Irene Kavanagh
Emergency Department, ICU and Laboratory Quality and Practice Committees, Regional MyChart Working Group and Experience Measurement Working Group
Irene was born in Ireland and came to Canada (just for a holiday!!) in 1974 after qualifying as a Medical Laboratory Technologist in Dublin. She worked as a Technologist at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto and as a Research Technologist at The Wellesley Hospital in the same city for 12 years before moving to the pharmaceutical industry where she had a long and successful career in the clinical trials area.
Irene and her partner Isabel moved to Cobourg full time in 2014 after cottaging in the Northumberland area for many years. Irene retired in 2016 and has had experience with NHH in numerous ways, including:
- Emergency Department with possible cardiac issues (in fact turned out to be pneumonia).
- Day surgery (hand)
- Visiting and supporting friends at NHH over the years
Irene loves golf, photography and singing with her choir Happy Harmony. She also volunteers with the charity Helping Hands Northumberland, a non-profit team helping local, national and international people in need and was recognized for her volunteerism with a Town of Cobourg Civic Award in 2024.
An active PFAC partner since March 2018, Irene currently serves on the Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit and Laboratory Quality and Practice Committees, as well as the regional MyChart working group supporting promotion and awareness of MyChart, the patient portal available at hospitals across the Central East region. Alongside other PFAC partners Irene has also been a key participant in the evolution of NHH's experience measurement tools, actively participating on the Experience Measurement Working Group and its sub-committees.