We can do better at providing care closer to home
As a young healthcare executive working in patient advocacy, Dennis saw how fragmented care is from the patient perspective. Today, as CEO of Eastern Ontario’s Regional Laboratory Association (EORLA) and a CMEPP board member, he sees the strength of the regional lab network and the importance of connecting care in the right location at the right time for patients.
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Can you talk about where you grew up and the impact your parents had on the path you’ve taken in your life?
Growing up in rural Eastern Ontario, just south of Smiths Falls, I witnessed firsthand how deeply healthcare affects families. Living with my grandparents growing up and helping care for my grandmother as she experienced dementia profoundly shaped my understanding of vulnerability and the importance of compassionate, accessible care. That early experience continues to ground my leadership today.
Can you clarify the role of EORLA in the Ontario health system?
EORLA plays a vital role in Ontario’s health system as the integrated laboratory network for hospitals across Eastern Ontario. Our unique member‑driven governance model ensures that our teams deliver high‑quality, reliable testing that clinicians and patients rely on every day.
The pandemic reinforced the strength of this regional model — we were able to mobilize high‑volume diagnostics quickly and support safe patient flow when it mattered most.
In day-to-day terms, we are the lab operator for the rural hospitals as well as the large community hospitals and the academic institutions in Eastern Ontario. Many jurisdictions across Canada and even across North America struggle with health human resources and the impact of technology on reliable laboratory diagnostics. But with our regional lab network model, we’ve been able to mitigate many of those challenges.
Did your experience in a variety of healthcare roles prepare you for the many challenges we’re seeing now in healthcare?
My mind immediately goes to my time in patient advocacy when I first started working in the hospital setting. Listening directly to patients taught me that while clinicians work incredibly hard, care can feel disconnected to the people moving through the system. That insight guides my focus today: improving integration and information flow so that every touchpoint supports the patient.
How we engage patients in their care journey, the information and the resources available to them are things that I don’t think we’ve fully refined. There’s still a lot of room to grow. I’m a firm believer that if you take a positive, opportunity-based lens we will continue to adopt efficient and sustainable solutions.
One of your key projects is leading the integration of clinical services across the Champlain region. Why is this an important project?
As the lab operator for 16 acute care hospitals, EORLA plays an important role in supporting care across the care continuum in our region. Overall, as a health system, we can do better in providing care closer to home. The health of our communities depends on having local access where appropriate.
Ultimately it’s about equity. One story that brings this home was of a child who was off for a year during his care journey. Like a lot of pediatric oncology patients, he had to travel to our pediatric hospital in Ottawa for his blood work and other testing. We launched an initiative to train technicians in our rural outlying labs to be able to safely collect blood testing specimens from kids. This was a significant development for this young man, who could now go to the local community hospital for testing and be back at school that day. This example stays with me because it shows how small changes in service delivery can transform lives.
What do you do to motivate lab teams to get involved in discussions about healthcare and build the public’s understanding of the value of lab medicine?
Lab professionals are among the most highly skilled and dedicated teams in healthcare, yet they often work behind the scenes. One of my priorities is making sure they see the connection between what they do every day and how it’s impacting the lives of patients in the region. When our teams validated next‑generation sequencing locally for hematological malignancies, they immediately saw how their work accelerates diagnosis and tailors therapy. Helping staff connect their expertise to real patient outcomes is incredibly motivating — and essential to sustaining a high‑performing lab network.
I want to switch gears and ask what drew you to being involved with CMEPP at the board level?
There’s the compelling value proposition of CMEPP and as a Participant, EORLA sees that directly. Very much like our regional lab network model, the CMEPP structure of bringing together a community of members to drive value is something that’s so needed. CMEPP brings efficiency and insight to medical equipment management, allowing providers to focus on delivering care. Being part of CMEPP’s board is an opportunity to support sustainable growth in an organization that plays a crucial role in keeping Canadian healthcare running smoothly.
How have you benefitted from being part of the CMEPP board and hearing different perspectives from across the country?
I value that a great deal. Hearing perspectives from leaders across the country is incredibly valuable. Each jurisdiction faces different realities, and those conversations spark insights about risk, innovation, and service delivery that I bring back to EORLA. It strengthens our regional strategy and ensures we’re thinking beyond our own borders.
We’re going to close with a lightning round. Is there someone in healthcare who you look to for inspiration, someone who you really admire?
I’ve been fortunate to work with many remarkable healthcare leaders, but Dr. Jack Kitts stands out. His unwavering commitment to patient‑centred care shaped my understanding of what true leadership looks like. Watching him consistently bring every decision back to the patient was profoundly influential and guides how I lead today.
If you weren’t working in a healthcare, what would you be doing?
I’d be a classical guitarist, without question. Music has always been a creative outlet for me, and it’s a source of balance and reflection. I’ve been grateful for opportunities to bring music and medicine together — including working with a local symphony to perform for patients in our Cancer Centre. Seeing how music can comfort and connect people in difficult moments is incredibly meaningful.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I’ve ever received is to focus on outcomes, not outputs. When you stay anchored in the impact you want to create — for patients, teams, and communities — the right priorities become clear, and the work naturally aligns around what truly matters.
