New leadership at Ross Memorial Hospital

Ross Memorial Hospital is implementing two significant leadership changes that will help guide the hospital into its next chapter of excellence in patient care.

Veronica Nelson started as RMH president and CEO on Sept. 8, 2025.

Dr. Michel Boivin will assume the role of RMH’s chief of staff beginning on Sept. 15, 2025.

Veronica has rejoined RMH after serving as president and CEO of Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) since June 2023, where she led the organization through a period of growth and transformation. Prior to that role, she spent more than two decades at RMH beginning as a medical radiation technologist before rising to become director of diagnostic imaging, Project manager, vice president and chief operating officer, and interim president and CEO. Veronica also played a key role in the development of the local Ontario health team.

“Ross Memorial Hospital holds a special place in my heart, and I am immensely proud to serve as its President and CEO,” Nelson said in a press release. “I’ve seen firsthand how talented, compassionate, and dedicated to providing exceptional care the team members within the organization are. I look forward to bringing leadership that maximizes those traits to deliver on the promise of a better healthcare experience and remain the trusted hospital our community relies on.”

Boivin most recently served as a staff intensivist at Northumberland Hills Hospital and has worked as a locum at Brockville General Hospital and RMH. His extensive academic and clinical leadership background includes 20 years on faculty at the University of New Mexico, where he was a professor of medicine, director of the medical intensive care unit, and program director of the critical care fellowship.

Boivin also led the ICU at the Heart Hospital of New Mexico, where he developed their ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) program and helped guide the hospital’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. An internationally recognized expert in the use of ultrasound in critical care, Boivin has lectured and taught across North America.

“In my time working as a locum at Ross Memorial Hospital, I’ve been struck by the dedication team members have displayed in providing great care, close to home,” said Boivin. “I’m excited to take on this Chief of Staff position to help grow our services by supporting our physicians and hospital as we improve the overall health of the Kawartha Lakes community.”

Boivin succeeds Dr. Bharat Chawla, who is stepping down after a decade of exemplary service as chief of staff. Dr. Chawla will continue in his role as chief of psychiatry at RMH.