Dr Cathryn Bogan is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin.
She completed her specialist training scheme in Ireland working in a number of specialist palliative care services in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway.
She took up her full time position as a consultant in Palliative Medicine at North West Hospice in 2006.

John Fitzmaurice has worked in the HSE for the past 23 years with cross functional experience across a number of care groups. Starting out in Child Care in the area of adolescent health, John worked in the Regional Drugs Service before moving to work with the HSE and Headstrong in the development of Jigsaw, initially in Galway and subsequently across the Region. John moved from Mental Health to Disability Services where he took up the role of General Manager and subsequently the Head of Service for Disability in Community Healthcare West. After three years as Head of Service for Disability, John took up the position of Chief Officer in Community Healthcare West before taking up the role of IHA Manager for Sligo, Donegal, West Cavan and South Donegal.

Prof. Karen Ryan is UCD Full Clinical Professor and Consultant in Palliative Medicine at St Francis Hospice and the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital.
She was Clinical Lead of the National Clinical Programme in Palliative Care from 2010-2018.
She maintains active esearch interests, with a particular focus on health services research and the provision of palliative care for the ageing population and for people with intellectual disabilities.
Keen to bridge the gap between research, policy and practice, Professor Ryan acted as Chair of the National 8 Clinical Effectiveness Committee from 2017-2021 and was Chair of the Steering Group for the development of the National Adult Palliative Care Policy from 2022-2023

After training in Internal Medicine and Nephrology at McGill University (1972-1976), and in Clinical Epidemiology as part of the Clinical Scholar Program at Yale University (1976-1978), Dr. Hutchinson returned to Montreal where he practiced Nephrology and was the Director of the Division of Clinical Epidemiology at the Royal Victoria Hospital. His research focused on the clinical determinants of survival in patients with kidney failure. In the 1980’s he met Virginia Satir and in 1998 he led an initiative resulting in the publication of a book (Heroes:100 Stories of Living with Kidney Failure) that recounts the lived experience of patients with kidney disease in their own words. In 2002, in order to enlarge his focus on the quality of patients’ lived experience, Dr. Hutchinson changed his clinical practice to Palliative Medicine and joined Dr. Balfour Mount in developing McGill Programs in Whole Person Care. Since 2004, when Dr. Hutchinson became the Director, the Programs have developed a curriculum that teaches healing in medicine to all medical students throughout all 4 years of the new Physicianship Curriculum at McGill. Dr. Hutchinson edited the first academic book on Whole Person Care (Springer,2011). He has published numerous academic papers, given invited talks and workshops on whole person care around the world, and has published two further books on whole person care (2017 and 2019). In 2012, he was named to the Faculty Honour List for Educational Excellence at McGill. Dr. Hutchinson chairs the biennial International Congress on Whole Person Care sponsored by McGill’s Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences.

Ms Deirdre Lang: RGN, Scottish Quality & Safety Fellow (Cohort 10), FFNMRCSI, MSc Leadership, BNS (Hons), Dip Mgt, HDip Gerontological Nursing, HETAC level 6 Special award in coaching, Certificate in Ageing and Frailty.

Deirdre initially trained in St Vincent’s Hospital, Elm Park, as a Registered General Nurse. During her career she spent a number of years working in acute services in Australia and in Ireland. She has had a variety of experiences, having worked in mental health and practice development. Her experience in Older Persons Services includes the roles of Clinical Nurse Manger 2, Assistant Director of Nursing and Director of Nursing (HSE and private sector). Her role as Director of Nursing Older Persons Services brings together all aspects of her experience to date, together with her passion for the older patient and those who provide their care.

Dr Michael Lucey is a Consultant in Palliative Medicine in Milford Hospice and University Hospitals Limerick and fellow of the Royal College of Physicians.

He has completed and executive MBA in U.C.D Smurfit School of Business and published and presented internationally in the areas of quality improvement, systems analysis and performance, and symptom control.

He has completed a senior fellowship in Palliative Medicine (U.C.D/ T.C.D) and is lead author of the N.C.E.C published guidelines for the pharmacological management of cancer pain in adults.

He is currently the National Clinical Lead for the Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration in Ireland. (PCOC Ireland).

Dr Mahrukh is an SpR in Palliative Medicine. Dr Mahrukh Azhar relocated to Ireland at the age of 10. She graduated from University of Galway in 2015 and went on to complete her internship and basic specialist training in Galway. She is undergoing higher specialist training in Palliative Medicine and is currently working in North West Hospice. She is a mom to three little boys and an avid traveller.

Ann is a CNSp in Childrens Palliative Care at LauraLynn Childrens Hospice. Ann was appointed as the first Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNSp) in Children’s Palliative Care at LauraLynn Children’s Hospice which opened in 2011.She supports and advocates for all children aged 0-18 and their families who are referred to LauraLynn following a diagnosis of a life limiting condition with palliative care needs. Ann is a RCN/RGN who previously worked at Rainbows Children’s Hospice in the UK and received her postgraduate qualification in Palliative Care from NUI Galway. She is passionate about the need for accessibility nationally for children with palliative care needs and their families.  She has a particular interest in the provision of complex symptom management.

Donnacha is a Project Lead on the National Care Experience Programme (NCEP) in HIQA. The NCEP is a partnership between HIQA, the HSE and the Department of Health and  develops and implements national surveys of health and social care services. Donnacha lead on the successful implementation of Ireland’s first National End of Life Survey, which achieved a 48% response rate. He is now working on the implementation of the second National Maternity Experience Survey.

Martina was seconded to the role of Programme Manager (0.7 WTE hours) for the National Clinical Programme for Palliative in August 2022. Formerly the Head of Education, Research and Quality at Milford Care Centre, MCC, (2014 to 2022). Martina has more than 20 years’ experience working in Palliative Care in a variety of roles and considerable experience in quality improvement. She originally qualified as an Occupational Therapist, established the Occupational Therapy service at MCC and has experience in acute hospitals, care of the older persons services, psychiatry and working with people with intellectual disability.

Martina is a key member of the group responsible for the implementation of the Australian Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration (PCOC) model of quality assurance in the Irish setting since 2018 and is a Senior PCOC Project Manager (0.3 WTE hours) since December 2021.

As CEO, Karen provides strategic leadership for All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) including brokering relationships between the Institute’s 27 member organisations (universities, hospices, health and social care organisations and charities), funders and key stakeholders. Karen leads the Institute Team and oversees the delivery of the Institute’s Business Plan across education, research, policy and practice, service user and carer engagement and raising awareness. Karen also represents the Institute on key regional and national fora and contributes to palliative care policy and strategic discussions.

Karen has worked both in the UK and Ireland and has significant leadership and management experience in a range of sectors including housing, economic development and offender management. She was previously a Programme Manager within the Institute where she led on the education programme and the development of the Palliative Hub.

Nessa Keane is a registrar in Palliative Medicine currently working at Galway University Hospital. Nessa completed a graduate entry Medical Degree BMBS (Hons) at the University of Limerick in 2020. She was also awarded a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology at the National University of Ireland, Galway in 2015.

Frank in his role as Mental Health Consultant with the Charity All Lives Are Precious delivers training in Mental Health, Resilience and suicide prevention. He spent 9 years as a former Missionary in Africa and is a committee member of Down Syndrome Kildare Branch. His principal motivation in life has always been to help people fulfil their true potential, build their self-esteem and knowledge of themselves

As HSE National Lead for Palliative Care, Maurice is responsible for the strategic planning for children and adult palliative care services in the Republic of Ireland. Maurice qualified initially as an occupational therapist and has worked in disability, older persons and mental health services as a clinician, clinical tutor and a manager. He spent a year with the  Department of Health on a secondment in 2021 as project manager for the new adult palliative care policy prior to returning to the HSE as National Lead for Palliative Care in April 2022.