Stevenson Memorial Hospital
Stevenson Memorial Hospital is a fully accredited facility located in the community of Alliston, Ontario, within the Town of New Tecumseth. The Hospital offers a wide scope of medical and surgical services to a catchment area including Adjala-Tosorontio, Canadian Forces Base Borden, Essa, Innisfil and New Tecumseth.
The Board governs the affairs of the hospital and provides strategic leadership and oversight of operations subject to the Public Hospitals Act, hospital by-laws and other requirements.
Nishika Jardine served in the Canadian Armed Forces, Corps of Royal Canadian Electrical & Mechanical Engineers for 36+ years, retiring at the rank of Colonel in May 2019. A graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada, she holds both a Bachelor of Science (Math & Physics, 1986) and a Master of Defence Studies (2007). Most recently, in 2018 she obtained the Chartered Director (C.Dir.) designation from The Directors College (a collaboration between McMaster University and The Conference Board of Canada). She and her family have lived on CFB Borden since 2008 and expect to move to Alliston in summer 2019. Her other volunteer activities include: Junior Program Coordinator for the Alliston Curling Club, Governor on the Air Cadet League Ontario Provincial Committee Board of Governors, Director on the National Council of the Order of St. George. She has enjoyed working as an Advisory Member of the Stevenson Memorial Hospital Board Governance and Nominating Committee since September 2018 and is looking forward to continuing to serve the Hospital.
Tanja S. Webster, Vice-Chair
Tanja is a resident of Alliston where she and her family have been living for the past eight years. Tanja was appointed as a Board of Director at Stevenson Memorial Hospital in June, 2023. Prior to this she was an Advisory Member on the Governance and Nominating Committee at the Hospital, since 2018.
Tanja works as an Appeals Specialist for Lifeworks Workers’ Compensation Professional Corporation. She holds an LL.B. from the University of Sussex and a B.A.A. in Paralegal Studies from the Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.
Sheila Kaarlela, Director
Sheila has lived in the Township of Adjala-Tosorontio for the past nine years. She is semi-retired after spending over 28 years in the pharmaceutical industry with executive positions in sales and marketing. Along with her husband she is a partner in a consulting business with a focus on pharmaceuticals and healthcare. Sheila became a member of the Stevenson Memorial Hospital Foundation in 2012 and served on the Communications Committee. As well, she Co-chaired the 2012 Stevenson Memorial Hospital Foundation Gala. For the past four years she has been a member of the Stevenson Memorial Hospital Communication Committee and Quality Committee, reporting directly to the Board of Directors. She became a member of the hospital Board of Directors in 2017. Sheila spends her free time golfing, horseback riding, gardening, and curling. Dedicating time to causes such as the redevelopment of Stevenson Memorial Hospital is very rewarding to her.
Christina Wieder Ruel, Director
Christina Wieder became a member of the Board of Directors in June, 2022, after being an Advisory Member of Stevenson Memorial Hospital Board Governance and Nominating Committee for over a year.
Christina has been employed by local Public Health Units for more than twenty years. Christina completed a Master of Public Health and has a Bachelor of Applied Science from the Toronto Metropolitan University. She is skilled in leadership, governance, and continuous quality improvement processes. Throughout her career, she has participated on provincial and national committees, and working groups.
Christina is looking forward to continuing to serve Stevenson Memorial Hospital.
Michael Vear, Treasurer
Michael Vear became a member of the Board of Directors in June, 2022, after being an Advisory Member of Stevenson Memorial Hospital Board Finance, Audit, and Property Committee since June 2018.
Michael retired in 2018 as Chief Internal Auditor of Toronto Community Housing Corporation, the second largest social housing provider in North America. After his retirement, he engaged in contract opportunities that gave him the opportunity to work for a Canadian NGO conducting internal audits throughout the world. In mid-2021 Michael retired officially, ending an over 39-year career in corporate and regulatory investigations, forensic accounting, and Internal Audit.
Michael holds an undergraduate degree in Economics from York University. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and has also passed the exams for Certified Public Accountants (CPA) in Illinois.
Michael is currently the Treasurer of the Alliston Food Bank. He also volunteers there several mornings a week.
Michael and his spouse reside in beautiful downtown Beeton, Ontario.
The President and CEO; Vice-President/Chief Nursing Executive; Chief of Staff, Chief Financial & Information Officer, President of the Medical Staff; President of the Auxiliary and Board Chair of the Foundation are ex- officio members of the Board.
Barbara Steed, Interim President & CEO
Barb has been the Interim President and CEO of Stevenson Memorial Hospital since May, 2024.
She is a registered nurse by background holding progressive leadership positions at Royal Victoria Hospital, Baycrest, Trillium Health Partners, Oak Valley Health and Southlake Regional Health Centre.
Over the years, Barb’s leadership focus has been on clinical quality excellence, system collaboration and partnerships that maximize outcomes for people and their families. She believes in the value of forging strong relationships and strategic decision-making.
Barb has a Masters of Health Studies: Leadership. She is a graduate of the Advanced Healthcare Leadership Program and the Institute of Corporate Directors, ICD.D designation at the Rotman School of Management. She has a Canadian Health Executive designation with the Canadian College of Health Leaders.
Susan Woollard, Interim VP Clinical Services & Chief Nursing Executive
Susan an accomplished healthcare executive with extensive experience leading a multi-site hospital with innovative, collaborative approaches to achieve strategic results.
Throughout her career, she has been a committed leader and educator, who is passionate about patient-and family-centred care, quality, safety, and interprofessional practice. She has successfully navigated a dynamic, complex system by collaborating and developing mutually beneficial relationships. Susan has been an active member of numerous regional committees to achieve equitable access to care based on leading practices.
Most recently, she held the role of Vice President Clinical Services, Quality & Risk, Long Term Care & Chief Nursing Executive at North York General Hospital. Susan provided executive leadership to nurses and other health regulated professionals. She has held an Adjunct Clinical Appointment – Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto for over 15 years. She has consulted on numerous clinical and peer coaching reviews, along with independent assessments. Susan is a registered nurse with a Master of Education and Canadian Health Executive Certification.
Dr. Roger Musa, Chief of Staff
Dr. Musa left Ontario in 2001 to pursue a career in medicine. He became the Medical Director at AultmanNow Urgent Walk-In Clinic in Ohio and has since spent a majority of his medical career in Ohio at Aultman Hospital.
He became a Hospitalist in 2008 and has advanced his career to hold positions such as Program Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Vice Chair of the Department of Inpatient Medicine, and most recently, Executive Director of Medical Education.
Dr. Musa became a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant at Aultman Hospital and has an extensive educational background. He is a member of the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians, Physician Delegate to the American Academy of Family Physicians and is a Clinical Associate Professor at Northeast Ohio Medical University.
He has been recognized for his contributions to education and in medicine, having been awarded the Medical Staff Service Award in 2023 and Faculty Teacher of the Year Award, three years in a row from 2010-12, among many other awards and accomplishments.
Brian Edmonds, Interim VP Corporate Services and Chief Financial & Information Officer
Brian Edmonds is a Chartered Professional Accountant/Chartered Accountant and holds a master’s degree in health sciences administration from the University of Michigan. His executive interests include strategic planning, fiscal accountability, the development of new funding models for health care, change management, performance improvement, and corporate governance.
Through his career Brian has provided interim executive leadership and strategic consulting advice to over 25 Ontario-based teaching and community, private and public health service providers as these organizations looked for performance improvement opportunities. Through these engagements, Brian worked extensively with the full Board and the Audit and Finance Committees of these organizations to develop appropriate governance processes and tools.
For seven years, Brian was the Vice President, Finance of the Trillium Health Centre where he was instrumental in the introduction of the Strategic Framework for Trillium, developing tools to enhance decision-making and fiscal accountability, and in leading performance monitoring projects such as the award-winning Performance Dashboard.
Brian has also worked with a variety of Ontario Ministry of Health and Joint Policy and Planning Committees including:
- Peer Review engagements of five major Ontario Hospitals (Sault Area Hospital, Hospital for Sick Children, The Ottawa Hospital, Hotel Dieu (Kingston) and Sudbury Regional) to recommend specific fiscal operating strategies to the hospitals and the MOHLTC
- Provincial Panel Reviews of Operating Plan submissions for four regions (80 hospitals) to recommend fiscal balancing strategies
- Designated Services Work Group - recommend funding rates for specific procedures
- Quality Based Procedures Funding Advisory Group and Rate Development Group
Brian has also served as a Board member of several not-for-profits including Casey House Hospice and CMHA York and South Simcoe Region.
Dr. Modar Safar - President of the Professional Staff Association
President of Auxiliary – Carla Beckett
Carla Beckett moved to Alliston from Victoria, BC in 2002. She has four sons and two grandchildren – one in Alliston and the other in Victoria.
Her background is with the Government of BC in the Ministries of Energy and Mines; and Women’s Equality, in the capacities of Office Manager and Ministerial Correspondence Coordinator. Carla worked in Human Resources at Stevenson Memorial Hospital from 2002 to 2007, then in HR at the Town of East Gwillimbury until her retirement in 2015.
Carla has been involved in many volunteering roles over the years. Since arriving in Alliston, she has served as President at the Catholic Women’s League locally and at the Northern Region level. At the church she served on the Pastoral Council and Cemetery Board, and was a lector and Volunteer Screening Coordinator. She was a Board member for Focus Community Development, and has been a member of Tec-We-Gwill Women’s Institute since 2019. She also provides meals to SHIFT (the shelter).
Carla joined the Hospital Auxiliary in 2012 serving in various roles on the Executive committee, currently as the President, because she absolutely loves the Hospital and respects everyone who works and volunteers there.
Dr. Ted Vandevis – Board Chair of the Foundation
Ted was raised on a veal farm in Tecumseth Township and graduated from Civil Engineering in 1977. After graduation, he worked eleven years for Barrie Public Utilities Commission as a Water Plant Operator.
In 1988, he joined the Electrical & Utilities Safety Association (E&USA) as a field consultant and provided health and safety consultative services to water and electrical utilities around the Province. From 1998 to 2009, Ted was their President & CEO. He has presented numerous seminars and workshops, has been invited to speak at many industry functions throughout the globe, and takes a keen interest in strategic planning and organizational culture. He has written dozens of journal and newsletter articles and columns.
In 1996, he graduated from the University of Western Ontario's Ivey School of Business with a Master's in Business Administration, and in 2008, he was awarded a Ph.D. from Capella University in Organization and Management.
He is/was a member and Chair of numerous local and international Boards and committees, most notably Chair of the Stevenson Memorial Hospital Board from 2007 to 2011. He presently lives with his wife, Janet, in Barrie, ON.
