Sheila O’Leary, BSc, FCIPD

Consultant, Joint Commission International

Sheila O’Leary has 15 years of experience in health care within acute care hospitals and primary care settings in Ireland and the UK.  Her expertise encompasses accreditation preparation, survey readiness, human resource management, quality improvement and project management.

Currently, Ms. O’Leary works in a large private acute care hospital in Dublin, with responsibility for quality improvement and risk management. In this role she has led the organization through three successful Joint Commission International Accreditation surveys, most recently upholding the 2008 international standards. Ms. O’Leary played a pivotal role in the hospital becoming the first in Ireland to achieve international accreditation in 2002.

Ms. O’Leary has presented at conferences in Germany and the U.S. Her international consulting experience includes the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. If there is one thing in health care that she would change, it would be encouraging a culture of openness. One should be able to “admit mistakes within a learning environment and assist in systems improvement, without fear of retribution or branding.”

Ms O’Leary earned her bachelor of science degree from the University College Dublin, followed by a higher diploma in Education; she was awarded a University Diploma in Personnel Management from DeMontfort University, England. Ms O’Leary has recently been awarded a Diploma in Quality Management – Lean Health Systems (black belt) by the University of Limerick, Ireland. She is a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and a member of the Irish Society for Quality in Healthcare.