Ornge Board Accepts Minister’s Recommendation for the Appointment of an Interim President and CEO and Confirms its Intention to Resign

Announces the Winding-down of Ornge Global Solutions

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Jan. 11, 2012 /CNW/ - Today, the Ornge Board of Directors has accepted the recommendation from the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to appoint a senior member of the public service as an Interim President and CEO.

The board determined that it is in the best interests of the organization to resign as soon as a transition to a new volunteer board can be put in place.  This will be done with input from the Government of Ontario. 

In addition, Ornge also announced that Ornge Global Solutions, a for-profit company is winding down. 

Guided by a renewed commitment to accountability and transparency, Ornge will undertake a comprehensive governance and performance review on an expedited basis. 

The internal review will supplement the audits currently being undertaken by the Office of the Auditor General and the Ministry of Finance's internal audit team. It will be guided by three priorities: a commitment to caring for patients; significantly improving transparency and accountability; and efficiency and performance. Outcomes of this review will be communicated to staff, patients, and the people of Ontario.

"We look forward to working in cooperation with the new Interim President and CEO as he focuses on a comprehensive governance and performance review.  He will work along side Tom Lepine, who will continue in his role as Chief Operating Officer, said the board.  "We are also eager to return our focus to where it should be - delivering invaluable transport medicine services to the people of Ontario and saving lives," the board concluded.

ABOUT ORNGE
Ornge is the world's leading innovator in the emerging field of transport medicine, and operates from a number of bases across the province of Ontario and performs more than 21,000 patient transports annually. It coordinates all aspects of Ontario's aero medical transport system, the critical care land transport program, paediatric transport program and the authorization of approximately 400,000 air and land ambulance transfers between hospitals. Ornge is dedicated to the provision of high quality patient care through innovative transport medicine.

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