Board of Directors Announce New President and CEO

Lynne Innes Ontario’s first Indigenous woman to lead a health authority

Moose Factory, ON — The Board of Directors are very pleased to share that Lynne Innes has accepted the role of President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA).

In her new role, Ms. Innes will work closely with WAHA’s Board of Directors and Chief of Staff, Dr. Elaine Innes, local and regional stakeholders, and provincial and federal government representatives to lead priority planning and the development of a new strategic plan for the organization.

A member of Moose Cree First Nation, Ms. Innes is committed to serving the people of the James and Hudson Bay region to ensure everyone received high-quality culturally safe health care as close to home as possible.

“Ms. Innes has combined years of health system knowledge with her life experience being from the region to advocate for WAHA and the people we serve, demonstrating her readiness to lead the organization into the next decade. Ms. Innes is the first Indigenous woman to lead a multi-site health authority in Ontario and we believe also likely to be President and CEO of a health authority – with hospital and ambulatory services – in Canada, said Ed Sackaney, interim Vice Chair and Treasurer, WAHA Board of Directors. This is an achievement we can all be proud of.”

Ms. Innes was most recently WAHA’s Vice President, Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Executive. A graduate of Northern College and Laurentian University, Ms. Innes is a nurse practitioner and has been with WAHA since 2011.

“I have been honoured to work for WAHA since almost since its inception over ten years ago. WAHA staff across all sites are committed to our patients and our communities, all of which are deeply important to me. It is a great privilege to be President and CEO,” said Lynne Innes, President and CEO, WAHA.

In addition to her accomplishments with WAHA, Ms. Innes was selected by the College of Nurses of Ontario in 2008 to become a Nurse Practitioner Examiner. In this role she ensures that other nurse practitioners meet provincial standards in the care they provide. She was also appointed one of 10 health-care leaders from across Canada by the Canadian Nurses Association to develop the new National Nurse Practitioner Licensing Exam and test bank in 2017.

Weeneebayko Area Health Authority is the leading health care provider on the western James Bay coast serving a population of approximately 12,000 people. Comprised of hospitals in Moose Factory, Fort Albany and Attawapiskat, and a health centre in Moosonee, we also provide paramedic services and outpatient care in communities along our coast from Moose Factory to Peawanuck.  WAHA is affiliated with Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.

For media inquiries contact Elizabeth McCarthy at 705-658-4544 x 2323 or elizabeth.mccarthy@waha.ca