THUNDER BAY — The new president and CEO of St. Joseph's Care Group says SJCG's values and its history of partnerships with other health care organizations resonate with her.
Kelli O'Brien, who's relocating to Thunder Bay from Newfoundland & Labrador, said these are among the key things that interested her in applying for the job.
Her appointment was announced on Friday.
O'Brien currently serves as vice-president responsible for people, quality and safety at Western Health in Corner Brook.
She'll take over at SJCG from the retiring Tracy Buckler in early September.
In an interview Monday, O'Brien said her focus when she arrives in Thunder Bay will be to learn more about the organization, its 2,000 employees and its services and programs.
She said her early goal is to establish relationships both with internal stakeholders and external stakeholders.
With the COVID-19 pandemic on the wane, O'Brien also said she's looking forward to working with her new colleagues "to begin to do our transition back to normal" within public health guidelines.
She said she suspects there are a number of comparable health care challenges between western Newfoundland and Northwestern Ontario.
"There definitely are some population health similarities in terms of chronic diseases that are of higher prevalence," she said.
O'Brien also referred to the close connections that staff at her current location develop while working together with clients, saying she believes that's also a strength at St. Joseph's Care Group.
She and her husband plan to travel to Thunder Bay this summer to familiarize themselves with the area.
