Almost two years to the day since joining Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) on an interim basis, president and CEO Veronica Nelson has announced she’s stepping down from her position effective Sept. 5.
Nelson took the reins at HHHS during a difficult time, two weeks after the shuttering of the Minden ER. She set about righting the ship, changing the culture at HHHS and improving public relations through enhanced community engagement and planning.
Board chair Irene Odell said Nelson has been “a transformational figure,” reducing the organization’s reliance on agency staff by fostering a healthier, happier, work environment for existing staff and new hires.
She also oversaw a revamp of diagnostic services, successfully lobbying the Ministry of Health for approval of new CT and mammography units, which were paid for by the community and opened last year.
Recently, she played a key role in getting the conversation started on a long-term master plan, filing an application with the Ministry of Long-Term Care to expand Minden’s Hyland Crest, and visited the Netherlands as part of a delegation exploring green care farms as an alternative model to supporting dementia patients.
“Veronica has guided the organization through a period of tremendous growth and renewal… her deep commitment to patient care and community health has led to the recruitment of new physicians and the formation of a strong and collaborative leadership team,” Odell told The Highlander.
“It will be difficult to fill Veronica’s shoes as she was a very impactful leader, but we are committed to finding a new leader to carry the positive momentum, building on the foundation she has put in place,” she added.
Nelson will re-join Ross Memorial Hospital (RMH) in Lindsay, where she spent 25 years, mostly in diagnostic imaging, before leaving for HHHS in 2023. She spent time as Ross’ interim president and CEO between 2019 and 2020.
Haliburton County deputy warden Liz Danielsen has gotten to know Nelson well over the past year through her role on the HHHS board, saying she was “terribly disappointed” to hear of the CEO’s impending departure.
“Veronica has made so many positive changes since her arrival, working tirelessly and, to some extent, going a long way to healing the community’s frustration over the loss of the ER,” Danielsen said.
Despite leaving a sizeable hole, Danielsen said she isn’t worried about Nelson’s departure impacting the work already underway on strategic planning and long-term care expansion.
“I think she’s got momentum going sufficiently and there will be people who can continue that process on all fronts. It might take a little bit longer, as we have to find a replacement, but I think we’re on the right path,” Danielsen noted.
‘Thank you Haliburton County’
Nelson said she has a lot to be grateful for. “My staff, our volunteers and the community who welcomed and trusted me to create a vision for health in the Highlands.”
She recalled her first town hall, in June 2023, where she heard area residents didn’t like the path HHHS was on. So, she went about changing it, creating an “open and transparent” process where people could express their concerns.
It was a similar story within the organization, with Nelson implementing new systems to improve worker morale. In April, she said a survey noted a 47 per cent improvement in staff satisfaction between spring of 2023 and 2025.
“Seventy-five per cent of our staff now rate HHHS as a great place to work – we know this has contributed to our ability to recruit and retain wonderful professionals,” she said.
Nelson added watching the new CT scanner get wheeled through the front doors last summer is her best memory.
“Knowing just how much work was done to make this a reality… that’s something that has been etched into my heart forever,” she said.
Odell confirmed there is no succession plan currently in place, noting all applicants will be considered.
