Announcement – Vice President, Clinical Programs, Interim, from Wolf Klassen, President and CEO, Interim, MGH

I am pleased to announce that Kevin Edmonson will step into the role of Vice President, Clinical Programs, Interim, at Michael Garron Hospital (MGH) on February 6, 2023.

Kevin is a steadfast and seasoned leader, leading MGH’s Emergency, Critical Care and Cardiology services. In January 2021, Kevin took on additional leadership responsibilities as Vice President, Community Care Seniors & Wellness at WoodGreen. In this role, Kevin leads a team of directors and approximately 350 dedicated staff in the delivery of community sector programming including assisted living, community seniors programs, community mental health, addictions and developmental services, as well as supportive housing. 

During his 15 years at MGH, Kevin has taken on progressive leadership roles in a number of departments across the hospital. Kevin began his MGH journey as a porter during school, working evening and weekends. He was the Manager of Support Services, then a Manager in the Medicine Department – responsible for the Nursing Resource Team and Patient Flow. He managed outpatient clinics and then the Emergency Department (ED) for nearly five years before stepping into a Director role where he oversaw the ED and Diagnostic Imaging (DI); his portfolio continued to evolve, including the clinical services he oversees today.

During his time at MGH, Kevin has made a remarkable impact on the hospital and extended East Toronto community:

• Kevin played an instrumental role in our integrated MGH and East Toronto Health Partners (ETHP) response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For two years, he co-led COVID-19 testing and vaccination work in East Toronto, opening one of Canada’s first COVID-19 Assessment Centres. He also supported testing and outreach efforts to long-term care, congregate living and shelter settings to serve high-priority populations and neighbourhoods.
   
• He collaborated with community partners to spearhead the opening of MGH’s off-site hospital wing at Atrium at Kew Beach Retirement home to increase capacity in East Toronto during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He saw the off-site hospital wing transform into ETHP’s comprehensive transitional care centre, which has seen dramatic growth from 24 beds in 2020 to 80 beds today.
   
• During his Directorship of Diagnostic Imaging and ED, he oversaw the procurement and installation of a CT scanner in the ED to provide vital assessment and treatment at the point-of-care. Under his leadership, MGH also secured a second state-of-the-art MRI machine to support patients with diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of a number of health conditions from arthritis to cancer.
   
• In his 10+ years as the Manager and then Director of the ED, Kevin has led the transformation of emergency services for the East Toronto community. He credits the exceptional ED team for their impressive ability to be nimble and adapt to the diverse needs of the community, especially during the pandemic. Some impressive highlights include: the creation of a secure mental health zone; introducing negative pressure (isolation) rooms to prevent the spread of infectious diseases; and launching MGH’s e-booking portal for minor injuries, virtual ED services and MGH’s Child and Youth ED Zone. Most recently, Kevin and his team supported the opening of the ETHP Cold, Flu and COVID-19 Clinic for Kids at the Thorncliffe Park Community Hub.

Kevin has made a tremendous impact on our East Toronto community, working tirelessly to collaborate with teams both inside and outside our hospital to adapt and strengthen health services to meet the growing needs of our population. Kevin is a proud member of the East Toronto community and takes great pride in delivering high-quality health services to the community he both lives and works in.

Please join me in thanking Kevin for stepping in to support MGH and our extended hospital community during this interim period. A search and selection committee will be formed to assist with the recruitment of MGH’s permanent Vice President, Clinical Programs.

With gratitude,
Wolf

Wolf Klassen
President and CEO, Interim
Michael Garron Hospital