NHH Concludes Fiscal Year with a Surplus, While Strategically Investing in Growth as Community Needs Rise

Pete Fisher
2 hours ago
• Categories: Community, Local

The Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) Board of Directors, chaired by Cyndi Gilmer, held their annual meeting on, June 24, 2026, at 5 PM the Peter B. & Mary T. Smith Community Education Centre on the second floor of the hospital.

Following opening remarks by both the Board Chair, and Susan Walsh, President and CEO of NHH, Michael McAllister, Chair of the Board’s Finance and Audit Committee, reported that NHH concluded 2025/2026, with a surplus of $1.1 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026, an improvement from $0.8 million in the prior year.

“Like all hospitals in this province, NHH faced significant financial pressures to support
operations, including volume and acuity pressures, increased labour costs, funding rates
below inflationary increases, and $13 million in capital acquisitions during the year; that
were essential acquisitions to maintaining clinical capacity and modernizing equipment
and systems. NHH’s financial position strengthened during the year, with cash balances
increasing significantly and the net asset deficiency reduced to $0.3 million, reflecting
improved operating results and strong cash flow performance. Internal efficiencies
achieved through meticulous performance improvement; disciplined cost management
and operational optimization have led to a positive financial position at the end of our fiscal year,” said McAllister.

Following McAllister’s update, Anoop Michael, representing NHH’s auditor KPMG,
presented a positive Auditor’s Report and the audited financial statements were accepted.

In her Board Chair report, Gilmer explained that the Board dedicated significant time and effort to reviewing, and strengthening their governance framework and updated policies, procedures, and committee terms of reference to align with best practices as per the Ontario Hospital Association fourth edition of its Guide to Good Governance.

“As a Board, we remain, deeply mindful of our accountability to patients, families,
community members, and partners. While this work has been extensive, the results have
been invaluable. I am confident that our Board continues to operate at a high level, that
supports our shared purpose of People First,” she remarked.

She expressed her gratitude towards the excellent volume of work that NHH continues to do, guided by the core pillars of the hospital’s Strategic Plan.

“The day-to-day operations at the hospital are increasingly complex. Thank you to our
dedicated staff, physicians and midwives of NHH, whose expertise, compassion, and
commitment make a meaningful difference in the lives of our patients every day. I would
also like to thank our partners, including the NHH Foundation, the Auxiliary, and the
Patient and Family Advisory Council and Susan Walsh, President and CEO, Dr Paul Ketov, Chief of Staff, and the Senior Leadership Team for their exceptional leadership and
guidance.

Gilmer thanked outgoing Board Directors, Laurel Savoy, Bree Nixon, and Community
Committee member Mary Ann Cochetto, thanking them for their service and then invited Rhonda Cunningham, CEO of the NHH Foundation, to present a ‘Gift of Gratitude’ to Don Morrison for his service.

“After many years of outstanding service—including service as Board Chair during the
construction and opening of the new hospital in 2003—Director Don Morrison will be
retiring from the Board. We thank him for his passion, commitment and guidance during his time on the Board,” remarked Gilmer.

Gilmer also concluded her tenure as Board Chair and thanked incoming Chair Michael
McAllister as her successor, a role he will commence with the first meeting of the Board
conducted following the annual meeting.

“While these departures mark the end of an important chapter, we look forward to
welcoming talented and engaged new Board and Community members who will help
sustain the strong governance and leadership that Northumberland Hills Hospital is known for. It has been an honour to serve on the Board of NHH and to work with this exceptional organization,” she concluded.

Following her address, Gilmer introduced Susan Walsh, President and CEO, to deliver
personal remarks.

Walsh began by expressing her gratitude for the many hospital teams and volunteers who regularly uphold the ‘People First’ culture that has become synonymous with NHH, saying,

“Despite many uncertainties, our hospital teams remained steadfast in upholding NHH’s
Shared Purpose, ‘People First,’ in the care that we deliver. A defining part of NHH’s identity has—and will always be—the people. Our hospital has grown into an organization where individuals choose to begin their healthcare journey—and in many instances—remain here for their entire careers. Every member of our hospital team—including volunteer partners—has shaped NHH into a place where clinical excellence, compassion, and care exist
cohesively.”

Walsh also spoke to many highlights published in the 2025/2026 Annual Report that
illustrated the hospital’s growth agenda to support community needs, stating: “We
advanced key initiatives designed to improve access and enhance the quality of care.

With the support of Ontario Health we launched both our NHH@Home program that provides eligible patients with up to 16 weeks of comprehensive home care services, and the Stroke Recovery Clinic to bring interdisciplinary rehabilitation and recovery services in-house to NHH and our Essential Care Pilot program formally identifying individuals, chosen by
patients, as integral partners in their care journey. To better meet the needs of young
families we launched the Newborn, Perinatal, Reproductive Care Clinic now providing
non-urgent outpatient services to support both women’s wellness and newborn health
leading up to, and after, those first important weeks of life.”

She discussed NHH’s investment in clinical infrastructure. “In addition to new services, we have continued to invest in the modernization of our existing clinical infrastructure.
Diagnostic imaging services were enhanced with the NHH Foundation’s support, including a new MRI, SPECT-CT, and Medical Device Reprocessing equipment upgrades, all important improvements for diagnostic accuracy, enhancing patient experience, and ensuring that high-quality care remains available close to home. Our new Emergency Department Wait Time Dashboard and Self-Arrival Kiosk have strengthened transparency and improved flow for those requiring emergency care.”

Walsh touched on the importance between building capacity and strengthening
experience stating, “Expansion and enhancement are not only about scale, but also the
quality of care being delivered. At the centre of every achievement is our people. The
dedication, compassion, and expertise of our physicians, staff, volunteers, patient partners, and community supporters continue to shape NHH as a trusted place of care, healing, and belonging. I am excited by the opportunities ahead as we continue to create a stronger, more connected healthcare system for west Northumberland—one that will serve our community for generations to come.”

Walsh concluded her address by thanking the Board for their dedication and work and
made a special presentation to outgoing Board Chair Cyndi Gilmer.

“I would like to express my gratitude to our Board of Directors for their work in
strengthening our governance framework and we are pleased to present Cyndi Gilmer
with this special recognition for her dedication to NHH, her collaborative leadership, and commitment to upholding excellence of care provided to every patient,” said Walsh.

Led by Kendra Simmons, Chair of NHH’s Nominating Committee, the Board endorsed the Committee’s recommendation that Carol Lancaster (Ward 1), Chad Munday (Ward 2), Lori McGrimmon (Ward 2) and Dr. Stephanie Johnston (Ward 2) each be elected to the Board for a three-year term.

Finally, three re-appointments of ex officio Board members were approved, all for one-year terms: Dr. Paul Ketov, Chief of Staff, Susan Walsh, President and CEO, Kate Zimmerman, Vice President, Integrated Care and Chief Nursing Executive, Dr. Kate Everdell, Dr. Marcus
Cunningham, Carrie Low, and Rick Riley.

The Board also approved new ex officio representative Bonnie McKee, PFAC Chair, for a
one-year term.

Jennifer Gillard, Vice President, Patient Experience, Public Affairs and Strategic
Partnerships was invited to present the Heart of Experience Awards for Exceptional
Service. First introduced in 2023, as the Experience Partner Award for Exceptional Service, this Award originated as a special recognition for PFAC partners’ growing role in the organization. On PFAC’s recommendation, and with approval from our Senior Leadership, the award was expanded to honour recipients from across the hospital who demonstrated exemplary volunteer service and contribution to enhancing the care experience at NHH.

The recipient of the 2026 Heart of Experience Award in the Physician/Midwife category was presented to Dr. Emma Smith, who in her role as Integrated Quality and Safety Physician Lead, exemplifies NHH’s shared purpose of “People First” through her unwavering
commitment to compassionate, patient-centred, and high-quality care; Stephanie Shuur,
Clerk for NHH Community Mental Health Services, received the Heart of Experience award in the Staff category for her “unwavering compassion, dedication, and commitment to ensuring that every person she encounters feels seen, heard, valued, and supported”.

The Heart of Experience Volunteer award was presented to NHH’s Auxiliary’s Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) team for their work, providing therapeutic activities, mobility and exercises, orientation along with visual and hearing devices and nutritional support to NHH patients, delivered with kindness through one-on-one interventions. The Heart of Experience Team award was presented to NHH’s Environmental Services Team who consistently bring “People First” to life through their dedication, pride, compassion and commitment to patient safety and experience.

NHH’s 2025/2026 Annual Report is available now on the hospital’s website. Printed copies are available by request from the hospital’s Public Affairs office (905-377-7757).

For more information on the NHH Board of Directors, please see the ‘About’ tab of nhh.ca.

Information reflecting the 2026-2027 Board and Community committee members will be updated in the coming weeks.