The founding executive director of the City of Lakes Family Health Team (FHT) is retiring.
The FHT made the announcement March 4 that Dave Courtemanche is retiring at the end of April.
“Dave has been instrumental in guiding our organization to new heights. His vision, dedication, and unwavering commitment to excellence have been the significant driving force behind our success as a leader in community health care and innovative delivery of services,” said board chair Crystal Pitfield in a news release. “Under his leadership, we have achieved numerous milestones and made significant contributions to the health and well-being of our community.”
Courtemanche, who served one term as the mayor of Greater Sudbury from 2003 to 2006, was hired in 2007 to lead the development of Greater Sudbury’s only family health team.
“At that time, the city provided space at four municipally owned buildings that would eventually become home to new medical clinics in Val Caron, Walden, Chelmsford, as well as the Pioneer Manor complex,” the FHT said in a release.
Today, the release states, more than 22,000 patients have access to a team of 18 family physicians supported by nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers, pharmacists and dietitians “working collaboratively to provide their patients with comprehensive primary care.”
The FHT team said it was an early adopter of digital health technologies like “electronic medical record system, virtual care services, online appointment bookings and artificial intelligence.” Among the array of services patients can access at City of Lakes is patient navigation, hospital discharge planning and after-hour clinics, as well as accessing specialized programs including cancer screening, diabetes, geriatrics, palliative care and smoking cessation.
In 2018, the team received the Community Builders Award for Healthcare.
“It has been an honour to work with such a dedicated and passionate team of healthcare professionals,” said Courtemanche in the release. “And I have appreciated the leadership of our volunteer board of directors who have always supported our team’s efforts to provide leading-edge healthcare services.”
Over its history, the FHT said it has generated $1.5 million in provincial capital funding and more than $40 million in new health-care dollars, which has led to the creation of 22 new, full-time health-care jobs in the community.
Pitfield said Courtemanche’s “passion for our mission and his ability to inspire others have left an indelible mark on our organization and will continue to resonate long after his departure.”
The board of directors of City of Lakes FHT said it will be announcing a new executive director at the end of March.
