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Message from the Board Chair
Jo-Anne Boucher
Board Chair
Message from the CEO
This past year brought both challenges and meaningful progress, while also positioning our organization for the future of rural
healthcare in our community. Like many hospitals across Northern Ontario, ERHHC faced sustained pressures, including a heavy respiratory season, significant winter storms, regional system strain, and ongoing health human resource challenges. Despite these obstacles, our teams continued to deliver high-quality, compassionate care while supporting one another through a demanding year. Of special note, we are remembering our friend and colleague Wade Elmore. The strength of our organization is reflected in our performance. ERHHC continues to demonstrate strong Emergency Department access and flow metrics compared with peer hospitals, reinforcing the quality, discipline, and resilience of our clinical teams. Across all services, staff, physicians, and leaders remained focused on what matters most: safe, timely, patient-centred care.
In 2025–2026, we advanced the Strategic Plan through an Objectives and Key Results (OKR) framework that focused organizational efforts on measurable outcomes aligned with four pillars: Excel, Enhance, Empower, and Expand. The organization made steady progress across all four strategic pillars, and the OKR framework strengthened our ability to measure impact, align work across departments, and respond more effectively to risks and emerging priorities, as highlighted later in this Annual Report. Looking ahead, we will continue to advance our rural health campus model by expanding learner opportunities, strengthening partnerships, and launching the CT scanner campaign to increase the standard of care and accessibility. We will also strengthen recruitment and retention and leadership accountability across the organization and maintain a strong focus on financial sustainability by improving efficiency, reducing the operating deficit, and modernizing processes through digitization and better use of technology. I wish to extend my sincere gratitude to our staff, physicians, volunteers, Foundation, community partners, and Board of Directors for their continued commitment to our shared mission. The progress achieved this year reflects your dedication, and we look forward to continuing this important work together in service to our community.
Sincerely,
Martin Lees
Chief Executive Officer
