Georgian Bay General Hospital has temporarily filled the void left by CEO Gail Hunt’s impending departure.
The Midland hospital’s board of directors has appointed Matthew Lawson as the organization's interim president and CEO, effective June 24.
Hunt announced earlier this month that she would be leaving GBGH after five years to take over the top job at Barrie's Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH), beginning July 4.
Lawson, meanwhile, joined GBGH last June and has served as the executive vice president of corporate services and chief financial officer.
“Matthew joined GBGH last year and in that time, has proven himself to be a highly skilled financial expert, an effective and approachable leader, and a tenacious advocate for the hospital – all qualities which will serve him well in this interim role,” GBGH board chair Tim Kastelic said in a release.
“Within just a short time, Matthew has transformed many aspects of the hospital, including the budgeting, resource allocation and capital equipment processes.”
The GBGH Board of Directors has established a recruitment committee to commence the process of selecting a new permanent CEO.
Lawson, meanwhile, has also been a driving force in GBGH’s master planning process to secure a future hospital and push forward approvals of its proposed mental health program.
“I am honoured to be appointed to this role during such a critical time for GBGH as we continue striving to improve services for this community,” Lawson said.
“Our hospital is well aware of where we need to focus our efforts in the present and future as we consistently experience increased demand for services while continuing to face the ongoing operational challenges and lasting impacts created by the pandemic.”
Prior to joining GBGH, Lawson worked for more than a decade at RVH and had been serving as chief performance officer when he left.
In that role, he was responsible for leading the health information management, registration, decision support and financial planning teams.
Additionally, Lawson, who is a chartered professional accountant and certified management accountant, led the financial planning process for operating and capital budgets, as well as for the development and maintenance of performance measures within the health centre.
