Welcoming our New Co-Chair to the Oxford OHT Leadership and Strategy Council
The Oxford OHT Leadership and Strategy Council (L&SC) is responsible for Ontario Health Team development, maturity, and success. They set the direction and priorities for the OHT, taking a strategic and collaborative approach to overcome challenges and seize opportunities. This council is made up of executive leaders from across our partnering organizations, including two co-chairs that lead this group and act as sounding boards for the OHT Operations Team.
Carol Walters, CEO of the Alzheimer Society Southwest Partners, has been at the Oxford OHT table for three years and has spent the last two as a L&SC co-chair. Reflecting on her tenure, Carol expressed how much evolution she has seen in the last three years. In the early days of the Oxford OHT, the sole focus was pandemic response. Carol recalled being deeply impressed by the teamwork and mutual support exhibited by OHT partners during a time of uncertainty and resource scarcity. This togetherness and meaningful partnership inspired Carol to apply for the co-chair role when it became available.
Over the past two years, Carol has continued to observe and appreciate the dedication of Oxford’s health system partners to strengthening and improving the system. In the summer of 2023, the Oxford OHT had their first “Make a Difference Day,” where leaders from across partnering organizations came together to align their visions and set out concrete action plans for the OHT. Reflecting on this event, Carol said “the more perspectives we bring into the conversation, the more effective our strategy is. It was fantastic to be able to get everyone in a room together to set our strategic direction, and I was so impressed with how much we accomplished in one day. We’ve started to see some great momentum, and I look forward to continuing to be a part of the progress.”
We sincerely appreciate Carol’s leadership and support, and we are grateful for her ongoing insight and expertise as she transitions out of the co-chair role.
As Carol steps down, we are pleased to welcome our new co-chair, Kathryn Leatherland, who has been part of the L&SC and Oxford OHT’s Digital Health and Privacy Working Group for three years. Kathryn’s experience as Executive Director at the Tillsonburg Multi-Service Centre and her prior involvement in our OHT will be an asset as we pursue new strategic directions and goals.
A statement from Kathryn:
“The next two years will be a time of great evolution for the Oxford OHT. We can, and will, learn from changes happening in other OHTs. However, the Oxford OHT clients, caregivers and service providers are the experts in what the Oxford OHT needs and we have a great capacity in Oxford County to be innovative and make positive changes. It is the Leadership and Strategy Council that will set the direction for these changes and model the collaborative decision-making style that will be the key driver behind all actions the Oxford OHT and its members take. As a Leadership and Strategy Council, we will challenge ourselves to evolve further to a true co-design model by increasing client and caregiver decision making both at our Council and on all of the Oxford OHT’s committees and action teams. I am grateful to be endorsed by my peers to help lead the Leadership and Strategy Council through this exciting time.”
Please join us in welcoming and congratulating Kathryn on her appointment as co-chair and thanking Carol for her work over the last two years. We are fortunate to have the support and expertise of community healthcare leaders at the OHT table!