A strong sense of cohesion marked the year 2025–26 throughout the Hawkesbury and District General Hospital. As Chair of the Board of Directors, I am particularly proud of the quality of the relationships that unite the Board, the leadership team, and the medical leadership. This mutual trust, built on respect, open dialogue, and a shared vision, allows us to approach challenges with confidence and continue advancing in the best interests of our community.

This year also involved significant preparation for our upcoming Accreditation Canada survey. Behind this important undertaking are hundreds of hours dedicated to continuous improvement, reviewing our practices, and strengthening our processes. The Board of Directors is proud to witness the organization’s ongoing commitment to excellence and quality of care.

We have also continued our own evolution as a Board. In a constantly changing healthcare environment, governance must evolve alongside the organizations it serves. Over the past year, Board members have invested considerable time in education, professional development, and policy review to ensure our governance remains aligned with best practices, regulatory requirements, and the expectations of the population we serve.

HGH has grown significantly over the past several years. With that growth comes increased responsibility. The Board must be equipped to provide rigorous and informed governance in support of an organization whose activities, services, and resources have continued to expand. We are proud of the progress achieved and of the continued implementation of the Strategic Plan, which guides organizational decision-making and supports the realization of its long-term vision.

I would like to sincerely thank our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief of Staff for their leadership, dedication, and ability to bring people together around common goals. Their positive influence can be seen throughout the organization and contributes to HGH’s recognition as a leader in the quality of care and patient experience it provides.

As members of the Board of Directors, we recognize that no one chooses to need healthcare. These moments can be among the most difficult in a person’s life. Knowing that patients and their families can rely on skilled, compassionate professionals who support them in their language of choice makes a meaningful difference. It is also what motivates our commitment to HGH and to the community we have the privilege of serving.

I would like to warmly thank my fellow Board members for their time, expertise, and dedication. Their contribution, often made behind the scenes, is a genuine gift to our community.

Together, we continue to build an HGH that is strong, compassionate, and focused on the future.

Lucie Charlebois
Chair of the Board of Directors

Learn more about all the members of the Board of Directors >

The year 2025-26 was one of preparation, implementation and consolidation for the Hawkesbury and District General Hospital.

Following the adoption of our new Strategic Plan, Vision, Mission, and Values, we dedicated the past year to turning these commitments into meaningful action. We also undertook significant preparation for our upcoming survey by Accreditation Canada. This important process challenges us to continuously evaluate our practices, strengthen our systems, and pursue excellence in everything we do.

At HGH, we are a family caring for you as one of our own. This mission continues to guide our decisions as we advance our vision of reimagining healthcare for Canadians beyond our cities.

This year, we continued to invest in what remains our greatest strength: our People. Through initiatives focused on health, safety, professional development, and engagement, we remain committed to creating an environment where employees, physicians, volunteers, and learners can thrive and contribute fully to our collective success. Our increased engagement survey response rates and results for employees and physicians reflect the strides the organization is making toward being an employer of choice.

The past year also demonstrated our teams’ ability to adapt to new ways of working and support several significant organizational changes. While often invisible to most people, these transformations are essential to supporting HGH’s growth and preparing our organization for the future.

The past year also allowed us to build on important advances in Professional Practice and quality of care. Improvements in infection prevention and control, stroke response times, clinical education, and professional development reflect our ongoing commitment to innovation and continuous improvement. The expertise, clinical leadership, and dedication of our teams continue to translate into meaningful outcomes for our patients.

Our Operations teams continue their essential work to ensure the delivery of care and services every day, as well as maintain the flow within the hospital and out into the community. Their ability to bring together expertise, coordinate efforts, and support the evolution of our services allows us to meet the growing needs of our community while maintaining our commitment to quality, safety, and the patient experience.

Our Finance pillar also experienced an important year of change, growth and transformation. Over the past several years, HGH has seen significant expansion in its activities, workforce, and operational complexity. To support this evolution, we continued to modernize management tools, strengthen key organizational processes, and build the foundations required for sustainable and responsible growth. Behind every project, service enhancement, and investment is the rigorous planning and stewardship that helps ensure the long-term sustainability of our organization.

At the same time, we began developing our next Master Plan. The previous exercise, completed more than twenty years ago, helped shape the hospital we know today. By examining demographic trends, future healthcare needs, and the changing realities of our region, we are laying the groundwork for the decisions that will guide HGH’s development over the coming decades. This work allows us to step back, look ahead, and ensure that the choices we make today will continue to serve our community tomorrow.

I would like to sincerely thank the members of the Board of Directors for their leadership, trust, and unwavering commitment to the future of our organization. I also extend my sincere gratitude to our employees, physicians, volunteers, partners, and community members for their dedication, professionalism, spirit of collaboration, and continued support. The accomplishments of this past year are the result of a remarkable collective effort and demonstrate what we can achieve when we work together toward a shared purpose.

Together, we continue to move forward with confidence, determination, and compassion, guided by our commitment to providing the best possible care to our community and building a future that reflects the needs of those we are privileged to serve.

Frédéric Beauchemin,
Chief Executive Officer

Learn more about the members of the Leadership Team >

The year 2024-25 was marked by the continued dedication, professionalism, and generosity of HGH’s physicians, who provided care rooted in compassion, innovation, and excellence to our patients and their families. With the launch of our new vision — Reimagining healthcare for Canadians beyond the cities — we have all renewed our sense of purpose and connection with the community we serve. 

In a time of transformation and renewed ambition for our organization, our medical community has fully mobilized. This year, we had the privilege of welcoming several medical learners, thanks to our strong partnership with the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Their presence enriched our clinical environment and reaffirmed our role as a francophone teaching site in a rural setting. We will continue to move in this direction, confident that their presence inspires us, reminds us of the importance of passing on our knowledge and standards of excellence, and helps us attract new physicians to HGH. 

I would also like to highlight the remarkable commitment of our department chiefs, who have embraced the challenge of developing their leadership skills. The organization has provided them with practical tools to support this journey, and they have responded with enthusiasm and openness. This collective investment in medical leadership is strengthening our ability to work in synergy across teams, in a spirit of collaboration and mutual respect. 

I want to extend my sincere thanks to all my colleagues for their unwavering commitment, openness to innovation, and vital contributions to our mission. 

Together, we are building a care environment where every patient is treated with dignity, skill, and compassion, while proudly upholding the professionalism of our physicians in both official languages.

Paul E. Beaulé, MD, FRCSC, FAAOS, CHE
Chief of Staff, HGH
Professor of Surgery, University of Ottawa

Learn more about our HGH’s medical team >

In March 2026, HGH took an important step forward in the evolution of its surgical services with the acquisition and successful implementation of the VELYS™ robotic arm by Johnson & Johnson. Dr. Garceau, Chief of Orthopedic Surgery, performed the hospital’s first procedure using this advanced technology. 

Designed to enhance surgical precision and consistency, the VELYS™ system helps reduce postoperative pain and inflammation while supporting improved patient recovery. Its introduction reflects HGH’s ongoing commitment to investing in innovative technologies that enhance the patient experience and support clinical excellence. 

This achievement was made possible by the collaboration and dedication of physicians, nurses, and support staff, whose preparation, expertise, and teamwork ensured successful implementation. Together, they continue to advance the quality of care available to our community, close to home.

Since early 2025, HGH has been working closely with CHEO to improve access to pediatric surgical care for children and families across the region. 

Although certain pediatric procedures have been offered at HGH in the past, this growing partnership has expanded the range of services available locally, allowing more children to receive care in their community when clinically appropriate and in accordance with established criteria. 

Through this collaboration, 14 CHEO surgeons from a variety of specialties provide surgical services at HGH. This initiative not only optimizes the use of our operating room capacity but also supports regional efforts to reduce wait times and improve timely access to care for pediatric patients and their families. 

Beyond the operating room, the partnership has strengthened knowledge sharing, clinical training, pediatric readiness, and coordination between teams at both organizations. These efforts have enhanced HGH’s ability to care for children while supporting a more integrated regional approach to healthcare delivery. 

This partnership demonstrates the value of regional collaboration and a shared commitment to ensuring children receive high-quality care in the right place, at the right time, and as close to home as possible.

When a patient experiences a stroke, every minute matters. The faster treatment begins, the greater the opportunity to reduce long-term disability and improve recovery outcomes. 

Over the past two years, our Emergency Department Team has undertaken a significant quality improvement initiative to accelerate the recognition and management of acute stroke patients. Through a structured approach focused on nursing leadership, interdisciplinary coordination, and standardized processes, HGH has transformed its stroke care pathway. 

The results have been remarkable. The median time from patient registration to Stroke Code activation decreased from 1 hour and 40 minutes to just 10 minutes. Similarly, the time from registration to CT scan was reduced from 1 hour and 51 minutes to 26 minutes. These improvements bring HGH significantly closer to provincial benchmarks and allow patients to access potentially life-saving treatments more quickly. 

Beyond the numbers, this initiative demonstrates the power of teamwork, innovation, and continuous quality improvement. It reflects our commitment to challenging existing practices, strengthening cross-disciplinary collaboration, and ensuring patients receive timely, evidence-based care when it matters most. Most importantly, it highlights how dedicated healthcare professionals can make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients and their families.

Read the complete independent auditor’s report (MNP) ­­>

You can review our previous financial reports and annual reports on the Annual Reports and Financial Statements page.

Message from the Board President and Executive Director

Dear Friends,

What a year it has been.

Time and time again, we’ve been reminded of the incredible impact this community can have when we come together. Because of your generosity, care at HGH continues to grow in meaningful and tangible ways that touch patients, families, and staff every single day.

This year, patients benefited from faster diagnostics, improved emergency care, and more advanced equipment, all right here close to home. At the same time, our healthcare teams were supported with the tools, training, and spaces they need to do what they do best: care for others.

We’re also seeing exciting progress in pediatric care. As the hospital continues to expand services through its partnership with CHEO, more children in our region are able to receive specialized care closer to home. Through the Foundation, donors are helping make this growth possible by funding important equipment and training. This is making a real difference for families.

And it’s not just about the big investments. It’s in the quieter moments too. A staff member taking a break to recharge. A child feeling more at ease during a visit. A patient experiencing comfort in an unexpected way.

All of this is possible because of you.

Thanks to your continued support, the HGH Foundation contributed close to $850,000 this year toward priority equipment, programs, and initiatives that strengthen care across our hospital.

We hope that as you read this report, you see the difference you’re making. Not just in dollars, but in real moments of care, comfort, and compassion.

Thank you for being such an important part of this.

With sincere thanks,

View full report >