Caitriona Heffernan, MSc is a Senior Speech and Language Therapist with 17 years’ experience working in the acute hospital sector in the UK and Ireland. Caitriona’s clinical specialism is in the area of Neonatal and Paediatric Feeding disorders. In additional to her clinical responsibilities at Cork University Hospital, Caitriona lectures on the professional qualification programme for Speech and Language Therapy at University College Cork and has previously taught on the MSc programme for Speech and Language Therapists at Trinity College Dublin. Over the past number of years Caitriona has expanded her focus beyond that of her clinical field and has added to her qualifications in the areas of Healthcare Innovation and Quality Improvement & Leadership.
Caitriona is passionate about healthcare innovation and the development of a dynamic and solution focussed workforce that is ready to meet the challenges of healthcare delivery in Ireland. Caitriona has recently been appointed as the Innovation Programme Lead for Cork University Maternity Hospital as part of the Ireland South Women and Infants Directorate where she will be responsible for building capacity for change and improvement and driving innovation within the organisation.