Celebrating Excellence in Care

Prof. Amanda Phelan
Associate Professor, School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems UCD (Chairperson)

Professor Phelan holds a number of roles in the School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems. She the Associate Dean for Global Engagement and Subject Head of Older Person’s Nursing. Amanda co-ordinates the Graduate Diploma and Master’s Degree in Person Centred Care as well as the Professional Certificate in the Management of Elder Abuse.

She also acts as Co-Director in the National Centre for the Protection of Older People, UCD, and has undertaken numerous research studies in the area of elder abuse and Person Centred Co-ordinated Care. Amanda has published widely in the area of older person care, including her book International Perspectives on Elder Abuse and has two further Gerontological books in preparation.  Within her outreach work, Amanda acts on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Older People Nursing and the Journal of the All Ireland Gerontological Nurses’ Association. She sits on the Board of Directors in Third Age, the National Advisory Committee of Sage Advocacy and Support for Older People and the Fitness to Practice Committee of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland.

Ms Anne Marie Bennett,
Senior Dietitian, Irish Nutrition & Dietetics Institute (INDI)

Anne Marie is currently in clinical practice in St. Mary’s hospital, Phoenix Park, Dublin. She is secretary of the Older Persons and Dementia Interest Group (OPDIG) of the Irish Nutrition and Dietetics Institute (INDI) and in this role is actively involved in producing national nutrition resources relating to the Older Person and Dementia. She completed a Certificate in Management and Leadership in 2014 and has represented her professional body on numerous occasions, including the INDI representative on a HIQA advisory board addressing Nutrition and Hydration in acute hospitals in 2015/2016. Anne Marie’s special interest is research and service development and she is currently project lead on a year-long Food First Campaign in St. Mary’s hospital (2016-2017). She was involved in a multidisciplinary project to develop an algorithm in the effective prevention and management of constipation in older hospital in-patients, due for publication later this year. She is also clinical supervisor for a post graduate project to introduce a dietary intervention for the prevention of constipation for residents in a long stay unit, due to commence September 2017. She also supervises and mentors dietetic students from UCD and Trinity College.

Ms Karen Charnley,
Head of Institute, All Ireland Institute of Hospice & Palliative Care

As Director, Karen provides strategic leadership for All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) including brokering relationships between the Institute’s 26 partner 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 development of the Palliative Hub.

Ms Susan Kent,
former Assistant Chief Nursing Officer, Department of Health & Asst. National Director, Change Capacity & Supporting Implementation of Sláintecare

Susan has a nursing and midwifery career of 33 years. This has encompassed acute and community areas, primary, secondary and tertiary care settings. Susan also teaches on the Mary Seacole Programme (professional leadership programme) for the NHS. She was awarded the Nurses medal and Midwife of the year. Susan’s PhD studies are on Grandfathers in Ireland and are capturing their view in a snapshot of time. Susan has been described as a ‘Hybrid’ of nursing and midwifery with her extensive practice and academic experience.

Pat McLoughlin,
CEO, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland

Pat Mcloughlin worked as a management consultant prior to becoming Chief Executive of The Alzheimer Society of Ireland. He served on the management teams of four health boards and was Chief Executive of the South Eastern Health Board and Eastern Health Board. He served as the first National Director of the National Hospitals office and Deputy CEO of the H.S.E. He was Chief Executive of the Irish Payment Services Organisation until the introduction of European Payments Formats. He has assisted Government, on a pro bono basis, in reviews of public expenditure, local government, childcare, health insurance and the Dept of Justice. He has served as Chairman and a member of a number of voluntary organisations. He holds a B.A. and an L.L.B.from N.U.I.Galway and an M.B.A. from Strathclyde Business School.

Kavitha Ramalingam,
Integrated Community Advanced Nurse Practitioner

Kavitha Ramalingam is an Integrated Community Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Care of Older Persons DSKW. Kavitha was awarded National Clinical Programme for Sepsis for “Sepsis Pathway in The Community” in 2019. She has 15 years’ experience in Care of Older Person and received a Masters in Person Centred Care (Care of Older Persons) in University College Dublin (2014-2016) and Dementia Champion in Dublin City University (2016). Kavitha was an Integrated Case Manager for 2 years before taking up Post Grad Advanced Nurse Practitioner Care of Older Person in Trinity College Dublin (2017-2018).