Page 20 - Southport - Reaching New Heights - Summer 2017

Q&A
with the CEOs of

Southern Health-Santé Sud

Kathy McPhail, Outgoing CEO

How long have you worked for
Southern Health-Santé Sud?
I started with Regional Health Authority
– Central Manitoba Inc. in March, 2007.
Southern Health-Santé Sud was formed five
years ago, so I have been in this role as CEO a
total of 10 years.
How many different jobs did you have
before joining Southern Health-Santé
Sud?
Just prior to accepting the CEO position I
was the Vice President of Acute Care and
Diagnostic Service in Brandon, MB. Prior to
that job I was Liaison for Manitoba Health
for the southwest corner of Manitoba. I am
a nurse by training (graduated in 1972) and I
worked in various bedside, administrative and
nursing leadership positions in Dauphin, Ste.
Rose and locations in Saskatchewan. I was
the youngest graduate in my nursing class at
the Grace Hospital School of Nursing. I have also been active on the College of Registered I was also very proud that we were able
Nurses of Manitoba Board of Directors and served as Vice President at one point. to balance our budget for 9 successive
What were some of the challenges of being CEO of such a large region? years.
The geography of the region was a challenge. One of my core values was staying Do you have any big plans for
connected with the staff and the people we serve. We created an organizational structure retirement?
to keep a regional presence closer to staff. We want the people to feel connected. During my retirement, I plan to travel
It was a positive challenge to grow programs with the growing population. and spend time with my family and
Some other challenges include fiscal, balancing needs with resources, being cognitive grandchildren.
that it is tax payers dollars being spent and other realities I learned is the influence of the What did you enjoy most having
political in healthcare. And of course the biggest challenge is the constant changes ... new your office at Southport?
technologies, new ways of doing things, implementing better ways etc. I enjoyed the rural, small town and warm
What did you enjoy most about your job? feeling you have out here. My window
The best part of my job was building partnerships with the communities, individuals and looked out onto the runway and I loved
staff. I wanted to make a difference and I hope we made a difference together. A career watching the planes and helicopters take
highlight was building partnerships with Indigenous communities to accomplish and off and land. It was a place to find calm
achieve projects together. We worked to build the Aboriginal workforce and remove the and to center my thoughts.
jurisdictional lines for services.

20 | Southport: Reaching New Heights