NEWS RELEASE
NORTH SHORE HEALTH NETWORK
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The North Shore Health Network is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Ralph Barker, P.Eng. as the new president and chief executive officer for the organization, effective May 19, 2019. Ralph was the successful candidate in a national search to fill this important role at NSHN, which was conducted by an independent 3rd party executive recruitment firm, and which focused on qualities and attributes identified by NSHN’s Board, physicians, and staff.
Mr. Barker is an accomplished C-suite health care executive and senior business leader, with over 30 years of experience effectively managing the development and delivery of innovative organizational strategy, visionary products and solutions, and operational services to a broad spectrum of organizations throughout North America, ranging from small private enterprise to Fortune 1000 companies.
His experience includes over 14 years in the Ontario health care sector, including both ambulatory and acute care organizations, with governance, strategic, and operational responsibilities for a broad portfolio. He has several years of hospital Board governance experience, and he was most recently the Chief Information Officer and Vice President of Information Services at the Group Health Centre in Sault Ste. Marie for the past eight years.
He is also a highly respected community thought leader, and acknowledged builder and leader of high-performance teams, embodied through selection as Sault Ste. Marie’s Innovation Leader of the Year in 2014.
Ralph is a native of Northern Ontario, and brings with him a passion and deep understanding of rural and northern living. “I am excited to join the team at NSHN, and I look forward to helping move the organization forward with continued quality health care for residents of the North Shore," said Mr. Barker.
Speaking on behalf of the board, Chair Donna Latulippe said, “Ralph has the unanimous support of the Board, and we are pleased to have someone with Ralph’s experience to renew our leadership and guide us through this period of transformational change in the Ontario health care sector."
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