Senior Limerick hospital executive appointed to new role under HSE reforms

The top executive at University Hospital Limerick at the time of the death of Aoife Johnston (16) two years ago has been appointed by the Health Service Executive to a new senior role as part of new structural reforms.
The HSE confirmed on Wednesday that Colette Cowan is to be one of the new integrated healthcare area managers in the midwest region. It is understood she was among a small group offered such posts outside of a public competition as she already held a senior role in the health service.
The post attracts a salary of about €170,000, broadly similar to her previous remuneration.
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Ms Cowan is understood to be one of a number of personnel at the hospital in Limerick who are currently on administrative leave pending further investigations in relation to the death of Ms Johnston. She has not taken up the new position as she remains on administrative leave.
The HSE said on Wednesday that it had no comment to make in relation to any individual. “The chief executive [of the HSE] said a few weeks ago on RTÉ radio that there were four people on administrative leave and that remains the case,” it said.
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Ms Johnston, a schoolgirl from Shannon in Co Clare, died of meningitis in December 2022 after she was referred to the hospital’s emergency department with suspected sepsis that went untreated for 13 hours. A report by former chief justice Frank Clarke found the circumstances that led to her death were “almost certainly avoidable”.
The HSE said the positions in the midwest and in locations elsewhere had been given to some individuals who already held senior positions in the health service.
[ Family of Aoife Johnston call for report into her death at UHL to be published immediatelyOpens in new window ]
“Five of those appointed to integrated healthcare manager roles had had permanent posts in community health organisations and hospital groups which were being abolished. They were offered assignments as integrated healthcare managers as part of our ambition to reconfigure the health service structure within existing numbers,” the HSE said.
It said that in each of the six new health regions there would be a number of health areas, which would allow for more localised planning, management and integration of services.
“The midwest will have three health areas, one of which will lead the acute hospitals in the region including UHL and some community services. This role will be taken by Ian Carter, and the other two health area managers will be Maria Bridgeman and Colette Cowan. The three will report to the midwest regional executive officer, Sandra Broderick.”
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly is scheduled to appear before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health on Thursday in relation to “recent issues arising” at UHL.