Health Sciences North (HSN) celebrated a year of transformational progress, regional collaboration, and innovation at its 2025 Annual Meeting, highlighting achievements across care, teaching, and research—and launching a bold new Strategic Plan, Together For You 2030, aimed at improving health outcomes across Northeastern Ontario.
“Our work this past year speaks to the power of collaboration and purpose,” said David McNeil, President and CEO of HSN. “From ground-breaking procedures to advancements in equity and access, to life-saving research and donor-driven innovation, Team HSN continues to deliver on our mission of exceptional care, transformative teaching, and impactful research.”
With 14 sites in Greater Sudbury and 17 locations across Northeastern, HSN is essential infrastructure for regional economic development. As the largest employer in Northeastern Ontario, HSN contributes nearly $1 billion annually to the regional economy. The organization delivers highly specialized medical services, including advanced cancer care, neurosurgery, pediatrics, and critical care, to more than 557,000 people, serving as a lifeline to 23 healthcare facilities across the region. This regional mandate reduces the need for patients to travel to southern Ontario, improves access to care at home, and supports equitable health outcomes.
These themes were captured in a panel discussion to open the annual meeting, exploring HSN’s Mission: How exceptional care, impactful research and transformative teaching pave the way for a healthier North. Dr. Pankaj Bhatia, Chief of Staff for HSN, moderated the panel and noted, “We’re providing high quality care close to home. With the support of NOSM University, our academic role serves as an important recruitment tool for top end medical talent and people who aspire for great things.”
“As the sickest patients in the region are sent here for care, they benefit because teams have learners and medical students with them as they work, keeping us on cutting edge of health care. Research allows us to tap into clinical trials, opening up new opportunities for new medications and therapies,” added Dr. Bhatia.
This year, HSN launched Together For You 2030, a bold five-year strategic plan shaped by the voices of more than 2,800 stakeholders. The plan is grounded in five pillars: providing quality, people-centred care; empowering human potential; advancing equity through social accountability; achieving excellence through education and research; and strengthening organizational sustainability. The plan charts a course toward a healthier North, recognizing both the challenges and the promise of regional transformation.
In 2024–2025, HSN reached a number of major clinical milestones. A new Electrophysiology Lab was launched, enabling patients with cardiac arrhythmias to receive care closer to home. The Cardiac Cath Lab expanded hours and capacity, supporting a growing regional network for acute cardiac care. New technologies, such as biplane angiography and a mobile stroke team, are helping HSN deliver faster, less invasive treatments for vascular and stroke conditions. HSN also received international recognition for its Addictions Medicine Unit and made strides in pediatric care by reducing wait times for key procedures from two years to six months.
As Northeastern Ontario’s leading Academic Health Sciences Centre, HSN continues to expand research and learning. More than 2,500 learners participated in over 15,000 hours of programming through HSN’s Simulation Lab. The organization is supporting 236 active clinical studies that directly benefited 854 patients. New research chairs in Indigenous health, mental health, cardiovascular health, cancer, and healthy aging are building knowledge specific to the needs of Northern communities. Partnerships with NOSM University and local colleges are helping HSN train and retain the next generation of healthcare professionals across the North.
HSN continues to grow its workforce, welcoming over 900 new staff and 32 physicians this year, including specialists in pediatrics, infectious disease, cardiology, and critical care. Efforts to support wellness, leadership development, and workplace culture have led to national recognition, including a Canada Award for Excellence in Healthy Workplaces. A new integrated Foundation structure has streamlined fundraising efforts, directing millions in donor support toward cutting-edge equipment, research, and compassionate care initiatives across the hospital.
Despite these successes, HSN continues to face pressures from chronic overcrowding. The hospital was built for 429 patients but saw a peak of 667 admitted patients in November of 2024 and saw the daily number of admitted patients rise to 631, from 621 the year before. Aging infrastructure and rising demand for care—particularly among rural and aging populations—underscore the urgent need for capital expansion and sustainable funding.
The hospital sector in Ontario is facing significant financial pressures with hospital deficits for 2025-2026 totaling roughly $2 billion. HSN is also facing financial pressures with a deficit of $11.3 million for 2024-2025, and forecasting an increased deficit for the 2025-2026 year. HSN is working closely with the province on a 3-year, $18 million financial recovery plan and has welcomed senior government officials to tour its facilities and discuss next steps for long-term planning.
Board Chair Stéphan Plante emphasized that none of this would be possible without the people behind HSN — its employees, learners, researchers, volunteers, and donors.
“A sustainable health system is essential to economic prosperity in Northern Ontario,” said Plante. “Thanks to the tireless work of Team HSN and our many partners, we are delivering more than care; we are delivering a vision for a healthier North.”
Key Highlights from 2024–2025:
- Launched Together For You 2030 – HSN’s bold new strategic plan, shaped by over 2,800 voices, focusing on improving care, equity, research, and sustainability across Northeastern Ontario.
- Opened a New Electrophysiology Lab – Performed the first local procedures to treat cardiac arrhythmias, reducing the need for patients to travel to southern Ontario.
- Supported 2,500+ Learners Through Simulation Lab – Delivered over 15,000 hours of hands-on training, strengthening regional medical education and interprofessional learning.
- Advanced 236 Clinical Research Studies – Directly benefited 854 patients, with new research chairs in Indigenous Health, Mental Health, Cancer, Cardiovascular Health, and Healthy Aging.
- Contributed Nearly $1 Billion to the Regional Economy – As the largest employer in Northeastern Ontario, HSN remains essential to healthcare access, workforce growth, and economic development.