Category: News

“Share your dreams, share your vision” – Saolta CEO, Maurice Power, opens HIHI Workshop 1 in Galway

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Health Innovation Hub Ireland’s Galway hub welcomed an enthusiastic cohort for Workshop 1 – ‘Rethinking healthcare innovation’ in the Quadrangle Conference Hall today. The group was welcomed to the session by Saolta Group CEO Maurice Power who urged each to ‘share your dreams, share you vision’.

Purpose deigned and delivered by HIHI for those working in the Irish healthcare settings, HIHI workshops are free to attend, with the only stipulation being you must currently be a HSE employee, or working in Irish primary care or voluntary hospital setting.

The five workshops guide and encourage participants to explore the potential for innovative approaches within their own healthcare environment. The programme is delivered as a continuum and attendees must have completed Workshop 1 to progress with the remaining four.

Having already run in Dublin last November, Workshop 1 will run in Cork later this month. The cohorts will then be combined to continue the workshop programme for 2019.

If you are interested in hearing more and keeping up to date with opportunities please email – Eimear Galvin, Manager HIHI Dublin – galvinei@tcd.ie.

Minister for Health secures Government approval to create national research ethics committee

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The Government has approved proposals by Minister for Health Simon Harris TD to prepare a General Scheme of a Bill to provide for national research ethics committees.

Speaking today (Thursday), Minister Harris said “Health research is essential to deliver the best care and treatment for our patients, better value for our health spending and more high-quality jobs for our workforce.  Supporting health research is a key part of the Sláintecare programme”.

The Minister added: “Research ethics committees (RECs) are key in ensuring that health research is carried out to the ethical standards expected by society, and we need to support a national system of research ethics committees that is fit for purpose.  The new National REC system will ensure that there is public confidence in how health research is being conducted, especially in new and emerging areas of research”.

Innovation 2020, Ireland’s strategy for research and development, science and technology , aims to make Ireland a global leader in research and innovation and the Government is committed to the ongoing development of a quality focussed research-active health system in Ireland.  That commitment has already seen major public investment in research infrastructure, personnel, new skills and technology.  Over the last decade, there has been more than €150 million Government funding invested in clinical research and clinical trials infrastructure through the Health Research Board (HRB) alone.  There has also been significant investment from State bodies, like Science Foundation Ireland, voluntary organisations and the private sector.

The proposed new system will address concerns that have been raised by stakeholders over the last decade about the existing RECs system in Ireland for clinical trials and health research generally. This approach will maximise synergies and value-for-money outcomes and make Ireland a more attractive international location for all health research.

Welcoming the Minister’s initiative, the CEO of the Health Research Board, Darrin Morrissey, said “The establishment of a single, cohesive national Research Ethics Committee structure in Ireland is long overdue.  It will help grow health research and clinical trial activity that will benefit people’s health and patient care, as well as underpinning health innovation and economic growth in Ireland.”

The HPRA also welcomed the Bill saying “The HPRA supports further development of the National Ethics Committee framework as a key part of the infrastructure required for active health research and clinical trials in Ireland and to align to future changes in the regulatory requirements for European clinical trials.”

The Bill is regarded as a priority and the Department will work closely with stakeholders, including the Health Research Board and the Health Products Regulatory Authority to have a Bill published by the end of the year.

In the context of the preparation of the General Scheme, the Department will engage with a broad range of stakeholders including other Departments, agencies, institutional RECs, researchers, industry and patients to seek their views on specific matters.

We are hiring in Dublin – Executive Officer – Health Innovation Hub Ireland

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Post Specification (Comp: 033555)
Apply through Trintiy College Dublin vacancies page here

Post Title: Executive Officer – Health Innovation Hub Ireland
Post Status: Two year Fixed Term contract – Part-Time,
Department/Faculty: Department of Clinical Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin
Location: Health Innovation Hub Ireland, St James Hospital, Dublin 8.
Reports to: HIHI Manager, Eimear Galvin
Salary: Appointment will be made (pro-rated) on the Executive Officer Merged Salary Scale at a point in line with Government Pay Policy €25,460 to €42,035 p.a.
Hours of Work: 37 Hours per week, (Part-time Equivalent)
Closing Date: 12 Noon (Greenwich Meantime) Thursday January 24th 2019.

The successful applicant will be expected to take up post as soon as possible.

Post Summary

The Health Innovation Hub Ireland, based in St James’s Hospital, Dublin 8, seeks to recruit an Executive Officer to provide comprehensive administrative support for the delivery of all aspects of the work of the hub. HIH in Dublin leads on delivery of the education programmes for HIHI and the post holder will be required to support work in this area also. The HIHI Executive Officer will provide administrative support to the Manager of HIHI and will oversee communications work –web editing and some social media. The post holder will also be the central contact for HIHI in Dublin. It is expected the successful candidate will take up his/her duties as soon as possible.

Further Information

Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) was established by Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and the Department of Health, supported by Enterprise Ireland (EI) and the Health Service Executive (HSE) to drive collaboration between the health service and enterprise. HIHI launched in 2016, offering companies pilot and clinical validation studies and the health service access to innovative products and devices that they may not otherwise be exposed to.

On the ground, HIHI is a partnership of clinical and academic centres from across the country – Cork, Dublin, Galway – brought together with the shared objective of accelerating healthcare innovation and commercialisation, addressing healthcare challenges and impacting jobs and exports. In Dublin HIHI is partnered with Trinity College and based in St James’ Hospital.

Informal enquiries about this post should be made to:

Ms Eimear Galvin, HIHI Manager, galvinei@tcd.ie

  • Standard Duties and Responsibilities of the Post
     To provide administrative support to the HIHI Manager across tasks and HIHI education programmes.
  • Handling telephone and drop-in enquiries from staff, visitors, clients and the wider public.
  • Maintenance and regular monitoring of HIHI project notes on internal Smartsheets and SharePoint systems.
  • Some digital support – web, online survey, social media.
  • Support in the organisation of events, including HIHI educational opportunities.
  • Performing routine office tasks (photocopying, scanning, filing, drafting letters, dissemination of information, and other general administrative tasks).
  • Maintain and improve office procedures and information management systems.
  • Organise conference/meeting travel arrangements.
  • Carry out day-to-day office tasks to ensure the smooth running of activities in the hub.
  • Maintain the office stationery and equipment for the Hub with responsibility for ordering supplies and equipment.
  • Responsibility for the processing of invoices, reconciling Petty Cash and processing orders in a timely manner.
  • Assist with diary management for HIHI Manager.
  • Liaison with other hub offices in Ireland, as required.
  • Carry out any other duties as may be assigned by the HIHI Manager.

 Funding Information

Funding for this post is from Enterprise Ireland via the “Health Innovation Hub Ireland” grant award.

Person Specification

Qualifications

  • Hold European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) or equivalent.
  • Recognised secretarial or office administration qualification and / or a minimum of 2 years relevant work experience in an administrative role supporting a senior manager in a busy work environment.

Knowledge & Experience (Essential & Desirable)

  • Display evidence of a high level of competency in Microsoft Office, in particular Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Microsoft Outlook including Microsoft diary management, databases, and working knowledge of social networking applications.
  • A desire to learn new IT skills is necessary for this post.
  • Have a polite, confidential and discrete manner.
  • Have excellent interpersonal, organizational and communication skills, both oral and written.
  • Have the ability to prioritise tasks and meet deadlines.
  • Strong organisational skills and the ability to keep track of multiple projects simultaneously.
  • Be a strong team player with the ability to work on own initiative with minimal supervision in a busy but dynamic environment.
  • Strong analytical skills with a pro-active approach to work, anticipating and resolving problems in advance.
  • Highly motivated with a good attitude and commitment to HIHI goals.
  • Appreciates and enjoys bringing a high level of detail to tasks.
  • Keen ability to work independently, show initiative, and take ownership.
  • Natural problem solver with a bias to action.
  • Experience in web editing and social media skill is desirable for this post.

Skills & Competencies

  • Oral communication: Ability to communicate convincingly and confidently when speaking to others at all levels: comes across as welcoming, cooperative and approachable in manner.
  • Written communication: documents are free of grammatical and punctuation errors; clear, concise and error-free writing; uses resources when unsure of proper spelling, punctuation or grammar; e-mails and memoranda are clear and to the point; uses formatting effectively to highlight key information. Ability to draft correspondence.
  • Organisational skills: has information in well organised files; monitors information regularly and updates accordingly; keeps track of multiple projects.
  • Interpersonal skills: Is discrete and knows when information is of a confidential nature and acts accordingly. Ability to interface effectively with students and staff in the Department, affiliated hospitals and college community. Fosters good working relationships; is known as someone who is helpful to others; can work effectively in a multi-cultural, bilingual environment.
  • Conscientious: work is accurate; ensures details are completed.
  • Deadline orientated: Can work well under pressure; handle multiple tasks simultaneously and meet deadlines.
  • Resourceful: Can work on own initiative; knows where to find information and help and can problem solve.
  • Team worker: Can operate effectively as part of a team – is cordial and willing to help others; is cooperative and patient; shares work and information; establishes rapport with everyone..
  • Analytical skills: Can prioritise work effectively; can identify a problem and propose an appropriate solution.
  • Motivated: Is interested in work and committed to the future development of the department and wishes to contribute.

More here: https://www.tcd.ie/hr/vacancies/

 

 

Health Innovation Hub Ireland wins Irish Medtech Association Award for Academic Contribution to Medtech!!

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The Irish Medtech CEO Conference – Medtech Rising, took place in Cork on December 5thand 6th.  It was an excellent event hosting many international and national speakers. Health Innovation Hub Ireland’s National Manager, Dr Tanya Mulcahy presented on HIHI and chaired a session on Supporting Clinical Research and Product Adoption in the Irish Healthcare System.  Panellists included Dr Lucy O’Keefe, CEO and co-founder Croivalve, Professor Helen Whelton, Head of College of Medicine and Health, UCC and Chief Academic Officer to the HSE South South-West Hospital Group and Professor Pat O’Mahony, CEO, Clinical Research Development Ireland.

This excellent event culminated with an awards dinner on the evening of the 6th. HIHI was delighted to receive the award for Best Academic Contribution to Medtech! Receiving the award on stage were Dr Sinead Keogh, IBEC, Dr Tanya Mulcahy, National Manager HIHI , UCC, Ms Aisling Dolan, HIHI, NUIG, Ms Eimear Galvin Manager HIHI, TCD and Ms Jane O’Flynn, HIHI, CIT.

Success, as HIHI kicks off workshop delivery with ‘Re-Thinking Healthcare Innovation’, in St James

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On Thursday November 22, Health Innovation Hub Ireland’s Dublin office welcomed its first cohort to the HIHI Innovation Workshops. 19 attended on the day, with a participant mix across regions – Dublin, Cork, Mayo, hospital groups, clinical and administrative, junior and senior.

The workshop, which took place in St James, is part of a connected series of five ‘Innovation Workshop’s run by Health Innovation Hub Ireland. These one-day workshops have been developed to build participants insights into the latest thinking on practical implementation of new processes ideas, new product ideas, and creative approaches to re-thinking healthcare from within.

The five core workshops as a continuum, will guide and encourage participants to explore the potential for innovative approaches within their own healthcare environment. The only requirement for entry is that participants are a HSE or voluntary hospital employee.

If you are interested in hearing more and being kept up to date with opportunities to sign up, please email – galvinei@tcd.ie.

Calling all health professionals: HIHI and IGNITE 2018 launches in Galway

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This September, Health Innovation Hub Ireland will launch IGNITE 2018 with partners HSE NDTP, National Doctors Training and Planning, Saolta University Healthcare Group & ICAPPS, Irish Centre for Applied Patient Safety and Simulation. IGNITE 2018 is a competition aimed at people working in healthcare in the West or Ireland, where individuals or teams can submit innovative ideas and have an opportunity to engage with experts in innovation.

A mentoring forum for healthcare staff to develop early stage ideas and potential solutions. The best applicants will be brought together for a Dragon’s Den style pitch on 29, November 2018, and the winners and runners-up will receive a bursary to develop their idea in collaboration with Health Innovation Hub Ireland. An IGNITE 2018 information session will be held on Thursday, 27 September at 5pm in the Clinical Science Institute at University Hospital Galway.

 

HIHI in Galway feature in Saolta newsletter

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HSE, the Saolta University Health Care Group and NUI Galway are happy to announce that Health Innovation Hub Ireland are now based in the West. Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) works across the health sector and with Irish businesses to solve challenges in healthcare.
Commenting, Aisling Dolan, Manager of the new office said

‘We are delighted our new office will open here in September 2018 on the ground floor of the Lambe Translational Institute for Research and beside the Clinical Research Facility (CRF). We have a team in place and will be running IGNITE Innovation 2018 aimed at HSE staff here and Innovation Into Healthcare focused and open calls for start-ups and SMEs. We have an open door policy to anyone with an idea to improve patient care – so drop by and meet our team’.

I am working in the HSE here in Galway and I have a great idea, what do I do next?

IGNITE 2018 is a competition where individuals or teams can submit innovative ideas and have an opportunity to engage with experts in innovation. The best applicants will be brought together for a dragon’s den style pitch on 6th December, winners and 5 runners-up will receive a bursary to develop their idea in collaboration with Health Innovation Hub Ireland. A follow-on from the success of Neurotransmitter 2017, IGNITE 2018 will launch in September, this is open to people working in Healthcare in the West of Ireland.

Health Innovation Hub will join with partners HSE NDTP (National Doctors Training & Planning), the Spark Innovation Programme and Dr Dara Byrne, Intern Co-Ordinator NUI Galway/West Northwest (WNW) Intern Training Network and Director of Irish Centre for Applied Patient Safety and Simulation (ICAPPS) NUI Galway and to deliver this programme to healthcare providers in the West.

Dr Dara Byrne highlighted ‘We are excited to work with our partners in the Hub and the HSE to build on the success of Neurotransmitter with IGNITE 2018. This is a chance to submit your own idea or to work with a team, to build your innovation skills and to compete in a pitch event’ and Aisling emphasized ‘We will be promoting this programme over the next few months and with such a high interest in this programme – Health Innovation Hub Ireland and the HSE are hoping to expand this further to Cork and Dublin in 2019’.
How do I get in touch?

Come talk to our team and follow us on Twitter to find out about our upcoming events @hihireland.
Aisling Dolan, Manager, Galway, Health Innovation Hub Ireland, aisling.dolan@nuigalway.ie
Dr Diana Hogan-Murphy, Senior Antimicrobial Pharmacist, HSE & HIHI Clinical Co-ordinator diana.hogan.murphy@hihi.ie
Dr Jimmy Eaton-Evans, Technology Evaluator, Health Innovation Hub Ireland jeaton-evans@nuigalway.ie

Reminder – IMSTA Medtech Awards 2018 – closing date for entries is 31st August

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The Award ceremony and Gala Black Tie Dinner will take place Thursday September 27th in the fabulous Croke Park Conference Centre.

This year’s event will further push the envelope, allowing more networking opportunities than ever before and showcasing emerging and established talent.

We are now seeking nominations in each of the 8 Award Categories.  Don’t miss out on this opportunity to put your product or service forward for an award.  Award entries will be judged by experts in the field, and past winners have used the Awards as a launching pad for further exposure, networking and ultimately, sales.  Entries will close on August 31st, so act now and don’t miss your chance to shine.

IMSTA members can now access the devoted webpage HERE for information on the Categories, How to Enter and Book a Table for this prestigious event

ENTER HERE NOW

More Information from admin@imsta.ie

www.imsta.ie

 

Infant Research Centre, CUMH launches B-Best Start Book

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Infant Research Centre were delighted to launch the B-BEST START LifeMatters for Mums, Dads and New Born Babies handbook on Friday 12th May 2018 with author Dr Margaret O’Rourke, and alongside Principal Investigator Prof Eugene Dempsey and Centre Director, Professor Geraldine Boylan.

The B-BEST START Programme is part of the Infant Centre’s NeoView Programme, which aims to improve the outcomes of babies in the neonatal unit (NNU) by empowering parents to build their own health, well-being and resilience so that they can be active, informed and emotionally engaged with their new born babies, infants and children.

The focus of the day was on the Neonatal Unit (NNU). The NNU is a unit in Cork University Maternity Hospital that specialises in the care of babies, particularly those who are born too soon, who have a low birth weight, who have medical conditions that require additional care, and those recovering after surgery.  In Ireland, approximately 1 in 10 babies will visit the NNU for at least a few days. The length of stay in the NNU will depend on baby’s size, prematurity, and medical circumstances.

Speaking at the event, Dr Margaret O’Rourke noted that the book helps to empower parents, “Babies need their mums and dads, and the programme is about making them central to their baby’s care. Babies can’t wait: the first 1000 days of their lives are absolutely critical for their future development, and this book helps parents to cope and do the best for their babies”.

The handbook offers a huge opportunity to make a difference to the next generation: the first three years of life (or first 1000 days) are critical to long-term outcomes, as the brain is rapidly developing and building its architecture. Early experiences on the developing brain are hugely important, particularly the relationship and caregiving from parents.

Funded by Science Foundation Ireland and Lincor Solutions, and working collaboratively with Health Innovation Hub Ireland, the NeoView Programme has demonstrated how research, particularly in an intensive environment such as the NNU, can contribute to the care there, and effect change in patient outcomes. Staff have noted that the B-BEST START book can help in taking the “psychological temperature” down as stress can be contagious between parents and staff. The focus on practical activities that parents can do to bolster their resilience makes a huge difference to outcomes, noted by staff as having a very positive impact on parents.

For more information on the NeoView Programme, including resources for parents with babies in the NNU: visit www.infantcentre.ie/neoview

For more information on the author, Dr Margaret O’Rourke:

https://www.ucc.ie/en/medical/meu/people/

Post Doctoral Researcher required to join team from Department of Medicine, UCC, Department of Infectious Disease, CUH and Altratech Ireland

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Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Researcher (HIV genomics, bioinformatics and point of care diagnostic device development) to join a Horizon 2020-SME funded project on the EASIVIRAL HIV viral load detection and quantification system.

Click here for more information and application process