Windsor Regional Hospital has confirmed that several top executives have been laid off in an effort to steer the hospital in the right direction. Kristin Kennedy, the hospital’s president and CEO, confirmed to CTV News on Wednesday that there has been a shakeup in senior leadership since she took the hospital’s top job in April. Kennedy said it was a difficult but necessary decision to help steer the leadership team going forward. Due to confidentiality, she couldn’t comment on which specific roles have been affected, but noted the positions have since been filled. “We have had to make some difficult but necessary changes here in the organization to best position us to be prepared for some of the challenges we’re seeing in the healthcare system presently,” Kennedy said after a hospital board meeting. Kennedy inherited a difficult financial outlook as the hospital stares down a multi-year deficit, but hospital officials insisted the leadership changes were not tied to the financial pressures. For the current fiscal year, the hospital faces a projected deficit between $15 and $18 million. Kennedy, who also serves as the president and CEO of Erie Shores HealthCare after changes to the leadership model earlier this year, said they will look at a “methodical approach” to balancing cost savings and levels of service. She added the mandate from the Ministry of Health is to find solutions which limit the impact on frontline staff. Future moves could include integrating roles at the two hospitals, or eliminating roles after retirements, if they’re deemed redundant. “Looking at administration efficiencies and back-office integrations, partnerships so that we minimize service interruption and layoffs to our staff, and we are very committed to that,” she said. Ahead of the flu season, officials are monitoring potential staffing pressures, which could also impact the hospital’s financial picture. At the end of September, overtime among unionized workers remained above the 4 per cent target, according to a staff report. Overtime at the Met Campus stood at 4.7 per cent, up slightly from 4.5 per cent in July. At the Ouellettehe hospital’s financial picture. campus, overtime was at 7.1 per cent, up from 6.8 per cent in July. “We’re looking at innovative ways to help support that as well, to minimize the implications of overtime, which are time and a half, double time, and how can we invest in our staff and potentially put additional lines in place that are creative solutions to be able to support our staff and minimize some of the overtime and sick time as well from a recruitment and retention strategy as well.” The ministry requires the hospital to balance its budget by the end of the 2027-2028 fiscal year.
