Health Sciences North (HSN) is a cornerstone of surgical excellence in Ontario, delivering life-changing care to patients across Northeastern Ontario. Every day, surgical teams transform complex medical challenges into opportunities for healing, ensuring patients from Sudbury, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Cochrane, and beyond have access to specialized, high-quality care close to home.
HSN’s surgical program is recognized as a provincial leader in innovation and efficiency, supporting more than 23 hospitals across the region.
“When it comes to our regional role, we’re the only hospital offering thoracic, vascular, complex oncology, neurosurgery, bariatric and plastic surgeries. If you break your pelvis in Cochrane, you’re coming here. If you have facial fractures, complex trauma, or breast cancer and need reconstructive surgery, you’re coming here. Our teams restore dignity and quality of life,” said Dr. Sue Vokey, Medical Director for HSN’s Surgical Program. “The caliber of surgery done here is the same you would find in downtown Toronto.”
Orthopedic surgeons at HSN perform advanced procedures—from intricate pelvic reconstructions to joint replacements—that smaller hospitals cannot manage. Today, 83% of joint replacements are completed as outpatient surgeries, thanks to advanced techniques that allow patients to recover faster and return to their lives sooner.
“We often get calls from hospitals in Toronto, Niagara, and Windsor asking how we’ve achieved such high success with outpatient joint replacements. It’s something to celebrate,” said Roch Baronette, Administrative Director for Surgery. “When I started my nursing career, patients stayed five days in hospital—now they go home the same day.”
Across specialties, HSN performs about 17,000 surgeries annually, spanning orthopedics, plastics and reconstructive, urology, ENT, colorectal, and more. Teams also perform specialized procedures such as Whipple operations for pancreatic cancer and advanced endoscopic interventions—treatments that patients would otherwise have to travel hundreds of kilometers to access.
“Every day, lives are changed and lives are saved. The team fights for the patient every day,” said Carol Kirkwood, Clinical Manager, Operating Room and Post Anesthetic Care Unit. “Every department plays a crucial role in a patient’s journey.”
This collaborative approach ensures that even with limited space, high patient volumes, and complex logistics, HSN consistently delivers world-class care. Surgeons, nurses, and staff navigate tight surgical areas, unconventional patient spaces, and daily bed constraints, yet patient safety and outcomes remain the top priority.
“We’re first-rate. If you went to Toronto, you might have a resident doing your surgery. Here in Sudbury, you have a surgeon with 15 years’ experience,” said Glen Haslam, Clinical Manager, Operating Room and Post Anesthetic Care Unit. “We’re also very efficient—it’s more cost-effective for the province to provide care at HSN, while patients benefit from great care close to home.”
HSN’s commitment to innovation extends beyond procedures. Teams continuously refine techniques, training, and patient-centered processes to enhance safety, efficiency, and recovery. From surgical preparation to post-operative care, every step is coordinated with precision, reflecting a culture of excellence.
Through advanced procedures, expert coordination, and a relentless focus on patients, HSN provides care that restores hope and transforms lives every single day, serving as the surgical hub for Northeastern Ontario.