Health Sciences North (HSN) has appointed Lisa Smith as Vice-President, Medicine, and Chief Nursing Executive, effective June 24, 2024.
Lisa is a highly respected leader at HSN, with 34 years of nursing experience with the organization, including 26 years in leadership roles. She served with distinction as Interim Vice-President and Chief Nursing Executive from January to August 2018 and as Vice-President, Medicine, and CNE from 2020 to 2022 before retiring from HSN in the spring of 2022. She is deeply honored to rejoin her HSN family.
“We are thrilled to welcome Lisa Smith back into the Health Sciences North leadership team as the Vice President, Medicine, and Chief Nursing Executive. Ms. Smith was selected from a competitive pool of 34 applicants, by a 13-member selection committee, including representation from the HSN board and leadership, union leadership, and patient and family advisors,” explained HSN President and CEO, David McNeil.
Ms. Smith will lead a team of 1,727 people and be responsible for a $184 million budget in Medicine, Critical and Emergency Care, Community Care, Rehabilitation and Nephrology, the North East Specialized Geriatric Services, Patient Flow, Care Transitions, and Utilization. She will serve as Regional Administrative Lead for Critical Care in the North East and as Advisor to the Health Sciences North Research Institute. As Chief Nursing Executive, she will be a non-voting member of the HSN Board and serve on the Board’s Quality Committee and Medical Advisory Committee.
“I am deeply honored to rejoin the Health Sciences North family as Vice President, Medicine, and Chief Nursing Executive. This role is not just a position to me; it’s a commitment to excellence, innovation, and high-quality compassionate care that I have cultivated throughout my 34 years of service. I look forward to leading a team of dedicated professionals, working with our regional partners and Ontario Health to improve care for patients and communities in the North,” concluded Smith.
Previously in her career, Lisa served as a Staff Nurse in Gynaecology and Intensive Care Nursery, Clinical Leader in the Intensive Care Unit, Coordinator of Community Inter-professional Learning, Manager of the Hospital Elder Life Program, Administrative Director of the Emergency and Ambulatory Program, Administrative Director of Medicine and Emergency Care, and Administrative Director of Critical and Emergency Care.
Lisa holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Laurentian University, a Critical Care Nursing Certification from the Canadian Nurses Association, and a Master of Health Studies from Athabasca University.