The Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) Board of Directors has appointed Matthew Lawson as the interim president and CEO of the organization, effective June 24, 2022. Since joining GBGH in June 2021, Lawson has served as the executive vice president (EVP) of Corporate Services and chief financial officer. Lawson’s appointment follows the resignation of Gail Hunt as GBGH president and CEO announced April 6.
“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,” says Tim Kastelic, chair, GBGH Board of Directors. “Within just a short time, Matthew has transformed many aspects of the hospital, including the budgeting, resource allocation and capital equipment processes.”
Lawson has also been a driving force in GBGH’s master planning process to secure a future hospital and push forward approvals of our 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,” says Lawson. “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 as EVP, Lawson was the chief performance officer at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) in Barrie. In this role, Lawson was responsible for leading the Health Information Management, Registration, Decision Support, and Financial Planning teams. Additionally, Lawson 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. While at RVH for more than a decade, Lawson led teams on both corporate and clinical sides of the organization, gaining a valuable understanding of the many aspects involved in hospital operations.
Lawson is a chartered professional accountant (CPA) and certified management accountant (CMA). He also holds an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration, a Masters in Health Administration and is a certified health executive with the Canadian College of Health Leaders.
The GBGH Board of Directors has established a recruitment committee to commence the process of selecting a new permanent CEO.
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Contact:
Jennifer Moore
Director, Communications & Stakeholder Relations
Georgian Bay General Hospital
705-526-1300 ext 5177 moorejen@gbgh.on.ca
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