Hospital and Health Research Institute Welcome New Executive Vice President of Research, Quality & Academics and Chief Nursing Executive

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Valerie Grdisa as the new Executive Vice President (EVP) of Research, Quality & Academics and Chief Nursing Executive (CNE).

Reporting to the President & CEO of the Hospital/CEO of the Research Institute, Dr. Grdisa will be a member of the Senior Leadership Council and provide leadership, oversight and strategic direction to a diverse portfolio of health professionals and scientists in the areas of research and development, quality improvement, professional practice, patient and family centred care and academics.

Dr. Grdisa has held positions as a clinician (Registered Nurse and Clinical Nurse Specialist-Nurse Practitioner), senior manager, faculty and academic administrator, management consultant, and senior government official. Most recently, she led several Ministry-funded programs focused on quality improvement and evidence-based practices and was the Chair of Ontario’s CNE/Chief Nursing Officer Knowledge Exchange network. She has also had the privilege of working with Indigenous communities throughout her career and helped co-create strategies to improve health system performance and population health outcomes.

“This new position supports a strong focus on quality across both the Hospital and Research Institute. It’s a way to take our Patient and Family Centred Care (PFCC) values a step further, specifically focusing on improved patient outcomes and safety,” said Jean Bartkowiak, Hospital President & CEO and CEO of the Research Institute. “Dr. Grdisa has a proven track record of successes in clinical operations, academia, management consulting and government. Her experience and enthusiasm will be of tremendous value to the overall scientific, quality improvement, and academic mission of our organizations.”

Dr. Grdisa formally began her role as EVP of Research, Quality & Academics and CNE on April 1, 2019 and is excited to serve the population of Northwestern Ontario.