Ontario hospital leaders make tough decisions
‘I am forcibly struck by the pride they have in the work they do’
Thursday November 15, 2007 -- Natalie Miller
TORONTO— With a pending retirement this fall, the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) president said one of the perks of her job is meeting the people who deliver excellence in healthcare.

With a career that spans decades, Hilary Short said “one of the best parts of being president of the (OHA), is traveling around the province and meeting with the people at the heart of our healthcare system."

She made these comments during her opening address to participants at a recent healthcare conference in Toronto that drew more than 8,000 people to the province’s capital. OHA HealthAchieve featured more than 300 exhibitors and a lineup of prominent speakers driving sessions on topics ranging from patient safety to leadership.

The province is not short on leaders who make a difference in healthcare, said Short.

“I also meet with hospital board chairs and CEOs across Ontario — leaders who face extremely difficult choices and unrelenting public scrutiny, as they look for the best way forward in an ever-changing environment. These hospital leaders are people with skill and integrity — with a passion for healthcare. And they are doing the very best they can to improve the quality of patient care on the one hand, with the constant need to manage costs on the other,” she said.

In an ever-changing environment and with a more-involved public, hospital leaders are confronted with weighty decisions. Working within the context of their accountability agreements, hospitals sometimes have to make changes to the services provided in their communities. Sometimes they aren’t publicly-popular decisions, Short said.

“I have seen how stressful and emotionally draining all this can be. This past year has been especially turbulent for a number of our hospital boards and CEOs who have faced complex and challenging situations.

“So on behalf of the people and patients of Ontario — let me say something to our hospital leaders that they don’t hear nearly enough — thank you.”