Smith leaving Niagara Health
The man who shaped Niagara’s hospital system for the past seven years is leaving to take a new post in Toronto.
Kevin Smith, the former provincially appointed supervisor of Niagara Health System and CEO of Niagara Health and St. Joseph’s Health System in Hamilton, announced Monday he is leaving Niagara to become president and CEO of the University Health Network.
His last day with Niagara Health will be May 21.
“It’s a good day for me, but also a bittersweet one,” said Smith in a Monday interview. “But this is a unique opportunity and, frankly, the only job that could pull me away from Niagara is UHN, which is really a crown jewel of health care in this province.”
Smith, 55, came to Niagara Health in 2011 when the local system was in crisis. A systemwide C. difficile outbreak claimed 37 lives and cost $2 million to stop. Public confidence in the hospital system and its leaders were at an all-time low.
The provincial government brought in Smith to reformat NHS and win back public confidence. He dissolved the board of directors and set about reshaping Niagara Health.
At that time, Smith was known as a hired gun, brought in to fix hospital systems in crisis.
“When I was hired by boards, I was brought in to fine-tune and refine what they are already doing well. But when I was brought in by the government, absolutely, it was ‘This is broken. Come in and fix it.’”
Smith established a new management team, and a new strategic vision designed to improve the patient experience.
By 2014, a new St. Catharines hospital was built, a new board of directors formed and Smith vacated his supervisor position to provide CEO services for both St. Joesph’s and Niagara Health.
Niagara Health signed a management services agreement with the Hamilton hospital, where Smith was already serving as CEO when he became the Niagara supervisor, specifically to keep Smith on board.
“I wouldn’t say it was unprecedented, but it was certainly unique,” said John McDonald, chair of the Niagara Health board of directors. “Kevin has a unique skill set and is a uniquely qualified individual to brought a lot to Niagara Health.”
That year, Niagara Health hired Dr. Suzanne Johnston as hospital president and Smith faded from the public limelight.
McDonald said for the past several years Smith has been most active in representing Niag-
ara Health in Toronto to secure funding for the future Niagara Falls hospital as well as continued strategic leadership.
“This is quite a loss for Niagara Health. This is very new to us, and we had no prior knowledge that Kevin was up for this job,” McDonald said.
“Obviously, we will be meeting as a board to discuss our options.”
McDonald said the agreement with St. Joesph’s was due to expire this year, but the sudden departure of Smith will accelerate that review. It isn’t clear yet, he said, what shape the Niagara Health CEO position will take.