MUSKOKA – The chief executive officer for the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network is moving on and will leave a staff gap that needs filling.
Bernie Blais started with the local health integration network in 2009.
As the chief executive officer, he led the province’s behavioural supports project, the integrated provincial falls program, and the initiative to expand the role of community care access centres. He also led the local health integration network through the development and initial implementation of its 10-year plan called Care Connections: Partnering for Healthy Communities, according to the LHIN.
Blais resigned as chief administrative officer effective Aug. 31 and will begin a new job with a continuing care organization in Ottawa. The local health integration network now has some shoes to fill.
“Ontario and health care are facing a financially difficult environment – North Simcoe Muskoka requires and deserves a highly skilled CEO to help navigate the challenges that will inherently be faced by all health-care service providers and subsequently the LHINs who oversee them,” said board chair Robert Morton.
The health-care organization announced on Aug. 16 that it had hired a consultant to help it find a new chief executive officer by the end of November.
The chief executive officer is responsible for the oversight of a $790 million budget to fund 77 health-care service providers in the region, including hospitals, community care access centres, community health centres, mental health and addiction programs and long-term care homes.
The health-care organization also monitors those health-care service providers to ensure they are meeting the requirements of their provincial service accountability agreements.
According to the local health integration network, the chief administrative officer is the link to co-ordinating local and regional health-care priorities and provincial strategies.
In North Simcoe Muskoka, the chief executive officer is also responsible for implementing the Care Connections plan.
The salary for the position is $250,000 a year.
A national search for a new leader is now underway with the help of consultant company Amrop Knightsbridge. A selection committee of LHIN board members, staff and leadership council representatives will ultimately choose the new leader.
“In any organization the CEO is a critical position,” said Morton. “North Simcoe Muskoka used Amrop Knightsbridge to hire our current CEO and look how well that turned out – we’ve been very lucky in NSM to have such a passionate, dedicated and motivated CEO.
“We will definitely miss him.”