Ontario Health Quality Council welcomes new board chair

    TORONTO, March 30 /CNW/ - Lyn McLeod is the new chair of the Ontario
Quality Health Council (OHQC), an independent agency that reports to Ontarians
on the quality of their health system and ways to improve it.
    Lyn McLeod has been a member of the OHQC's board of directors since its
inception in September 2005. She is also Ontario's representative on the
Health Council of Canada. McLeod has served in public office locally and
provincially for 33 years. In the Ontario legislature she served as Minister
of Colleges and Universities, Minister of Natural Resources, Minister of
Energy, and Leader of the Opposition.
    McLeod takes the helm from Ray Hession, who was the founding chair of the
Council.
    "I would like to thank Ray Hession for being such a committed and
accomplished chair of OHQC," said David Caplan, Minister of Health and
Long-Term Care. "I'm thrilled that Lyn McLeod will be able to build on his
work and continue to grow the OHQC's quality measurement and reporting
efforts. I know the OHQC and Ontarians will benefit from Lyn's leadership and
experience."
    "I am proud to have had the opportunity to serve as chair of the Council
and to work with this tremendous group of dedicated individuals," said
outgoing chair, Ray Hession, who chaired the Council for over three years. "I
know that Lyn's keen understanding of healthcare issues and her dedication to
the public interest will be tremendous assets to the Council," Hession said.
    "I look forward to my continued involvement with the Council and to
keeping Ontarians informed about their healthcare system and the quality of
their care," said McLeod. "We will soon be in a position to provide them with
information about the quality of care offered by individual facilities,
beginning with long-term care homes," McLeod said. "This is the kind of
information that will empower people and their families to make informed
decisions about their healthcare."ABOUT THE COUNCIL

    -   The Ontario Health Quality Council (OHQC) is an independent agency
        created by the Government of Ontario in September 2005 and funded
        through the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The Council
        reports directly to Ontarians on access to publicly funded health
        services, human resources in health care, consumer and population
        health status, and outcomes of the health system. The Council also
        has a mandate to support quality improvement in the healthcare
        system.

    -   The board of the Council is made up of 9-12 appointed members from
        across the province that have a diverse range of experience and
        expertise, including hospital governance, medicine, academic and
        research work, business, public and health policy, and aboriginal and
        community leadership.

For further information: Nilam Kassam: [phone], ext. 221,
www.ohqc.ca