Brockville General Hospital Board Welcomes New Chair, Vice-Chair

Brockville – A seventh consecutive balanced operating result and the election of a new Chair and Vice-Chair highlighted the 2023-24 Annual Meeting and the Inaugural Meeting of Brockville General Hospital’s Volunteer Board of Directors on June 27, 2024.

James Eastwood is the new Board of Directors Chair, taking over from Jim Cooper, who held the role for five years and will remain as a director. Catherine Macdonald becomes Vice-Chair, a role previously held by Eastwood.

“I’m honoured to take on this role and excited to work with our exemplary Board of Directors, the dedicated professionals at Brockville General, and our partners on our collective mission to deliver the best healthcare experience,” said Eastwood. “Brockville General and our community owe tremendous thanks to Jim for his leadership and vision. He was instrumental in helping guide our hospital through incredibly challenging times, including stabilizing the hospital’s leadership, navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, and preparing the hospital to meet the growing healthcare needs of our region.”

The hospital board also welcomed Connie Cote as a new Director.

In the hospital’s 2023-24 Annual Report to the Community video, Cooper noted Brockville General has risen to meet every challenge since it first started caring for the community in 1885.

“Emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, we faced new challenges like an unprecedented demand for service, maintaining staffing levels, and financial pressures. I’m proud of our Brockville General team for meeting these issues head-on by implementing innovative solutions while showing leadership through our advocacy locally and at the provincial level,” said Cooper. “I’d like to give a heartfelt thanks to our leaders, staff, physicians, and volunteers for everything they do to provide outstanding care.”

The hospital’s Senior Leadership also highlighted the following milestones in the video:

• Our Emergency Department saw more than 30,000 visits, in addition, there were 77,153 diagnostic imaging exams performed, 29,684 ambulatory visits, 4,172 acute care admissions, 332 births, and 8,126 surgical procedures.
• The hospital pioneered the opening of a new MRI service and modernized mammography suite, both supported by a strong partnership with the Brockville and District Hospital Foundation.
• A partnership with CHEO and Kids Come First Health Team to bring pediatric surgical services to the community.
• An innovative partnership with the City of Brockville and the Employment and Education Centre on the Imagine Brockville Life campaign to recruit new healthcare professionals.