New leader at Northumberland Hills

COBOURG, Ont. – Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) is pleased to announce the appointment of Susan Walsh (pictured) as the Hospital’s next president and CEO, effective August 3rd, 2021. A resident of Port Hope since 2017, Susan Walsh is currently NHH’s Vice President, Patient Services, Chief Nursing Executive and Chief Clinical Information Officer. She has built upon her previous expertise, which spans an acute academic hospital, a national community care organization and a leading social sector agency.

“Following a thorough recruitment process supported by an external search firm, the Board’s CEO Recruitment Committee – and entire Board of Directors – unanimously endorsed Susan as our successful candidate,” said Pam Went, chair, Northumberland Hills Hospital Board of Directors, in an internal announcement to staff and key partners.

“An integral member of NHH’s senior management team since November 2017, Susan Walsh has proven herself to be a skilled senior healthcare leader committed to quality patient- and family-centred care, collaborative multi-disciplinary teams and organizational excellence grounded in evidence.”

A former Chief Operations Officer with the Geneva Centre for Autism in Toronto and Vice President, Operations Innovation for the head office of Saint Elizabeth, Susan Walsh began her career as a registered nurse. She holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Nursing and a Master of Business Administration from the Rotman School of Management.

A surveyor with Accreditation Canada since 2008, she is well versed in the principles and practices of continuous quality improvement and brings a passion for and knowledge in digital clinical information transformation.

“Passionate about Northumberland Hills Hospital, Susan will build on the legacy of our outgoing CEO, Linda Davis,” said Went. “I am confident she will continue to lead Northumberland Hills Hospital toward the vision of exceptional patient care, every time for every patient and family we serve. When she moves into the President and CEO position on August 3rd, Susan will bring with her not only a strong knowledge of the organization but also a unique combination of community and hospital expertise.”

“NHH has a rich history, built by strong leaders and a generous, engaged community, and it is an honour to be entrusted by the Board with this new opportunity to carry that work forward at such an exciting time in NHH history, with a truly wonderful team, and a trusted network of partners,” said Susan Walsh.

“I feel a strong personal alignment with the NHH values (integrity, quality, respect, compassion and teamwork) and I look forward, humbly, to becoming NHH’s next president and CEO in August,” she added. “Linda Davis has left a strong and lasting legacy at NHH and I want to take this opportunity to personally recognize and say thank you for all she has done for this hospital, this community and for me, as a member of her senior management team.”