Report from Matt Simeoni
Chair, Board of Directors, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
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October 17, 2018
I was honoured, following the June Annual General Meeting, to become the 11th Chair of the Board of Directors for Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Our Board of Directors is comprised of dedicated volunteers from the community, committed to ensuring our Hospital provides safe, quality Patient and Family Centred Care. It is a privilege to Chair this Board, me I look forward to providing our community with regular reports of our progress.
I welcome to the Board new director Nathalie Coppala. Ms. Coppala's experience in human resources will support our ongoing success. I refer to "success" with pride, because it not only my opinion that this Board of Directors is highly effective: it is also the view of Accreditation Canada. Following their recent on-site assessment, the Accreditation Canada surveyors specifically highlighted the high level of engagement and performance of the Board. Quality and patient safety is at the forefront of the Board’s decisions and a sound ethical framework guides all major decisions. We collaborate closely with the leadership team to hold them accountable to our Mission, Vision, Values and Strategic Directions. The Accreditation Canada surveyors recommended that we formalize the Board Chair election process. The Governance Committee of the Board will oversee this.
The “A+” Accreditation score is also a testament to the dedication of Hospital staff. On September 17, Board members Nathalie Coppala, John Friday, Anita Jean, Dick Manisto and Gary Whitney attended an Accreditation celebration booth at the Hospital and provided free coffee to staff as a gesture of appreciation for their contributions.
It is in that spirit that, in November, the Hospital's Board members will join those of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute to participate in a joint retreat. The retreat will be facilitated by Dr. Richard Leblanc, a professor of governance, law and ethics at York University. Dr. Leblanc adopts a framework for governance effectiveness developed over several years. He will guide discussions and decisions regarding the governance structure of our Health Research Institute. I anticipate an insightful and productive session that supports our commitment to effective and efficient governance, and look forward to sharing results in a future report.