What's new at HSN

What's New at HSN?

Thursday, June 25, 2026

Ontario Hospital Nearly Halves Staff Turnover by Rewriting Their Wellness Playbook

At a time when healthcare worker shortages and burnout dominate headlines across Canada, a Northeastern Ontario healthcare system has quietly achieved something most health systems are struggling to do: keep more of its people. Health Sciences North (HSN), a regional hospital with a team of over 4,400, serving more than 557,000 people across Northeastern Ontario, has reduced employee turnover from over 15 percent to approximately 8 percent over three years, nearly cutting the rate in half, without launching a single new wellness program. Instead, HSN did something counterintuitive: it stopped adding initiatives and started intentionally connecting the ones it already had. The approach, initiated in partnership with Excellence Canada, is the subject of a new paper released today: Connecting the Dots: Beyond Programs: How Excellence Canada is Supporting Health Sciences North as They Build a Culture of Connection. The paper, part of Excellence Canada's Executive Insights...

Monday, June 22, 2026

Freezing Out Cancer: A New Era in Kidney Tumour Treatment

Patients in Northeastern Ontario are now benefiting from a ground-breaking kidney cancer treatment at Health Sciences North (HSN), one that eliminates the need for major surgery.

Cryoablation therapy, a minimally invasive procedure that uses extreme cold to destroy cancer cells, allows patients to be treated closer to home while preserving kidney function and reducing recovery time.

For Cameron, a 36-year-old Northeastern Ontario resident, the diagnosis came as a shock.

“It’s scary when you first hear it,” he said. “You hear the word cancer and you just automatically think the worst.”

Friday, June 19, 2026

HSN and Nogdawindamin formalize partnership through Protocol Agreement

Health Sciences North (HSN) and Nogdawindamin Family and Community Services have formally signed a protocol agreement that strengthens collaboration and supports the delivery of coordinated services for Indigenous children, youth and families across Northeastern Ontario.

While HSN and Nogdawindamin have worked together for many years, the protocol formalizes the partnership by clearly outlining roles, responsibilities, communication pathways and referral processes between the two organizations. The agreement also helps ensure that HSN staff have access to up-to-date information about Nogdawindamin's services, enabling timely referrals and support for families who may benefit from prevention, family support and child welfare services.

Wednesday, June 17, 2026

Health Sciences North Highlights Regional Impact, Innovation and Balanced Budget at 2026 Annual Meeting

Health Sciences North (HSN) reflected on a year of significant progress, regional collaboration and continued transformation during its 2026 Annual Meeting on June 17, 2026, highlighting how partnerships, innovation and strategic investments are helping strengthen healthcare across Northeastern Ontario. Over the past year, HSN continued advancing its Together For You 2030 Strategic Plan while reinforcing its role as Northeastern Ontario’s academic health sciences centre. Serving more than 557,000 people across 300,000 square kilometres, HSN continues to expand access to specialized care, strengthen healthcare workforce development and improve patient care closer to home. “Health Sciences North has continued to make meaningful progress in improving access to care closer to home for patients and families across our region,” said David McNeil, President and CEO, HSN. “This work has been driven by collaboration, innovation and a shared...

Friday, June 12, 2026

Minister Nolan Quinn visits HSN

With more than 3,100 learner placements last year and affiliation agreements with more than 50 post-secondary institutions, HSN is helping train the next generation of healthcare workers for Northeastern Ontario.

We recently hosted Ontario’s Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, the Honourable Nolan Quinn, who met with learners and medical students from Cambrian College, Laurentian University, Collège Boréal, and NOSM University.

We know that when students train here, they are more likely to build their careers here. This work is made possible through close partnerships with local academic institutions, support from the provincial government, and the generosity of donors, including those who helped create the Labelle Innovation and Learning Centre in 2022.

Monday, June 8, 2026

Dr. Jennifer Jocko receives Paul Harris Fellowship from Sudbury Sunrisers

Congratulations to Dr. Jennifer Jocko, OB/GYN, on receiving a Paul Harris Fellowship from the Rotary Club of Sudbury Sunrisers. One of Rotary International’s highest honours, the Paul Harris Fellowship recognizes individuals who exemplify “Service Above Self” through leadership, service, and community impact. As one of the only First Nations physicians specializing in obstetrics and gynecologic surgery in Northern Ontario, Dr. Jocko is a dedicated advocate for patients, families, and culturally safe care. “Dr. Jocko's impact extends far beyond the patients she cares for each day,” said David McNeil, President and CEO of HSN. “Through her leadership, advocacy, and commitment to culturally safe care, she is helping shape a more inclusive healthcare system for patients, families, learners, and communities across Northeastern Ontario. This recognition is incredibly well deserved.” In...

Monday, June 1, 2026

HSN kicks off Pride Month

Happy Pride Month!

At HSN, we are committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment that promotes a positive care, working and learning experience.

Throughout the month of June and during Sudbury Pride Week in July, we will be celebrating pride and the importance of respect and inclusion for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

Thursday, May 28, 2026

A Life-Changing Journey, Close to Home

For Nicole Chaput, the decision to pursue bariatric surgery was about more than weight loss. It was about her health, her family, and her future.

Living in Parry Sound, Nicole expected that accessing specialized care would require travelling south. Instead, she found comprehensive, expert care closer to home through the Sudbury Bariatric Centre of Excellence at Health Sciences North (HSN).

“I didn’t want to go to the GTA,” Nicole says. “And after going through this program, I’m so grateful I didn’t. The care I received in Sudbury was incredible.”

Thursday, May 21, 2026

Health Sciences North delivering cutting-edge cancer care close to home for Northeastern Ontario

At Health Sciences North (HSN), a quiet revolution in cancer care is changing what’s possible for patients across Northeastern Ontario.

Through its stereotactic radiosurgery program, the Radiation Oncology team with the Shirley and Jim Fielding Northeast Cancer Centre is delivering precise, high-dose radiation treatments that can destroy cancer in as few as one to five visits, often replacing the need for invasive surgery.

For patients, the difference is profound.

Where traditional treatment for certain cancers once meant surgery, hospital stays, and weeks of recovery, many patients can now receive treatment in minutes, without incisions, anesthesia, or overnight stays. Instead of facing the risks and recovery associated with surgery, patients are able to return home the same day and resume their daily lives much sooner.