GBGH launches Emergency Wait Times clock webpage

March 30, 2023 – Starting this week, Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) will publicly display projected wait times in the Emergency department (ED) via the hospital’s websites – both in English and French. Within the coming weeks, GBGH will also post the wait times on a screen in the ED waiting room so patients can refer to it while already in the ED.

When viewing the wait times online, it shows two different categories types of wait time – main ED and Green Zone (See & Treat for minor illness or injury), as well as the number of patients who are:

• Currently waiting (have not yet seen a physician)
• Currently being treated (i.e. they’ve had an initial assessment by a physician)

“GBGH has continued its important work over the last year to improve emergency department wait times,” says Matthew Lawson, president and CEO, GBGH. “The new ED wait time clock aligns with our hospital’s commitment to be transparent with our community. It is also important for patients to understand what to expect when coming to the Emergency department so they can be better prepared for their visit.”

This initiative was a significant priority for GBGH based on the following:

• Providing information to the public about the length of wait times to expect when visiting the ED can improve the patient experience
• It is an opportunity to increase awareness among patients and families about fluctuations in ED volumes, wait times and the triage process (based on the severity of a patient’s condition and their type of injury/illness)

On the website, the public can also access a graph showing when the ED will be busiest over the next six hours (based on historical data from the previous 30 days); a list of alternative resources for minor illness; what to bring when coming to the ED; and a reminder to call 911 in case of serious injury or illness. The page is accessible through GBGH’s website (gbgh.on.ca) and directly through the following link: https://gbgh-predict.oculys.com

Please note, wait times can change suddenly and dramatically based on evolving patient health status and volume.

Contact:

Derek Desroches
Communications Specialist
705-526-1300 ext 5016
desrochesd@gbgh.on.ca

GBGH seeking community feedback in development of new strategic plan

March 13, 2023 – Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) is looking for feedback from the community to help shape the organization’s new strategic plan. GBGH launched its current five-year strategic plan in 2018 and is now in the process of revising that plan to guide the hospital for the next seven years. One of the most important aspects of developing the plan is the inclusion of input from hospital staff/professional staff/volunteers, Board of Directors members, GBGH’s Patient and Family Advisory Council, healthcare partners, unique populations served by the hospital, elected officials and the community.

“This is a tremendously exciting time for GBGH, as we have the opportunity to shape and determine our future directions, in order to best serve our community,” says Matthew Lawson, president and CEO, GBGH. “Our new strategic plan will span seven years to ensure we have sufficient time to implement our strategy and make meaningful progress toward achieving objectives. Although we are still in the development phase, I can assure you the plan will position GBGH to adapt to the continually evolving acute healthcare environment, ensure we are aligning our services with the needs of our community, and focus on fostering a positive environment in which team members can work, practice and volunteer.”

The strategic plan acts as the organization’s roadmap to guide all its decisions and ensure it is accountable to the community it serves. In addition to the survey, the hospital will hold focus groups to gather feedback from specific stakeholders.

The community survey can be found via the GBGH website (www.gbgh.on.ca) or through the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KWFDH3D

GBGH anticipates having the new strategic plan finalized by June 2023.

Contact:

Jennifer Moore

Director, Communications & Stakeholder Relations, GBGH

705-526-1300 ext 5177

moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

GBGH awarded for open communication about organ and tissue donation

Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) was recently honoured by Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN) with a Provincial Eligible Approach Rate Award. This award is presented to hospitals who exceed TGLN’s target of 90 per cent in having organ and tissue donation discussions with eligible patients/family members. GBGH achieved an eligible approach rate of 100 per cent. This is the first year GBGH has reached this target and received this award. Accepting the award on behalf of GBGH are critical care team members (from left): Leslie Tubman, team lead, Intensive Care Unit (ICU); Robin Tucker, ICU clerk; Nicole Lefaivre, critical care professional practice leader; Samantha Townes, manager, ICU; Kaitlyn Davidson, registered nurse (RN), ICU; and Dan Bedard, RN, Critical Care Float Team.

February 16, 2023 – Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) has been recognized with a Provincial Eligible Approach Rate Award from Ontario Health (Trillium Gift of Life Network [TGLN]), the province’s organ and tissue donation and transplantation agency. This award recognizes GBGH for its outstanding efforts to facilitate a discussion about organ and tissue donation between Ontario Health (TGLN) and eligible patients/families of patients at end of life.

“GBGH is very proud of the partnership with TGLN and the critical care team here has taken our role very seriously as facilitators of a difficult, yet important, discussion between TGLN, patients and families,” says Dr. Khalid Tahir, TGLN medical lead, intensivist and chief of Medicine, GBGH. “This is never an easy conversation because it means the end of life for a patient, but it is so important we not be afraid of facilitating these discussions which helps patients and families be aware of options. One of those options is donation and it can have wide-reaching, life-saving outcomes.”

This is the first time GBGH has exceeded the provincial eligible approach rate target of 90 per cent – set by Ontario Health (TGLN) – achieving 100 per cent in 2021-2022.

“The success of organ and tissue donation in Ontario relies on the hard work and dedication of our health care partners. Georgian Bay General Hospital has made an outstanding contribution to organ and tissue donation and this award is a reflection of their commitment to implementing leading donation practices, integrating donation as part of quality end-of-life care, and continuously working to save lives through organ and tissue donation,” says Rebecca Cooper, vice president, Ontario Renal Network and Trillium Gift of Life Network, Ontario Health. “Every Ontarian has the opportunity to demonstrate their support for this life-saving work by registering their consent to organ and tissue donation at BeADonor.ca.”

Despite COVID-19’s continued impact, the province contributed to 807 essential organ transplants while Ontario hospitals supported 302 organ donors and 1885 tissue donors. In 2021-2022, GBGH had four tissue donors enhancing the lives of many.

Approximately 1,300 people in Ontario are currently on the waitlist for a life-saving organ transplant, and every three days someone will die because they did not receive their transplant in time. While more than 22,000 Ontarians have received a lifesaving organ transplant since 2003 and the majority of Canadians say they understand the importance of organ donation, only 35 per cent of Ontarians have formally registered their consent for organ and tissue donation.

Ontario Health’s (TGLN) goal is to achieve 120,000 new registrations between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023. Visit www.beadonor.ca to register or find out more.

Both Penetanguishene, with 56 per cent, and Midland, with 55 per cent, well exceed the average provincial registration rate of 35 per cent. Penetanguishene ranks 19^th and Midland ranks 26^th for organ donation registration out of 170 communities in Ontario.

 Contact:

Jennifer Moore

Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations, GBGH

705-526-1300 ext 5177

moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

GBGH receives funding to operate its first MRI, bringing care closer to home

The Honourable Robin Martin (back row, centre), parliamentary assistant to Ontario’s Minister of Health, and the Honourable Jill Dunlop (front row, far right), member of provincial parliament for Simcoe North and minister of Colleges and Universities, recently visited Georgian Bay General Hospital. In addition to touring the facility, they formally announced the hospital will receive funding to operate a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine as part of the Diagnostic Imaging services GBGH provides its community.

February 3, 2023 – Announced during an event today with provincial government officials, Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) will receive $800,000 in annual operating funding to begin providing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) services, expanding access to these important diagnostic procedures. Prior to this commitment, GBGH was the largest acute care hospital in Ontario without an operating or approved MRI. Having an MRI at GBGH is an another opportunity to bring care closer to home for thousands of residents annually who will not need to travel as far – or wait as long – to receive this essential care.

“The Ontario Ministry of Health understands the importance of expanding access to MRI scanners in rural communities, such as Midland”, said Robin Martin, member of provincial parliament for Eglinton-Lawrence and parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health. “Having an MRI at Georgian Bay General Hospital will help to reduce wait times for this service in Simcoe North, allowing for more timely diagnosis and treatment while lessening the travel burden that is placed on patients and caregivers who currently have to go outside of the area for this service.”

“The province is ensuring hospitals have the funds they need to operate, and at Georgian Bay General Hospital, this means increased access to diagnostic imaging for people within our region,” said Jill Dunlop, MPP for Simcoe North. “For the Midland area, this funding means residents will have more convenient access to care closer to home through access to GBGH’s first-ever MRI machine, and I was proud to work closely with GBGH on this important initiative.”

GBGH’s future MRI will not only serve the hospital’s immediate community, it will assist in adding capacity to the system which reduces wait times across the region. The addition of an MRI in the hospital’s Diagnostic Imaging department will reduce wait times as area residents can be seen in Midland, making more appointments available at local hospitals for patients located in neighbouring communities.

“Our hospital’s strategy is to grow clinical services in alignment with community needs,” says Tim Kastelic, chair, GBGH Board of Directors. “Bringing MRI services to GBGH has been a priority of our hospital over many years now and has been made possible in part through the influential advocacy of MPP Dunlop. Her ongoing support of GBGH’s growth and service expansion has positively impacted many aspects of our hospital, helping us enhance healthcare services for local residents.”

In submitting its proposal for an MRI, GBGH estimates it could eventually operate it 3,900 hours annually or 16 hours per day, five days per week. At this time, the initial funding commitment will enable the hospital to operate the MRI for 2,000 hours per year – or eight hours per day, five days per week – meeting the needs of an estimated 2,000 local patients.

“We are grateful the provincial government has recognized the importance of adding more MRIs to our regional healthcare system,” says Matthew Lawson, president and CEO, GBGH. “We know there are thousands of local residents experiencing lengthy wait times to receive an MRI and who still have to travel long distances when they do secure an MRI appointment. With the MRIs committed to several local hospitals, it will dramatically improve wait times and equitable access to care across Simcoe and Muskoka.”

In order to accommodate the MRI, GBGH will complete some renovations to an existing space and is committed to starting this work as quickly as possible. The hospital hopes to have the new MRI operational within 12 – 24 months, pending the Ministry of Health’s approval of the proposed renovations.

Additionally, as the government funding covers the operations of the MRI (staff, utilities), the hospital must pay for the renovations, as well as the purchase and install of the new equipment. The GBGH Foundation will work with the community and donors to raise the necessary capital funds in support of this project.

“Being able to raise the funds to renovate and purchase this MRI will be a top priority for our Foundation – and we’ve already begun,” says Nicole Kraftscik, executive director, GBGH Foundation. “If anyone has had lengthy waits, and then far distances to travel for an MRI, you will know firsthand how important it is to bring this service here to GBGH. Knowing this, we have already received some inspiring gifts directed toward the MRI and will need the added generosity of our incredible community to improve access to the latest technology in diagnostic imaging, bringing care closer to home.”

MRI is a medical imaging technique that uses magnetic fields and computer-generated radio waves to create detailed images of organs and tissues in the body. This provides better clarity for specific body parts compared to other diagnostic imaging technologies.

Contact:

Jennifer Moore

Director, Communications & Stakeholder Relations, GBGH

705-526-1300 ext 5177

moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

GBGH gives back to the community through food drive

From left – Matthew Lawson, president and CEO, GBGH; Angie Saini, vice president, Clinical Services and chief nursing executive, GBGH; Janetta Moreau, Facilities clerk, GBGH; Yvette Dusome, president, St. Margaret’s Chapter (Midland) of St. Vincent de Paul; Patty Donaldson, volunteer, St. Margaret’s Chapter (Midland) of St. Vincent de Paul; Angela Puddicombe, supervisor, Facilities, GBGH; Katy Ghovanlou, manager, 2 East inpatient unit; and Andrea Sheehan, Pharmacy Technician, GBGH.

Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) held its annual Holiday Food Drive to collect donations for the St. Vincent de Paul Food Banks in Midland and Penetanguishene. The Food Drive,was organized by GBGH’s Facilities, Environmental Services and Communications departments. Several hundred kilograms of food and toiletries were collected for community food baskets over the three-week food drive.

Contact:

Jennifer Moore

Director, Communications & Stakeholder Relations, GBGH

705-526-1300 ext. 5177

moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

GBGH remembers a year of important accomplishments and momentous milestones

December 22, 2022 – As 2022 draws to a close, Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) is taking a look back at some of the hospital’s notable accomplishments and milestones reached this year.

“Over the past year, GBGH has continued to experience growth and change as we adjust to a new normal working among ongoing challenges like a pandemic spanning nearly three years, a nation-wide health human resources shortage and unprecedented patient volumes at our hospital,” says Matthew Lawson, president and CEO, GBGH. “At the same time, the GBGH team has demonstrated exceptional resilience and commitment to our community and patients. I must thank them for all their efforts which have contributed to some exceptional accomplishments in the last year. ”

MRI Operational Funding Approval

On December 15, it was announced GBGH had received approval for operating funds to begin Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) services. Prior to the announcement, GBGH was the largest acute care hospital in Ontario without an operating or approved MRI. Having an MRI at GBGH is an another opportunity to bring care closer to home for nearly 4000 residents annually who will not need to travel as far or wait as long for this important procedure. GBGH’s future MRI will not only serve the hospital’s immediate community, it will assist in adding capacity to the system which reduces wait times across the region. GBGH will have to undergo some renovations to existing space to accommodate the new equipment and is committed to completing this work as quickly as possible pending further government approvals and the construction process. Given that government funding covers only the operations of the MRI, the GBGH Foundation will be working with the community and donors to raise the necessary capital funds to purchase and install a brand new MRI.

 Rocket Doctor Partnership

In the spring, GBGH and Rocket Doctor entered into an innovative new partnership to provide an alternative option to the hospital’s Emergency department (ED) for low acuity illness. In the absence of every patient having readily accessible primary care or physical walk-in clinics in our  community, access to Rocket Doctor’s same-day and next day appointment services has provided patients with the option to avoid the hospital when they can be well-served through this virtual service. Within the first four months of the partnership, more than 1,100 patients – who would have otherwise attended the GBGH Emergency department for their minor illness or condition – were instead able to be seen virtually by a physician. Patient feedback from the partnership has been positive since this alternative option was available to our community.

 MDRD Project & Surgical Expansion

Throughout 2022, GBGH has invested in equipment and optimizing its two operating rooms to expand the surgical program in alignment with the needs of our community. Part of this investment has included the completion of a major renovation to the Medical Device Reprocessing Department (MDRD), where the hospital’s instruments, equipment and devices are sterilized to uphold the highest standards of safety. GBGH has been successful in its strategy to grow surgical volumes by investing in equipment, broadening the range services provided and optimizing its operating rooms. Finalizing the new state-of-the-art MDRD project complements the hospital’s ongoing surgical expansion plans. During the last six months, surgical volumes at GBGH have reached 163 per cent of pre-pandemic levels meaning less travel and shorter wait times for local residents.

Freshflex Launch

Freshflex was launched at GBGH to bring patients an innovative new menu system built on the belief that fresh, flavourful and nutritious meals are an important part of everyone’s healthcare journey. The Freshflex program prioritizes excellent food presentation, a wide variety of foods and delivering meals on real (unbreakable) dishes to provide a much improved dining experience for our patients. The project involved the purchase and installation of new equipment through funds raised by the GBGH Foundation. Since the new menu was launched, food satisfaction scores have increased to 94 per cent from approximately 60 per cent previously.

Prenatal Clinic

In June, GBGH opened a Prenatal Clinic to provide high quality, standardized care closer to home for pregnant women in the North Simcoe community it serves. The clinic, which operates weekly at GBGH, is available to women in our community with or without a primary care provider to ensure all have access to comprehensive prenatal care. Dr. Chevy (Jan) Moreau, who joined GBGH last fall as the Chief of Obstetrics, has been a dedicated proponent of adding this service as part of the Birthing program’s growth.

Dialysis

GBGH officially opened its new Dialysis unit in Midland at 611 Prospect Boulevard. Formerly provided at the hospital’s Penetanguishene site, Dialysis services were permanently relocated to Midland in February 2022 after a four-year approval and construction process. The new site is bright and modern with state-of-the-art technology to serve Dialysis patients for decades to follow. The new space also includes private treatment spaces for each patient and additional room to increase capacity as community demand for enhanced kidney care grows.

Foundation Equipment Purchases

Thanks to the generous support of the community through the hospital’s Foundation, GBGH was able to invest in new equipment this year, including a new ultrasound table and probes, a bladder scanner for the ED and Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and a hematology (blood) analyzer for the Lab.

Staff Survey

GBGH completed a comprehensive employee survey to determine how team members feel about working at GBGH. The most common themes confirmed by the survey results included high scores in the areas of teamwork (working together, feeling of belonging), staff understanding expectations and relationships  with leaders.

Contact:

Jennifer Moore

Director, Communications & Stakeholder Relations, GBGH

705-526-1300 ext 5177

moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

Georgian Bay General Hospital completes major renovation in sterilization department

As part of its commitment to quality and safety, Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) has completed a critical and complex renovation project in its medical device reprocessing department (MDRD). Within the hospital, this is where instruments, devices and equipment are sterilized to meet the highest standards for quality and safety. MDRD staff and project team members gathered in part of the new space to celebrate this milestone for GBGH and its surgical program. The hospital plans for continued growth in its surgical department and other services to align with the evolving needs of the community it serves.

December 14, 2022 – Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) is celebrating the completion of a major renovation to its sterilization department, which took place in two phases over the past four years amid pandemic-related delays. The completion of this project marks a major milestone for the hospital which relies on safe, high-quality sterilization for a variety of instruments, equipment and devices used throughout the hospital.

“The redevelopment of our MDRD is an essential part of GBGH’s strategic objectives to grow our surgical program to align our services with community needs, bringing care closer to home,” says Matthew Lawson, president and CEO, GBGH. “Over the past six months, GBGH has been able to increase surgical volumes to 163 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. We’ve been successful in our strategy to grow our surgical volumes by investing in equipment, broadening the range services we provide and optimizing our OR spaces. Finalizing our new state-of-the-art MDRD project perfectly complements our hospital’s ongoing surgical expansion plans.”

The two-phase project began in 2018, after GBGH proactively initiated an assessment of its sterilization processes and physical space to identify areas to improve efficiency and update equipment. After receiving recommendations, the hospital had to outsource medical device reprocessing to an external supplier, enabling a renovation project of this size to begin. Phase 1 of the project took place pre-pandemic and then was delayed. Phase 2 work has since occurred over the past eight months, resulting in the final completion this month.

Due to its complexity and duration, this project required great patience and flexibility among MDRD staff and project team members. Recognizing the vast improvements the redevelopment would have on the standard of device sterilization at GBGH, the team has embraced learning the latest equipment and the changes in workflow.

With the completion of this project, GBGH will no longer be externally contracting sterilization, which consisted of transporting back and forth to the Greater Toronto Area the devices, instruments and equipment the hospital uses daily. Bringing sterilization back in-house is a cost savings for the hospital and reduces the likelihood of logistical issues and errors with transport.

Between April 2021 and March 2022, GBGH performed 4,012 surgical procedures despite the pandemic-related ramp down of non-urgent and elective procedures. The hospital’s plans to continue growing its surgical program are in part due to more than 3,700 local patients travelling elsewhere for surgical procedures which can be performed at GBGH. This equates to more than 600,000 kilometres and 7,500 hours of travel that could have been saved by local patients.

Contact:

Jennifer Moore

Director, Communications & Stakeholder Relations

Georgian Bay General Hospital

705-526-1300 ext. 5177

moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

COVID-19 outbreak on GBGH’s 1 North unit declared over

December 5, 2022 – Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH), in consultation with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, has officially declared the COVID-19 outbreak over on its 1 North inpatient unit.

The outbreak, originally declared November 23, included 10 patients who contracted COVID-19 while receiving care at the hospital.

During the outbreak only essential visitors were permitted on the unit, but visitation on 1 North is returning to two visitors at a time during the visiting hours of 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Contact:

Jennifer Moore
Director, Communications & Stakeholder Relations
Georgian Bay General Hospital
705-526-1300 ext. 5177
moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

Board of Directors names GBGH team members as Exceptional People Award recipients

December 1, 2022 – The Board of Directors of Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) has announced the 2022 recipients of the Exceptional People Awards. The Board of Directors’ Exceptional People Awards are announced annually to recognize staff and professional staff (physicians, midwives, dentists) who have made exceptional contributions to GBGH while exhibiting the hospital’s values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence and the vision of Exceptional Care, Every Person, Every Time.

The recipients of this year’s awards represent a cross-section of team members from across the organization and include the following teams/individuals:

Quality and Safety Award

Environmental Services (Housekeeping)

Over the pandemic, the Environmental Services department has played a critical role in not only ensuring quality and safety at the hospital, but also in enhancing the patient experience. It is common for the hospital to receive positive feedback about this team from patients and family members who recognize their many contributions to care. An empathetic conversation with a family member, or going above and beyond to ensure a patient’s comfort, are daily occurrences among these exceptional professionals. Also,

with new and changing information about necessary cleaning protocols to ensure infection and prevention control, this team adapted to any task and performed their critical responsibilities with attention to detail and steadfast professionalism. The team also contributes greatly to patient flow, as they efficiently respond to discharges with thorough cleaning that promptly frees up a bed for another waiting patient.

Janine Duquette (Infection Prevention and Control lead) and Judy Schell (manager, Occupational Health and Safety)

Janine Duquette and Judy Schell are being recognized for their unwavering commitment to ensuring the GBGH team was kept informed and safe during the pandemic. With countless hours of overtime in the interest of the GBGH team and patients’ safety, Duquette and Schell’s coordinated efforts touched nearly every staff member. Whether it meant providing infection prevention and control education, counselling staff/professional staff through illness and return-to-work scenarios, staying informed on the many and frequently changing Ministry and public health directives, or tracking PPE inventory usage and potential shortages, their combined work exemplified everything about quality and safety leadership needed during the pandemic.

Accountability & Sustainability Award

2 East inpatient unit

The 2 East team is being recognized for their incredible contributions to save lives, advance health equity and protect the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. With half the unit allocated as a COVID-19 hot zone, this team’s dedication and integrity never faltered during some of the most challenging times of the pandemic. Although faced with significant challenges organization-wide, the nursing, clerical and allied health staff on this unit always showed up for each other and patients, working together tirelessly to share the burden of caring for a majority of the admitted COVID positive patients at GBGH.

Vision Award

Dr. Dan Lee (co-chief of Emergency and COVID-19 medical lead)

Dr. Lee is being recognized for the countless hours and invaluable effort he put into his role as COVID-19 Medical Lead. In addition to always fulfilling his many responsibilities as Chief of Emergency, throughout the pandemic Dr. Lee took on additional duties as our resident expert for all aspects of COVID-related medical knowledge. He participated in regular provincial and regional round table meetings to share and gather information about the latest COVID-19 research and public health measures, as well as advise the hospital and the community about necessary steps we must all take to reduce viral transmission.

Maggie Trace – Professional Practice Leader (PPL) and CARE4 Project site co-lead

In both her roles as a PPL and the site co-lead for a major electronic health records project, Maggie Trace has demonstrated tenacity in her purpose of ongoing learning and teaching. Trace consistently demonstrates integrity and hard work as she mentors her peers and shares knowledge to continually improve patient care at GBGH. Respected by peers and hospital partners alike, Trace assisted in leading GBGH’s transition to a new electronic health record system – one of the largest projects in the hospital’s history.

“The Board’s Exceptional People Awards are the highest honour bestowed by the hospital for exceptional contributions to the hospital’s strategy and patient care – whether it be through any of our three strategic themes or a compilation of GBGH’s essential values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence,” says Tim Kastelic, chair, GBGH Board of Directors. “Every year it is difficult to pick just a handful of team members among so many exceptional people, but that is a positive challenge the Board welcomes. I am so honoured to be affiliated with an organization where high standards of excellence are prevalent across so many healthcare professionals within our hospital.”

In 2021, the entire GBGH team was recognized with the award for their resilience and contributions during the pandemic, including persevering with the details of daily operations, their compassion and dedication to patient care, and for their ability to achieve progress on other major projects which still had to move forward.

Contact:

Jennifer Moore

Director, Communications & Stakeholder Relations, GBGH

705-526-1300 ext 5177

moorejen@gbgh.on.ca

Georgian Bay General Hospital welcomes two new senior leaders

From left: Marcia Chapman, vice president of Performance and Support Services and chief financial officer and Angela Wiggins, vice president of People and Culture and chief human resources officer, Georgian Bay General Hospital.

November 30, 2022 – Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) has recently welcomed two new senior healthcare leaders to its executive leadership team. Marcia Chapman, vice president of Performance and Support Services and chief financial officer (CFO) and Angela Wiggins, vice president of People and Culture and chief human resources officer (CHRO) are bringing years of valuable healthcare experience and highly-specialized expertise to the hospital.

“GBGH is pleased to welcome both Marcia and Angela to these important leadership roles and looks forward to the many contributions both will make to the service our hospital provides the community,” says Matthew Lawson, president and CEO, GBGH. “Marcia’s experience in both hospital finance and corporate services will be invaluable for GBGH as we continue making changes and improvements within the corporate services portfolio. During a time of health human resources challenges across the province, Angela will work together with the GBGH team to ensure we are an employer of choice both for new recruits and current staff.”

Chapman replaces Matthew Lawson who was formerly the hospital’s executive vice president of Corporate Services and CFO prior to being appointed the hospital’s current president and CEO. In her role, Chapman’s portfolio will include responsibility for Finance, Procurement, Health Records, Registration, Security, Facilities and Environmental Services. She will also manage two of GBGH’s important partnerships with Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) in the areas of Decision Support and Information Technology Services.

Prior to joining GBGH, Chapman – a chartered accountant and chartered professional accountant who also holds a Masters in Accounting – was the Corporate Controller at RVH where she was responsible for the hospital’s finance, business development and supply chain programs. Chapman has spent the past 15 years of her career in various hospital finance-related roles which have included Senior Accountant, Director of Finance, Financial Planning and Analysis, and interim CFO.

Wiggins, a labour and employment lawyer, has been appointed as GBGH’s VP, People and Culture and CHRO to replace the current VP retiring from the organization. In this role, Wiggins’ focus will include enhancing the well-being of staff and the culture of GBGH; leading organizational development opportunities; developing diversity, equity, inclusiveness, and wellness strategies and initiatives; creating and sustaining the hospital’s strategic human resources (HR) plan; labour and employee relations; and oversight of Occupational Health & Safety, Food Services, Volunteer Services and Spiritual Care.

Someone who places a high value on collaboration and creative thinking, Wiggins is already familiar with GBGH, its culture and the HR department as she has been a member of the hospital team since December 2019, providing in-house HR and labour relations counsel on a part-time basis. She has recently also worked in a similar in-house counsel role with RVH.

Contact:

Jennifer Moore

Director, Communications & Stakeholder Relations

Georgian Bay General Hospital

705-526-1300 ext. 5177

moorejen@gbgh.on.ca