THUNDER BAY – The regional hospital has found its new president and chief executive officer.
The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre announced Tuesday Jean Bartkowiak has been named to the helm of the hospital, as well as the Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute.
Bartkowiak has more than 30 years of experience working in health, including more than 20 as a chief executive. He comes to Thunder Bay after serving as interim president and CEO for Mattawa Hospital and Algonquin Nursing Home and was previously president and CEO of Bruyere Continuing Care in Ottawa. He also has a 10-year term as CEO of Hotel-Dieu d’Arthabaska in Victoriaville, Que. on his resume.
One of the biggest challenges for the new leader will be to confront the gridlock crisis at the hospital, which has been a constant over the past number of years due to a significantly higher patient load, particularly with alternate level of care patients, compared to the funding received from the province.
Bartowiak said addressing gridlock can go hand in hand with alleviating financial strain, after it was estimated earlier in 2015 the hospital was facing a deficit of about $6 million.
“I’m very familiar with these challenges and that was definitely top of mind when I signed that contract,” he said.
“My answer to that is this a challenge, obviously, but deficits are the consequence of decisions that have been made or have not been made. I’d like to think if we tackle the issue of (alternate level of care) and gridlock, that will definitely relieve the pressure on the budget.”
He spent three years as CEO of Centre Hospitalier des Vallées de l’Outaouais in Gatineau, Que., where a major part of his job was to improve patient flow and reduce the number of alternate level of care patients.
Hospital board chair Nadine Doucette said that experience, as well as his work in a number of other areas, as primary factors that led to Bartkowiak being offered the position.
“He has a diverse background. He has acute care, continuing care and mental health. All of that fits beautifully into the strategic plan and our needs in Northwestern Ontario,” she said. “He’s already talked to us about some potential questions he has about problem solving. I’m very confident he is going to guide us to what we need to do to solve the gridlock position we’re in.”
Another priority for the incoming president and CEO will be to increase services offered in Northwestern Ontario.
Part of that will be following up on a commitment made by the province this June to support bringing cardiovascular surgery to the hospital, though there have not been any timelines or funding commitments established.
“That’s definitely eventually another priority for this institution and for the population as a whole,” Bartkowiak said. “I know the challenges of serving large, remote communities and having patients bused around or on airplane evacuation. If we can improve accessibility to these high-end programs locally that’s definitely working in favour of patients and their families.”
Bartkowiak replaces former president and CEO Andree Robichaud, who stepped aside from the post earlier this year. Bill McCready had been serving in an interim role.
Bartkowiak will formally start in the new role on Jan. 25, 2016.
