Virtual Annual Meeting concludes hospital's 2021/22 fiscal year - Annual Report to the Community released
The Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) Board of Directors hosted a virtual Annual Meeting on Tuesday, June 28th. Held on Zoom, the meeting was chaired by Pam Went, who formally concluded her three-year term as Board Chair at the June meeting.
Opening remarks commenced with a formal territorial acknowledgement delivered by Hospital President and CEO, Susan Walsh. Pam Went called the meeting to order pursuant to the By-Laws, welcoming Board Directors and Community Committee members, hospital staff and physicians, and guests.
Following approval of the minutes of the June 2021 Annual Meeting, Tom McLean, Chair of the Board’s Finance and Audit Committee, presented the NHH Financial Statements for the year ended March 31st, 2022, referencing in the course of his remarks the detailed financial statements published prior to the meeting on the hospital website.
“NHH continues to benefit from a strong bottom line as we appear to move out of a twoyear pandemic. This is in no small part due to the strong leadership of our President and CEO, Susan Walsh, the Senior Leadership Team, and all staff who stepped up during the most trying of times,” said Tom McLean.
Lori Huber, representing NHH auditor KPMG, presented a positive Auditor’s Report. The audited financial statements were accepted as presented and auditors KPMG LLP were appointed again as auditors for fiscal year 2022/23.
A motion from Elizabeth (Beth) Selby, Chair of the Governance Committee to accept the Corporate and Professional Bylaws as presented was also passed.
The Board Chair’s report followed as Pam Went began her address reflecting on the challenges and achievements of the past fiscal year which, in addition to effectively managing the operation of the Hospital during a pandemic, included the successful recruitment of a new President and CEO and implementation of a new regional Clinical Information System (CIS).
In addition to her written review of the year, which will be found on pages 3-4 in the 2021/22 Annual Report to the Community, Went recognized the essential contributions of the NHH Foundation, NHH Auxiliary, Senior Leadership Team, Patient Family Advisory Council (PFAC), and the Ontario Health Team Northumberland (OHT-N), paying special mention to the contributions of all of the above to the development of NHH’s upcoming strategic plan.
“It can be difficult to think about the future when the present is coloured by an everpresent pandemic, but NHH must begin to prepare for the needs of the people of west Northumberland County 20 to 30 years from now,” said Went. “The Senior Team and the Board, with participation from the NHH Foundation, Auxiliary, Patient and Family Advisory Council, NHH staff and physicians and the collaboration of the Ontario Health Team of Northumberland, have taken an innovative approach to building a strategic plan for the hospital.”