For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, April 20, 2004

GTA/905 Healthcare Alliance welcomes new executive director Tariq Asmi

GTA/905 Healthcare Alliance Chair Jane Watson recently announced the appointment of Tariq Asmi to the position of executive director effective May 3, 2004. “Tariq brings extensive government experience, a thorough understanding of the health care industry and an effective, collaborative leadership style to the Alliance team,” says Watson.

“We’re pleased to have him on board,” she says. “His role will be to champion the GTA/905 hospitals to establish funding equity with other Ontario hospitals and to increase our capacity to respond to our growing service volumes.”

Asmi is well aware of the tremendous pressures faced by Alliance hospitals. With 60,000 new residents each year, Alliance hospitals must provide hospital care for communities growing at twice the provincial growth rate and three times that of Toronto. “It only makes sense that hospital operating and redevelopment funding reflect the reality of this large population growth,” says Asmi.

Asmi is impressed by the collaborative nature of Alliance hospitals in representing the health needs of over 2.5 million area residents and believes “hospitals and government must and can work together to provide Ontario residents with the health care they need.”

Asmi’s appointment follows an intense executive recruitment effort. He replaces former Alliance executive director Joe Pilon who accepted the position of President and CEO of the Espanola General Hospital and the Blind River Health Centre some months ago.

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The GTA/905 Healthcare Alliance is a group of eleven hospital corporations from the regions of Durham, Halton, Peel, York and surrounding areas. Alliance hospitals include: Halton Healthcare Services, Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital, Lakeridge Health Corporation, Markham Stouffville Hospital, Rouge Valley Health System, Southlake Regional Health Centre, The Credit Valley Hospital, Trillium Health Centre, Whitby Mental Health Centre, William Osler Health Centre, and York Central Hospital.