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Southlake Regional Health Centre Announces New Chief Operating Officer

Newmarket, Ontario – October 24, 2011 – Earlier today, Dr. Dave Williams, President and CEO of Southlake Regional Health Centre (Southlake), announced the appointment of Gary Ryan as the Hospital’s new Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Ryan was appointed to the position on an interim basis in the spring of 2010, following the unexpected death of the Hospital’s previous COO, Peter Finkle. Over 100 applications were reviewed during an extensive search process to identify a new COO for Southlake earlier this year. The selection committee, made up of members of the Board, senior leaders, and physicians, identified Ryan as a highly qualified candidate for the position. Following a comprehensive review of several candidates, Ryan was selected as the top contender, based on his years of healthcare experience and his exemplary performance as both Southlake’s Interim COO and President and CEO of Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston.

“Since joining Southlake, I have been impressed with Gary’s commitment and contributions to the ongoing success of the Hospital,” says Dr. Williams. “Gary is well-respected by the Southlake team for his approachable leadership style and his ability to navigate and manage through the many issues that affect the day-to-day operations of a hospital as large and complex as Southlake.”

Accountable to the Office of the President, Ryan will be responsible for overseeing the internal operations of the Hospital’s existing programs and services and working with members of the leadership team to support Southlake’s new strategic direction to become a designated teaching and research centre.

Ryan joined the Southlake team in 1988 as a Speech Pathologist and, since that time, has served in such senior leadership positions as Vice-President and Interim COO. In addition to his duties at Southlake, he has served as President and CEO of Stevenson Memorial Hospital since 2007, and currently fills the role of Corporate Secretary to the Board of Directors of the Southlake Residential Care Village. As a member of the Dean’s list, Ryan earned his MBA in 2001 from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Health Sciences in 1982. In 1979, he graduated cum laude from McGill University with a Bachelor of Sciences.

“Having worked at the Hospital for many years, I know from personal experience that some of the most talented and committed healthcare professionals in Ontario work at Southlake,” says Ryan.  “To have the opportunity to work more closely with these individuals and to assist our new President and CEO, Dave Williams, in transitioning Southlake to a teaching and research centre is both exciting and a great privilege.”

Effective November 30, Ryan will step down as Stevenson’s President and CEO, in order to dedicate his full attention to his new role at Southlake.  Annette Jones, who has served as Stevenson’s interim COO for the past 18 months, has been appointed as Stevenson’s new President and CEO, effective December 1.  In addition to her role at Stevenson, Jones will continue serving as Southlake’s Chief Nursing Officer and Vice-President. Under the management services contract that was created in 2007 between Stevenson and Southlake, Jones, as was the case with Ryan, will equally divide her time between both hospitals.

About Southlake Regional Health Centre

Southlake Regional Health Centre is a full-service hospital with a provincial mandate to deliver advanced diagnostic and treatment services within eight regional programs, including cardiac care.  The Regional Cardiac Care Program at Southlake has achieved national acclaim by performing a number of world and North American firsts. On the threshold of becoming the third busiest cardiac centre in Ontario, the program continues to make substantial progress in the area of cardiac research and innovation, while improving services and patient outcomes. Southlake is in the process of transforming into a teaching and research centre. 

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