Wade Petranik of Dryden Regional Health Centre Awarded Northwest LHIN Leadership Award
January 27, 2018
Submitted by the Northwest Local Health Integration Network
 |
The North West Local Health Integration Network’s (LHIN) Leadership Awards acknowledge outstanding contributions in transformation, partnerships and leadership excellence in service to the people of Northwestern Ontario. Wade Petranik, CEO of Dryden Regional Health Centre was presented with an Individual Award for Distinguished Contribution.
Over the past 20 years, Wade has demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to the health system. Wade was instrumental in the establishment of a Family Health Team under the governance of the Dryden Regional Health Centre.
Furthermore, Wade brought together community, corporate and health leaders to form a health care committee to facilitate the purchase of the medical clinic building. This resulted in significant cost savings to local physicians and enabled the recruitment of new physicians to Dryden. These efforts were further supported by the establishment of a physician recruiter position within the hospital, another one of Wade’s many contributions to local health care in Dryden.
A strong proponent and leader of health system integration for the past two decades, Wade was also one of the founders of the Kenora Rainy River Regional Laboratory Program, which has served as a model for other regions. He was also an advocate for the establishment of the Regional Surgical Network in the Kenora/Rainy River districts. Thanks in part to Wade’s leadership and tenacity, there is hip and knee replacement surgery in the regional hospitals in Kenora and Rainy River.
With Wade at the helm, Dryden Regional Health Centre was chosen as a pilot community for the Local Health Hub project and in collaboration with other stakeholders to challenge the status quo, he continues to advocate and work toward an integrated local health system in Dryden and the regional communities it serves.
Wade has been credited as one of the authors of the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) Small Rural and Northern (SRN) paper on integration and local health hubs, has served on the SRN council for many years and is now a Board member at the OHA.
“Helping to make the health system work better for the people of our region, both now, and in the future, is a key accountability for all health service providers. These awards acknowledge the outstanding contributions and efforts of organizations in realizing this promise. I’m both proud and humbled to be nominated for such a prestigious award.”
~ Wade Petranik, Chief Executive Officer, Dryden Regional Health Centre