Officers appointed to lead HSE's new Midlands and West health regions
The HSE has today (Thursday) announced the appointments of the Regional Executive Officers who will lead its six new health regions across the country.
As part of the Sláintecare programme, the HSE is organising service delivery into six health regions from March 1.
Kate Killeen White has been appointed as the Regional Executive Officer in charge of its new 'Dublin and Midlands' region which takes in Westmeath, Offaly, Longford, Laois, Kildare, West Wicklow, and parts of South Dublin.
And in the new HSE West and North West region, which includes Roscommon and Galway, Tony Canavan has been appointed as Regional Executive Officer.
The HSE said Ms Killeen White and Mr Canavan would be "the accountable officers at health region level," and would be responsible for the delivery of high-quality, safe, and accessible services for the population of their region.
The Regional Executive Officers will report directly to HSE CEO Bernard Gloster on the operation and management of the health regions.
They will form part of the core HSE senior leadership team, providing regional input into the development of national policies and standards.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly welcomed the appointments of the six Regional Executive Officers.
He said they would "work with the CEO and myself to ensure that this reorganisation of our health and social care services delivers for patients".
The HSE said Ms Killeen White was taking on the role of leading its Dublin and Midlands region having served as Chief Officer for South East Community Healthcare since 2019.
In that role, she had operational responsibility for delivery of all HSE community services in Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford, leading a workforce of nearly 5000 staff.
She was previously Head of Service for Social Care in South East Community Healthcare, Chief Executive Officer of St. Catherine’s Association disability service, and practised as a Barrister from 2008 to 2013.
Mr Canavan, meanwhile, is the current CEO of the Saolta University Health Care Group and has worked in the health services in the West for over 30 years.
Over that time he has held a number of appointments with the Western Health Board in Mental Health Services, the Department of Public Health, Primary Care Services and Acute Hospital Services.
In 2012, he was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the first Hospital Group in the country, known then as the Galway Roscommon University Hospitals Group, which subsequently became the Saolta Group and was extended to include Letterkenny and Sligo.
In 2015, he became Chief Officer of Community Healthcare West, before returning to the Saolta Group four years later as CEO.
The new posts for Ms Killeen White and Mr Canavan will commence on March 1.