Sylvia Weir is no longer the interim CEO of Interior Health (IH).
IH announced today, on behalf of its Board of Directors, that Weir has officially been named the president and CEO of the health authority.
The decision came after “an extensive search,” IH said, which began around 15 weeks ago when former CEO Susan Brown stepped down in late June.
“As we considered a full slate of candidates, it became clear that Sylvia brings the right mix of values-based leadership, vision and financial acumen to enable the efficient and effective delivery of front-line clinical services to support the achievement of IH’s vision,” said Dr. Robert Halpenny, chair of IH’s Board of Directors, through a media release.
Brown stepped down during a tumultuous time for IH, specifically in Kelowna where the BC Interior’s largest hospital was experiencing an unprecedented shut down of its general pediatric unit.
Weir was immediately named her replacement on an interim basis and has been at the helm as the ship seemingly steadied over the summer.
The hire of additional pediatricians allowed the hospital to partially reopen the unit in July and it returned to full capacity in August.
Weir, who brings more than 25 years of healthcare leadership experience to the table, says she’s “grateful for the opportunity” to serve the healthy authority in the role permanently.
“Since June, I’ve had the honour and privilege to meet with and hear from frontline staff, physicians, community and Indigenous leaders across our health region,” Weir said in a provided statement today.
“I am acutely aware of the challenges we collectively face both at IH and as a broader health-care sector, but I am confident through our continued focus on engagement, innovation, strategic partnerships and financial sustainability we will be able to maintain our commitment to delivering the highest quality and most effective care possible to communities.”
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When the move from Brown to Weir was made in late June, Kelowna-Mission MLA Gavin Dew didn’t seem convinced it would bring on any actual change.
“Swapping out one person at IH doesn’t let the Province off the hook,” he said. “This crisis didn’t appear overnight and it didn’t happen in a vacuum.”
He seems willing to give the new regime a chance, saying it’s “a crucial opportunity for a system reset” and wishing Weir success going forward.
“New leadership must rebuild confidence and culture – for the people who work in the IH system and for families like mine who rely on it,” a statement from Dew explained.
According to Dew, the health authority needs a renewed focus on accountability, transparency, internal culture and collaboration with local communities, which he has preached throughout the ongoing issues this summer.
“I choose to be optimistic that can happen. I know there are a lot of great people working in the system who share that hope,” he added. “I’ll continue to be a constructive watchdog, holding the government and the new leadership to account for delivering real results and restoring confidence in our health system."
Before being named interim CEO of IH in June, Weir led the health authority’s finance and infrastructure team as the CFO.
