadership team and staff at the Hospital have successfully implemented considerable changes to assure patient safety, drive financial sustainability and ensure that Tallaght Hospital is a trusted resource for patients. Providing care through more efficient delivery models, increasing the safety and immediacy of health care provision is a hallmark of the Hospital under her stewardship.
Prior to this Eilísh held the post of CEO of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board for 2.5 years, a pivotal position to equip her as Group CEO to undertake the client role of the largest capital project in healthcare in Ireland with the specific purpose of planning, designing, building, furnishing and equipping the new national children’s hospital.
Eilísh previously worked for 19 years in St. James’s Hospital, Dublin where she progressed from Staff Nurse to Director of Nursing within her first 10 years. In 2005 she was appointed Deputy CEO / Operations Manager in the hospital, the beginning of her general management career.
A nurse by background, she undertook a BSc in Nursing at the University of Ulster, Coleraine, and a Postgraduate Diploma at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown. She succeeded in winning the Sunday Times MBA Scholarships in 2005 and was subsequently awarded an Executive Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at the Smurfit School of Business, awarded in 2007.
The Children’s Hospital Group Board
The Children’s Hospital Group Board is the end-user and client for the building project, and will oversee the operational integration of the three hospitals in advance of the move to the new hospital. It will also deal with any matters relating to the operational transfer to the new hospital in due course, and to philanthropy.
Dr Jim Browne was appointed as Chair of the Children’s Hospital Group Board in April this year. Nine further appointments to the Board were made on 2 August, including the existing chairs of the three paediatric hospitals which will come together in the Hospital Group (Crumlin, Temple Street and the paediatric service at Tallaght).
Progress on the new children’s hospital capital project
The new hospital, to be co-located with St James’s Hospital on its campus, will bring together the three existing Dublin paediatric hospitals (Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin, Children’s University Hospital Temple Street, and the paediatric service at Tallaght Hospital) into one entity. The new hospital will provide secondary paediatric services for the Greater Dublin Area and tertiary services for the country as a whole and potentially the whole island of Ireland.
The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board is responsible for the design, planning, building and equipping of the new children’s hospital – in other words, it is the building board. Mr Tom Costello was appointed as Chair of the Board on 2 August last, and further appointments also made reflect architectural, engineering, planning and procurement expertise needed for the building project. Progress to date includes:
· The tender process for the procurement of a new design team is well underway.
· Pre-application planning discussions have commenced; the aim is to secure planning permission by December 2014;
· A shared services group is in place, focusing on identifying facilities which can be shared between the new children’s hospital and the adult hospital so as to optimise the build;
· A review of the satellite urgent care centre(s) configuration is underway and is expected to be completed shortly. This decision is key to finalising the scale of the facilities required at the new children’s hospital on the St. James's campus and informing the design.
· St James’s Hospital is leading on the decant work required on the site and has established a Decant Project Office on the St James’s campus.
· A Capital Project Manager has been successfully recruited by the Development Board from within the public sector. The post of Programme Director (Chief Officer) of the Development Board will be advertised shortly.