Final Conversation event of the season to conclude with discussion on the future of smaller community hospitals and the changing role of local hospital boards

Health reform and hospital governance experts Graham Scott and Maureen Quigley are the next guests in the area’s new Conversations speakers’ series aimed at encouraging discussion around issues pertinent to local health care.

They will speak at Cobourg’s Best Western Inn at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, May 10th for the fourth and final event in this season’s Conversations offerings organized around the common theme of health system sustainability. A question and answer session and discussion will follow the formal remarks.

The face of health care is changing at a rapid rate. What is done in hospitals, who does it and, by extension, what is done outside hospital walls, is in the midst of transition.

As such, expectations for hospital and other not-for-profit boards have changed dramatically in recent years. New standards of best practice are requiring boards to make fundamental changes to their structures, policies and processes.

Together, Graham Scott and Maureen Quigley have been directly involved in the amalgamation, restructuring and governance processes of numerous hospitals in Ontario.

From 1995 to 2001, Maureen Quigley and Graham Scott worked together to facilitate nine hospital amalgamation projects. Thirty-three hospitals were involved, including the amalgamations that created the present day Centre for Addictions and Mental Health, Lakeridge Health and Quinte Health Care.

In addition to their collaborations with hospital amalgamations, they are the joint authors of Hospital Governance and Accountability in Ontario, a 2004 report commissioned by the Ontario Hospital Association and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and several recent articles on changing expectations for health care governance.

A former Deputy Minister of Health for Ontario (1981 - 1984), Graham Scott has been a key figure in Ontario’s health care sector for thirty years. A Member of the Order of Canada (2005), Mr. Scott has extensive experience in public policy, governance and accountability in the voluntary sector and in the assessment of boards and management teams in both the voluntary and private sectors with a particular emphasis on health care policy and issues. Managing Partner of McMillan LLP from 2000 to 2006, Mr. Scott served as Interim President and CEO of Cancer Care Ontario (2001-2002). He established Graham Scott Strategies Inc in 2008 and he has served as a Supervisor of numerous Ontario hospitals including Sudbury Regional Hospital (2003), Kingston General Hospital (2008-2009) and, most recently, Quinte Health Care (2009-2010). In 2004 he was Assessor of the Muskoka-Parry Sound Board of Health. He serves as Chair of the Board of Canada Health Infoway (CHI) and is a Director of the Association of the Faculties of Medicine of Canada.

Maureen Quigley established her firm, Maureen Quigley and Associates Inc., in 1986, following twelve years of experience in provincial and municipal levels of government. From 1986 to 1988 she served as Executive Director of the Ontario Health Review Panel (Evans Committee) on future directions for the Ontario Health Care System and as the first Executive Director of the Premier’s Council on Health Strategy.

Ms. Quigley has wide-ranging experience in health policy facilitation and health system planning at the provincial and federal level for government, health agencies, health service providers and inter organizational collaborations. In collaboration with long-standing colleague Graham Scott or as a sole facilitator, Maureen Quigley is a recognized leader in effective governance, best practices and governance renewal within the health sector. She is currently serving as Chair of the National Board of Directors of The Arthritis Society.

Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) teamed up with the volunteers in the NHH Foundation’s Caring for Generations Society to introduce Conversations - Exploring health care issues that affect our community in February, 2011. With venues in Cobourg and Port Hope, the series has held monthly events since then, offering an opportunity to hear from, and chat with, some of Ontario’s leading health care system influencers.

John Hudson, Chair of the Northumberland Hills Hospital Board of Directors, notes: “As outlined in our new Strategic Plan, the building of collaborative networks is an important direction for NHH. The NHH Board is very committed to fully engaging our community and partners. The Conversation speaker series is one way for us to do that and we are
hopeful that it will open new channels for discussions on subjects that impact us all. Collectively, we must be informed and prepared in order to meet our community’s changing health care needs and ensure the long-term sustainability of the broader health care system.”

“The Foundation’s Caring for Generations Society has organized many informative lectures for our donors in the past,” adds Jan Boycott, Chair of the NHH Foundation, “our aim with Conversations has been to expand our audience to anyone who wishes to learn more about health system issues that affect our community. Donors and community members alike have indicated a strong interest in talks that span a variety of health care issues: we listened, and we hope you will join us for our fourth and final Conversation event this season.”

Gratitude is extended by the host organizations to several sponsors who are lending their support for this new initiative. Thanks go out to the teams at Classical 103.1 FM, 107.9 The Breeze and Star 93.3 for their assistance in promoting the event, and to Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt and RBC for their generous support.

Tickets ($10 in advance, $15 at the door) are available online from the NHH website at www.nhh.ca. The Foundation office is also selling tickets from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, week days, from their office inside the main entrance to the hospital at 1000 DePalma Drive in Cobourg. For more information please go to www.nhh.ca or contact Jennifer Gillard at 905-377-7757 or jgillard@nhh.ca.