Dr. Terrence Sullivan Appointed Chair of CADTH's Board of Directors

OTTAWA, Oct 6 /CNW/ - The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) is pleased to announce that Dr. Terrence Sullivan has been appointed Chair of the CADTH Board of Directors, effective January 1, 2011.

Dr. Sullivan is currently the President and CEO of Cancer Care Ontario. He is an active member of the International Health Economics Association and the Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research. Dr. Sullivan has a strong background in health services management, research, and policy, and extensive experience serving on a variety of health-related boards in Ontario and nationally. He is currently Vice-Chair of the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion and serves on the board of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. A social scientist, he maintains faculty appointments at the University of Toronto in Health Policy Management and Evaluation and at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

Working with CADTH, Dr. Sullivan will serve as a key spokesperson for the CADTH Board of Directors, and will be responsible for ensuring that the Board meets its obligations and fulfills its governance responsibilities.

"We are absolutely delighted that an individual of Dr. Sullivan's stature is prepared to make this significant commitment to CADTH," says Jay Ramotar, Deputy Minister of Alberta Health and Wellness and Chair of the Conference of Deputy Ministers of Health Steering Committee overseeing the selection process. "His long history of service to the health care community has provided him with a deep understanding of the challenges that health care decision-makers face when it comes to choosing effective health care technologies, including how to get better value for money, without compromising quality health care. This makes him an ideal choice to lead the Board."

"It gives me great pleasure to accept this appointment," Dr. Sullivan says. "CADTH plays a significant role helping Canadian health care decision-makers to make informed decisions about the effectiveness of health technologies — such as drugs, medical devices, and systems — and I look forward to taking on this role with enthusiasm and to working with the team at CADTH and our important partners in governments, the health sector, and industry across Canada.

"I would also like to thank my predecessor, Ms. Lauren Donnelly, for setting the bar so high. Lauren was an excellent board chair and her contributions to CADTH have been immense."

The Board structure has been modified to include an independent competency-based board chair, and a number of competency-based representatives who will bring additional health care perspectives to CADTH's work. Jurisdictional appointments continue to be a key link to the Conference of Deputy Ministers, with appointments based on a regional distribution model. The new slate of 14 CADTH Board members, effective January 1, 2011, is as follows:

New CADTH Board of Directors (effective January 1, 2011):

Board Chair

• Dr. Terrence Sullivan, President and CEO, Cancer Care Ontario

Competency-Based and Jurisdictional Directors

• Dr. Renaldo Battista, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Health Technology Assessment, Department of Health Administration and CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal
• Dr. Cathi Bradbury, Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Health and Community Services, Newfoundland and Labrador
• Ms. Sally Brown, Ex-Officio CEO, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
• Dr. Alana Froese, Territorial Director of Pharmacy, Government of Nunavut
• Dr. Robert Halpenny, President and CEO, Interior Health Authority (Kelowna)
• Dr. Édouard Hendriks, Vice-President, Medical and Academic Affairs, Horizon Health Network
• Abby Hoffman, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy Branch, Health Canada
• Dr. John Horne, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Social and Applied Sciences, Royal Roads University
• Ms. Diane McArthur, Assistant Deputy Minister and Executive Officer, Ontario Public Drug Programs, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
• Dr. Douglas Perry, Senior Provincial Clinical Advisor, Alberta Health and Wellness
• Ms. Bernadette Preun, Assistant Deputy Minister Regional Affairs Manitoba Health and Healthy Living
• Dr. Richard Wedge, Director, Medical Programs Division, Department of Health and Wellness, Prince Edward Island
• Quebec (Observer) — To be determined.

About CADTH
CADTH is an independent, not-for-profit agency funded by Canadian federal, provincial, and territorial governments to provide credible, impartial advice and evidence-based information about the effectiveness of drugs and other health technologies to Canadian health care decision-makers.

For further information:

Media contacts:
John Yan, Director, Communications and Government Relations
613-226-4969, ext. 1276
[email protected]

Janis Bogart, Communications Officer
613-226-4969, ext. 1323
[email protected]

www.cadth.ca