Hospital appoints new Head of Innovation to lead centre
TALLAGHT University Hospital has appointed a Head of Innovation to lead its new, pioneering Innovation Centre.
Dr Natalie Cole has been appointed Head of Innovation and will lead the establishment of the new Innovation Centre at Tallaght University Hospital (TUH), the first hospital-based innovation centre nationwide.
The Innovation Centre also includes an Innovation Hub, which, based in the main atrium of TUH, is a dedicated, physical space supporting the provision of ‘idea clinics’.
These ‘clinics’ will help with the development of ideas from a problem-solving stage through to development and implementation.
Dr Cole, who brings more than 20 years of national and international experience in Health Research and Innovation to the role, will work alongside Dr Hannah O’Keeffe in the Innovation Centre.
Speaking after her appointment, Dr Cole said: “I along with my colleague Dr Hannah O’Keeffe are incredibly energised by this opportunity.
“To deliver real advances in healthcare you need commitment and enthusiasm from staff, strong relationships with academia and industry.
“TUH has all of these elements.
“We are looking forward to nurturing and developing innovation capability with the clear aim of delivering benefits for patients.”
According to TUH, the hospital is assessing how innovation can not only address the Covid-19 crisis but also build a “more effective, efficient and equitable” healthcare system in the future.
The Innovation Centre will provide an opportunity for partners to test healthcare innovation projects across clinical and non-clinical departments within TUH, building on the innovative projects already underway throughout the hospital.
Lucy Nugent, Chief Executive of TUH, said: “We appreciate and recognise the value of innovation and whilst TUH has a long and very proud history of innovation we need to ensure that we are building a sustainable approach to innovation building on our capabilities.
“Successful innovation enables the hospital to be more effective, efficient and competitive.
“These appointments and the creation of the Innovation hub, a physical space in our hospital, will help to nurture and develop a culture of innovation creating a system for innovation that continually scans for new ideas and takes them through to widespread use.”
She added: “We are thrilled to have someone of Dr Cole’s experience in this area join TUH to develop our leaders, build improvement skills across the organisation.
“She will provide experienced support for new thinking and creating opportunities of time and space for all staff and the people who come into contact with our services to generate and develop new ideas and to spread what works.”
