The chief executive of Tallaght hospital, Dr David McCutcheon, is to take up a position as president and CEO of the Sunnybrook and Women's College and Health Sciences Centre in Toronto on April 12th. Dr McCutcheon has informed Tallaght hospital of his decision to resign to take up a position in Canada.
Ms Sandra Cruikshanks, head of public affairs at the hospital, said Dr McCutcheon's appointment was confirmed last Tuesday.
The hospital involves the coming together of three publicly fun ded institutions, the Sunnybrook hospital, the Women's College and the Orthopaedic and Arthritic hospital. The large Sunnybrook campus will be expanded to cater for in-patient needs. Ms Cruikshanks said the search for a person to fill the position had been going on for six to eight months. Dr McCutcheon's name was in the search because of his work in nearby Hamilton Civic Hospitals before taking up the Tallaght position.
She said the hospital was "not talking about" his salary. Public service salaries are published annually and senior civil servants in the health service are paid between Can$125,000 and Can $150,000 (£75,000 approx).
However, given the competitive nature of senior administrative positions in hospitals in North America, Dr McCutcheon's salary is likely to be higher.
Ms Cruikshanks said the staff of the amalgamated hospital was enthusiastic about their new CEO. Dr McCutcheon said: "Bringing together disparate healthcare organisations is an astonishingly complex task. I have seen it done well and I have learned a great deal along the way. I want to bring those skills to this position."