Chief Medical Officer

The needs of the workplace and our clients has evolved in the past two years largely due to Covid-19 and we are committed to supporting that change with new occupational health offerings unique to the Irish market. We have identified the need for organisations to have access to the support of a Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Despite the role existing in many companies internationally for years, the concept is still relatively new in Ireland.

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Chief Medical Officer

Our CMOs work with your key stakeholders and senior management teams to advise and work through the struggles many companies are now facing with implementing a hybrid working model, managing teams working both remotely and in-office, and the general stresses and anxieties that currently exist due to Covid-19.

The role of a CMO may include:

Ensuring your organisation achieves and maintains international standards of best practice from a Health and Safety perspective.
Leading out on Covid-19 protocols, return-to-work strategies, roll-out of antigen testing.
Key liaison to corporate legal team in litigious cases.
Closing out on long term or complex cases.
Management training, improvement of Wellness / EAP Programmes and other educational supports to manage hybrid and remote teams effectively.

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Founder & Chief Medical Officer
Professor John Gallagher

Senior Medical Consultant

Dr Shane Farrelly

Dr Shane Farrelly has over 30 years’ experience as an expert in International Occupational Medicine. He is a consultant to a number of international companies providing guidance to the Companies Corporate Health Departments in the design and implementation of Global Occupational Health Programmes.   In 2014, he was appointed as one of three Senior Medical Advisors to the Irish Health & Safety Authority.

He is an expert in rehabilitating employees with long term absence back to work and has worked with the insurance industry in designing and implementing proven and effective rehabilitation programmes globally. Dr Farrelly is also a specialist in Absence and Strategic Case Management and has designed and implemented programmes which have significantly reduced short, medium and long term absence.

Dr Farrelly is also a Physician Executive with the proven ability to lead large groups, manage budgets, address HR challenges, and apply strategic business insights.

In addition he has expertise in population health and guides companies in putting in place and maintaining a culture of health

Founder & Chief Medical Officer

Professor John Gallagher

Professor John Gallagher is a medical doctor specialising in Occupational Medicine. He graduated in 1985 at University College Cork (UCC), attained his Membership of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine in 1992 and Fellowship in 1997. He completed a Masters degree at the Institute of Occupational Health, University of Birmingham in 1991 and was the winner of the inaugural John Darwall Prize.

John is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland since 2005. He is Adjunct Professor at the School of Public Health in University College Cork and the Academic Director of the Diploma in Safety, Health & Welfare at Work.

He is also an examiner, trainer and past Dean of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. John is Founder and Clinical Director of Cognate Health Ltd.

At Cognate Health Chief Medical Officer support is provided by, Professor John Gallagher and Doctor Shane Farrelly. With a combined experience of almost 80 years in occupational health, both provide clinical leadership and ensure that the health and wellbeing of the workforce is at the forefront in the vision, mission, and values of the company.

Visit our Blog page to read more about the Chief Medical Officer role or get in touch with our Cognate Health team who would be delighted to advise on next steps.