Board of Directors welcomes new Community Members
The Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) Board of Directors formally welcomed three new Community Members at its October Board meeting.
Committee Members play a crucial role in the Board's ongoing commitment to direct public input while also supporting proactive succession planning. Each Committee Member holds voting privileges for the NHH Board committees on which they serve, participates in full Board discussions and may also be appointed to a Board Director position when a vacancy occurs.
In April 2022, the NHH Board of Directors issued an open call inviting expressions of interest from local individuals interested in volunteering with the hospital in this unique capacity. Promotion of the opportunity, and community engagement regarding what the role entails, was increased to raise awareness of Community Member opportunities and advance the Board’s commitment to building a diverse team reflective of the community served. Among the engagement activities undertaken by the Nominations Committee which led the recruitment campaign was the hospital’s first Virtual Board Volunteer Open House, where interested community members had an opportunity to learn about Board service and ask questions of current members.
The increased education generated a positive response. In May and June 2022 all candidates who submitted an Expression of Interest were interviewed. Mike Cassaday, Leslie Orpana, and Lynda Sellar were recruited as a result of this process and matched with Committees aligned with their interests, skills and experience, bringing to five the number of Community Members active on the NHH Board today.
“We are elated to welcome Mike, Leslie, and Lynda to the Board and look forward to utilizing their strong skillsets and professional backgrounds, which will greatly benefit the Board table,” said Elizabeth Selby, Board Chair. “Their roles as Community Members are crucial in ensuring that NHH maintains vital and effective pathways for public engagement and communication. Each brings an exceptional skill set, professionalism, and a level of enthusiasm that will not only serve our Board, but also our local community members.”
Also serving the NHH Board in the capacity of Community Member is Catharine Tozer of Port Hope. Catherine concluded three consecutive terms of service as a Board Director at the Board’s Annual Meeting in June 2022. Continuing his service as a Community Member is Myles Noel of Cobourg.
Details on the NHH Board’s newest members are provided below. More information on all Board members will be found in the Board section of the hospital’s website.
Mike Cassaday (Castleton) - An engineer by trade, Mike’s professional development and experience was rooted in a corporate environment with Petro-Canada (now part of Suncor Energy) for 42 years.
In his career, Mike gained valuable experience in numerous roles with responsibilities being held at Director-level, plant operations, project management, engineering, and business planning. His background also includes significant involvement with external, sector, and politicians.
After residing in Oakville and Mississauga for 65 years, Mike and his wife, Valerie relocated back to Northumberland County, where she was raised. Mike is eager to apply his professional skillset as a member of NHH’s Board of Directors and give back to his newly adopted community. He joins the Board this month as a Community Member of the Governance and Facilities and Campus Development Committees.
Leslie Orpana (Cobourg) - Leslie brings 30+ years of professional development and experience in the public health sector with Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, where she retired as Director, Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention & Acting Director, Oral Health.
In this role, Leslie was responsible for leading a diverse department of health professionals, including nurses, health promoters, dieticians, dental assistants, and hygienists. She also specialized in evidence-based planning, efficient and effective implementation, outcomes evaluation, and accountable and transparent reporting.
Dedicated to her community, Leslie has a rich history of volunteerism in Northumberland County, which has included roles with Northumberland United Way (2004-2020), the Ontario Trillium Grant Review Team (2012-2018), Westben Centre for Connection and Creativity (2015-2022), and the Northumberland Family Health Team (2018, ongoing), where she currently serves as a representative on the Governance Advisory Council of the Ontario Health Team Northumberland (OHT-N). Leslie joins the Board as a Community Member on the Quality and Safety and Governance Committees.
Lynda Sellar (Port Hope) - Lynda brings a robust career in the health care field, which spanned 30+ years.
Throughout her career, Lynda has taught nursing, worked in a Public Health role supporting population health and epidemiology, and held a managerial role for larger-scale health promotion projects through the Provincial Ministry of Health. Lynda has also gained Board experience while serving on the Habitat for Humanity Northumberland and Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre’s respective Boards.
On the Board, Lynda is eager to apply her professional development and specialized skillset to the role of Community Member and continue learning about the ever-evolving health care industry. Lynda joins the Board as a Community Member on the Quality and Safety and Facilities and Campus Development Committees.
Media contact: Jennifer Gillard, Senior Director, Patient Experience, Public Affairs and Strategic Partnerships, jgillard@nhh.ca or 905-377-7757.
About Northumberland Hills Hospital – Located approximately 100 kilometres east of Toronto, NHH delivers a broad range of acute, post-acute, outpatient and diagnostic services. Acute services include emergency and intensive care, medical/surgical care, obstetrical care and palliative care. Post-acute specialty services (PASS) include restorative care and rehabilitation. Mental health care, cancer and supportive care, dialysis and other ambulatory care clinics are offered on an outpatient basis through partnerships with regional centres and nearby specialists. NHH offers a full range of diagnostic services, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and mammography. The hospital serves the catchment area of west Northumberland County. A mixed urban and rural population of approximately 63,000 residents, west Northumberland comprises the Town of Cobourg, the Municipality of Port Hope, Alderville First Nation and the townships of Hamilton, Cramahe and Alnwick/Haldimand. NHH employs more than 700 people and relies on the additional support provided by physicians, midwives and volunteers. NHH is an active member of Ontario Health (East)—formerly the Central East Local Health Integration Network—and the Ontario Health Team of Northumberland. For more information, please visit nhh.ca or follow us on Facebook @northumberlandhillshosp or Twitter @NorHillsHosp.