UL Hospitals Group Appoints Paul Burke as Chief Clinical Director

UL Hospitals Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Paul Burke as Chief Clinical Director.

 Mr Burke has been a Consultant General and Vascular Surgeon at UHL and St John’s Hospital since 1994. He succeeds Dr John Kennedy as Chief Clinical Director of the group, comprising University Hospital Limerick, University Maternity Hospital Limerick, St John’s Hospital, Ennis Hospital, Nenagh Hospital and Croom Hospital.

 Having qualified in medicine in Trinity College Dublin in 1978, Mr Burke continued his training and pursued research interests in the major Dublin hospitals (St Vincent’s, St James’s, Beaumont), in the UK and in the United States.

 Mr Burke is a fellow of both the Royal College of Surgeons (England) and of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). He has been a member of the Council of the RCSI since 2014. Other roles held by Mr Burke in the recent past have included President, Irish Association of Vascular Surgeons 2013 – 2015; Irish Representative on Council of European Society of Vascular Surgery 2011 – 2014; and Director of Reconfiguration of Acute Hospital Services Mid-West Region (2008 – 11).

 He is a former Chairman of the Medical Board and member of Board of Management of St John’s Hospital. And Mr Burke was a member of the Mid-Western Health Board for over 10 years until its dissolution in 2007.

 Mr Burke, along with his surgical colleagues in Limerick, has been integral in developing surgical training and surgical research programmes throughout the Mid West. His main research interests are in chronic venous disease; vascular, endovascular and general surgery.

 Commenting on the two-year appointment this week, UL Hospitals CEO Colette Cowan said: “I am delighted to have a person of the calibre of Paul Burke accept the appointment of Chief Clinical Director and build on the excellent work of his predecessors Dr John Kennedy, Prof Pierce Grace and Dr Anto Dempsey”.

 “Government took the wise and correct decision some years ago to bring senior clinicians into the heart of the decision-making process in our hospitals. Paul is one of the most eminent surgeons in the country and management and staff here will gain enormously from his wealth of experience. Paul is also somebody who has shown true leadership and great integrity in arguing for the better organisation of acute surgical services in Ireland for the benefit of patients.”

 Mr Burke said he was looking forward to developing the new directorate structures at UL Hospitals Group and to facing the challenges arising from greater autonomy for hospital groups.

 “The Chief Clinical Director will play a key role at this level in overseeing the directorate structure and giving support to its medical and nursing directors. The CCD must also help to strengthen links with UL Medical School and support the Group CEO in ensuring that other critical infrastructure developments – such as the relocation of the Maternity unit to the UHL campus and the building of additional acute beds – go ahead as quickly as possible,” said Mr Burke.

 Though a native of Dublin, Mr Burke has lived in Limerick long enough to become a keen follower of Munster Rugby! He is a member of Limerick Golf Club and an active member of Limerick Choral Union. Other interests include gardening and current affairs.