The following has been sent to all medical leaders on behalf of Dr. Michelle Weizel, MD, CCFP-EM, MBA, Associate Vice President Medicine, and Deputy Chief Medical Officer.
July 24, 2025
Dear colleagues,
Over the past five years, Island Health has undergone significant transformation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, its long-term impacts on our population and workforce, and evolving government priorities. During this period, we have made strategic investments to strengthen operational management, clinical governance, and support systems that enable the delivery of high-quality care.
At the same time, we are now operating in an environment of growing fiscal pressure across the province, including rising debt levels. Like all health authorities in B.C., Island Health has been asked to examine how we can optimize our structures to ensure long-term sustainability, while maintaining the quality and safety of the care we provide.
On June 10, Island Health’s President & CEO announced a realignment of the Vice President and Executive Director portfolios. These changes were intended to create a more streamlined and functionally aligned organization, while shifting resources away from administrative functions and toward direct care delivery.
Within the medical staff portfolio, the impact on the Executive Medical Director (EMD) tier will be limited. As Dr. Keith Menard prepares to step down from his role as EMD, Medical Staff Governance, to pursue a new opportunity, his portfolio will be redistributed to ensure continuity. I am pleased to be assuming leadership from Dr. Menard on the Medical Leadership Strategy, and we will share an updated EMD reporting structure in the coming months.
This organizational transition provides an opportunity to begin implementing key components of Island Health’s new Medical Leadership Strategy. There will be significant changes as a result of the restructure, and the future state design reflects robust engagement with medical leaders over the past 10 months.
I will be sharing the Medical Leadership Restructure at a dedicated Medical Leader Forum on Wednesday, August 13th 7:30 to 8:30am.This session is open to all medical leaders and will provide an opportunity to learn about the new model, anticipated timelines and to pose questions. Please note that individual circumstances will not be discussed at this meeting; the intent is to focus on the overall structure. More details on individual circumstances will be shared in the coming weeks.
You will receive a calendar invitation for the Medical Leader Forum shortly. Please contact medstaffcommunications@islandhealth.cawith questions pertaining to the Forum invitation.
Thank you for your continued dedication and leadership.
Warm regards,
Dr. Michelle Weizel
Associate Vice President, Medicine & Deputy Chief Medical Officer