NOSM Announces New CAO

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ray Hunt as Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). Hunt will start in this role on November 2, 2015, and will be based at NOSM at Laurentian University in Sudbury.

In his role as CAO, Hunt will be responsible for leadership, strategic direction, corporate services, and management of the non-academic administration functions at NOSM. The focus of these functions is to collaborate with, support, and facilitate all parts of the School. In addition, he will ensure the efficient and effective strategic management of NOSM’s resources.

Hunt has gained extensive experience in administration and health care throughout his career. Since 2008, he has served as the CEO of the Espanola Regional Hospital and Health Centre (ERHHC), overseeing the operations of an integrated health campus that include acute, emergency, and long-term care, as well as a Family Health Team and seniors’ housing/assisted living. During this tenure, ERHHC saw positive changes with respect to program growth and improved access to medical services. In addition, Hunt secured capital funding that enabled the redevelopment of the hospital’s Emergency Department and other areas of the facility.

Prior to joining ERHHC, Hunt spent 24 years working in the Ontario Public Sector on a variety of initiatives that focus on Northern and rural health and social services. As Director of Family Health Team (FHT) Implementation, he was responsible for leading the creation of the FHT model in Ontario, including oversight of the province-wide implementation. Previous positions included managing the implementation of new physician payment models in Northern Ontario and oversight of the Northern Health Programs, including the Underserviced Area Program and the Northern Health Travel Grant.

Hunt is also a former member of the joint Ontario Medical Association (OMA)/Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) Physician Human Resources Committee, where he gained much insight into health human resources issues and capacity planning requirements to address future needs. Given his past experience managing the MOHLTC’s Underserviced Area Program (UAP), he was appointed to the OMA/MOHLTC Expert Panel to review changes proposed for UAP Reform. This work resulted in the new Northern and Rural Recruitment and Retention Initiative that was launched in 2010. Hunt is currently a board member of Health Force Ontario Marketing and Recruitment Agency, whose mandate includes the distribution of physicians and interprofessional providers to underserved areas of Ontario.

“The Northern Ontario School of Medicine’s ability to fulfil its mission of service to the Northern communities, relies on administrative practices that are sustainable, efficient, and effective,” says Dr. Catherine Cervin, NOSM Acting Dean. “I am delighted to welcome Mr. Hunt to the School in his role as CAO. NOSM’s entire Executive Group looks forward to working with him to ensure NOSM continues to thrive and remain at the forefront of community-engaged medical education and research.”

“Having spent the last 30 years working to help advance the health and well-being of Northerners, I am extremely excited to continue with this effort as a member of the NOSM team,” says Hunt, NOSM’s newly appointed CAO. “The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is a world leader in medical education, and I am thrilled to be part of a “made-in-the-North” solution to increase the supply of, and access to, doctors and other health-care professionals. Leading the important portfolio of NOSM Administration, I look forward to working with faculty, staff, learners, and partners in achieving NOSM’s social accountability mandate to improve the health of the people and communities of Northern Ontario.”