Caring for Those Who Care
Every day at Timmins and District Hospital, we see care in many forms. We see clinicians delivering complex treatment. We see teams working together to navigate complex patient needs. And
As I step away from my role as President and CEO of Timmins and District Hospital (TADH), I want to take a moment to reflect on the people I have had the opportunity to work with over the past six years and what we have accomplished together.
The commitment, dedication and compassion of the people who work at TADH is at the heart of who we are as an organization.
It is through their efforts that we provide the best possible care for our patients and the many communities we serve.
It has been a period of real change—at times challenging, often demanding—but also marked by steady progress and a shared commitment to strengthening care for the people of Northeastern Ontario. I leave with a deep appreciation for the staff, physicians, volunteers, and partners who made that possible.
Across the organization, there has been a clear effort to build a stronger, more respectful, and more supportive workplace culture. We’ve worked to improve engagement, invest in leadership development, and strengthen how we support both staff and physicians in their roles. Recruitment and retention remain a constant challenge across the North, and I believe we’ve made meaningful progress in building stability and creating an environment where people want to stay and grow.
Just as importantly, we’ve continued to work on how we show up for each other—especially during periods of stress and system pressure.
Over these years, we strengthened how we approach quality and safety, making sure we are not just responding to issues but learning from them in a structured way. We improved reporting systems, reinforced infection prevention and control, and focused on reducing variation in care.
We also made efforts to bring patients and families more directly into conversations about how care is delivered. That feedback has been important in shaping improvements in experience and service design.
Like many hospitals in the province, we faced ongoing pressures in emergency care and inpatient flow. While there is still more to do, we made progress in improving how patients move through the system and in strengthening discharge planning and community partnerships.
We have deepened collaboration with regional and provincial partners so that care is better coordinated across settings—whether it’s primary care, community services, or other hospitals across the region and province. In a geography like ours, these relationships matter more than ever.
We strengthened relationships with the Hospital Foundation, community organizations, Indigenous partners, and regional health providers. There has been a shared understanding that improving health outcomes requires working across boundaries—not in isolation.
These partnerships are stronger today than they were six years ago, and they will continue to be central to the hospital’s success.
A significant amount of work over the past six years has been behind the scenes and critically important for the future of TADH.
We completed long-term capital planning that clearly outlines our infrastructure and equipment needs over time, based on asset life cycles and clinical priorities. This work has helped bring more structure and clarity to decision-making and will support future redevelopment discussions.
We strengthened our approach to capital governance, ensuring greater transparency and alignment with long-term sustainability.
A highlight was the milestone day of October 6th 2026, when we formally announced the expansion and redevelopment our emergency department, alongside the Ontario Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, and partners. Once completed, more than 27,000 square feet of new and renovated space will serve people coming into the emergency department.
We operated in a very challenging financial environment throughout this period, as all hospitals have.
Despite that, we maintained strong fiscal discipline, improved our planning and reporting processes, and worked carefully to balance operational pressures with available resources.
Efficiency work was ongoing, but always with a focus on protecting patient care. Sustainability remains a real system-wide issue, and continued advocacy for appropriate funding in northern and rural contexts is essential.
Looking back, I am proud of the progress that has been made—not because any one initiative stands alone, but because of what it represents collectively: a stronger organization, a more engaged workforce, and a clearer foundation for the future.
There is still important work ahead. Health care in Northern Ontario continues to face real and structural challenges. I have full confidence in the people, the leadership, and the commitment of TADH.
Most of all, I want to say thank you—to the teams who show up every day for patients and families, to the board for its support, for our many partnerships, and to the communities we serve for their trust in us.
It has been an honour to serve TADH.
Kate
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