MUHC Director General and CEO Decides To Hand over Leadership Reins

Tuesday, December 6, 2011 - 11:05
Normand Rinfret designated Interim DG and CEO
 
Montreal, December 5, 2011—Today, at a regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), the Hon. Senator W. David Angus, Chairman of the Board, announced that the Hon. Arthur T. Porter, MUHC Director General and CEO, had expressed his desire to hand over the leadership reins, effective upon acceptance by the Board. Members of the Board immediately thanked him for his invaluable contributions to the MUHC. At the same meeting, Normand Rinfret, previously Associate Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, was designated Interim Director General and CEO.
 
“Having presented a vision of the future to the Board, it’s now an appropriate time for me to move on,” stated the Hon. Arthur T. Porter. “I will remain available to provide information and support as may be required to ensure a smooth and effective transition and succession. It has been an absolute privilege and pleasure working alongside the more than 12,000 people who make up the MUHC. Any success I have had, I share with them.” 
 
“The MUHC community is very grateful to Arthur Porter,” noted Senator W. David Angus. “The Board of Directors is exploring a number of ideas to pay tribute to the man who not only made the Glen Campus a reality but has also helped transform the MUHC as a whole. We will be hosting a special event in January to recognize Dr. Porter for his contributions to the MUHC and the Montreal community.” A number of other events are being planned for January 2012. These will allow members of the MUHC family to recognize Dr. Porter’s many accomplishments, as well as to thank him and say farewell. 
 
“In moving forward, we are confident in the oversight Mr. Rinfret’s stewardship will bring to the organization. He has solid experience in managing the MUHC’s operations and a clear understanding of the culture and complexity of an academic health care centre such as the MUHC,” added Senator Angus.
 
Dr. Porter is credited with, among other things:
  • Government approval for a three-site, CAN$2.335B MUHC Redevelopment Project, including the start of construction on an award-winning public-private partnership for the Glen Campus and 100% single-patient rooms;
  • Assuring the Research Institute of the MUHC has the leadership and structure to dramatically accelerate the translation of research discoveries into public uses. In 2008, the RI-MUHC was awarded just under $100 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the CFI’s largest ever grant to a single institution. The Quebec government matched the grant and The Best Care for Life campaign added $50 million; 
  • National recognition for the MUHC as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and one of Montreal’s Top 15 Employers. The MUHC has for four years in a row been the only health centre to be on Montreal’s coveted list. Moody’s and DBRS also recognized the MUHC with strong Aa2 and A (high) ratings, citing the institution’s standing as one of Quebec’s flagship institutions and “prudent and responsible financial management practices over the past decade” as two of its strengths; and
  • Encouraging a culture of quality and innovation that led to three successful assessments from Accreditation Canada (the latest with a 92.2% score), the creation of an in-house policy think tank (MUHC’s Institute for Strategic Analysis and Innovation), and other organizations such as Montreal Medical International.
Dr. Porter joined the MUHC in April 2004 at a pivotal time in its history and renewed his mandate in 2008. In August 2010, he expressed his desire to initiate the succession process and prepare the MUHC for a new CEO so that he could ensure a smooth transition whilst beginning to concentrate more on his outside activities. In April 2011, after announcing that he would not seek to renew a third four-year tem, a search committee to name a new Director General and CEO was formed. The selection process is still underway. As of January 2012, Dr. Porter intends to focus his attention on healthcare and infrastructure development around the world and other interests.
 
Mr. Rinfret, who will assume the leadership of the MUHC in an interim capacity, has been Associate Executive Director since 2004 and Chief Operating Officer since 2009. A seasoned, fluently bilingual executive, he has made his career with the MUHC for the past 32 years, leveraging the experience he has developed in hospital management and improving patient care to make the workplace a stimulating, effective environment for clinical care, research and teaching.
 
About the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) One of the world’s foremost academic health centres, the MUHC offers exceptional and integrated patient-centric care, research teaching and technology assessment. Highly committed to the continuum of care in its community and affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine of McGill University, The Montreal Children's Hospital, the Montreal General Hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Montreal Neurological Hospital, the Montreal Chest Institute and the Lachine Hospital of the MUHC value multidisciplinary service throughout the lifespan, innovative technologies and practices, strategic partnerships and leadership in knowledge transfer. The MUHC is currently carrying out a $2.335-billion Redevelopment Project on three campuses—the Mountain, the Glen and Lachine—designed to provide healthcare professionals with an effective environment in which to ensure patients and their families benefit from The Best Care for Life. The campuses are also anchored in best sustainable-development practices, including LEED® and BOMA BESt guidelines. www.muhc.ca www.muhc.ca/construction
 
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Information
 
Ian Popple
Manager, Media Relations
Public Affairs and Strategic Planning
McGill University Health Centre
514-843-1560