Search Underway for New President at St. Mary’s General Hospital, Interim President Named
John Woods, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives at St. Joseph’s Health System (SJHS), has been appointed Interim President at St. Mary’s General Hospital as a national search begins for a successor to Dr. Andrew Falconer.
Mr. Woods’s appointment is effective July 24. He has begun the transition period with outgoing St. Mary’s President Dr. Andrew Falconer who is stepping down to rejoin Queensway Carleton Hospital in Ottawa as its new Chief Executive Officer.
“One of the many benefits of St. Mary’s membership in the St. Joseph’s Health System is being able to tap into its expertise when needed,” says Tom Motz, Chair of St. Mary’s Board of Trustees. “I’ve known John for a number of years and the board and I are confident, that during this interim period, he will continue the great strides St. Mary’s has been making toward its cardiac program expansion, its strategic priorities for 2019-20 and a new health information system.”
Mr. Wood’s diverse experience and leadership accomplishments at SJHS include:
- Leading teams in Finance and IT, Strategic Planning, Research Administration, Quality and Safety, and Medical, Risk, Legal;
- Development of four strategic plans for St. Joseph’s Health System (SJHS) and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH) and development of SJHS-wide quality processes;
- Two successful accreditation surveys with exemplary standing;
- An emergency department wait time initiative at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, which achieved a 17% reduction in wait times in six weeks.
“John is an integral member of the St. Joseph’s Health System who carries a wealth of experience, as I’ve witnessed in his many leadership roles,” says Dr. Tom Stewart, President and CEO of St. Joseph’s Health System. “I am confident St. Mary’s will continue to flourish under his leadership.”
“I am delighted to be joining the team at St. Mary’s General Hospital while they search for a permanent President,” says John Woods. “It’s an honour to provide support and guidance for one of the safest acute hospitals in the country.”
“With St. Mary’s outstanding reputation as a leader in patient safety, quality and innovation, we anticipate a strong pool of candidates from which to choose Dr. Falconer’s successor,” say Mr. Motz. “We are grateful to him for moving St. Mary’s forward on key initiatives during his time with us and we wish him well in his new role.”
A President’s search committee has been established and includes Dr. Stewart, Mr. Motz and fellow members of St. Mary’s Board of Trustees, as well as members of St. Mary’s Foundation Board and Senior Leadership Team and Grand River Hospital’s Board of Directors.
About St. Mary’s General Hospital
St. Mary’s General Hospital, in Kitchener, is the second-largest acute care hospital in the St. Joseph’s Health System and one of Canada’s top Regional Cardiac Care Centres. Nearly 2,000 staff, physicians and volunteers provide innovative, compassionate care to approximately one million residents of Waterloo Wellington and beyond. Key areas of clinical focus include cardiac care, respiratory care and thoracic surgery, outpatient day surgery, general medicine and emergency care.
About St. Joseph’s Health System
St. Joseph’s Health System is one of the largest healthcare organizations in Canada, and only system in Ontario delivering a full continuum of health care services. Medical and specialty services affect care at all points and include acute care, long-term care, home care, hospice and research & education. SJHS is a globally recognized leader for innovation in models of patient-centred integrated care. St. Joseph’s Health System has a unique partnership with Niagara Health to leverage each organization’s strengths to bring better care to the people in the communities we serve.
St. Joseph’s Health System introduced its internationally recognized Integrated Comprehensive Care (ICC) program to the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network in 2013, providing patients smoother transitions from hospital to home accompanied by one health care team and a 24/7 access to a clinician.
Contact:
Anne Kelly, Manager, Communications
T: 519-749-6578 ext. 1501
M: 226-339-1903
akelly@smgh.ca