CMEPP is delighted to welcome Tony Poole to our Board of Directors. Tony has over 30 years’ experience in healthcare, including 20 years with GE Healthcare as a Project Manager, FSE Specialist and working in Sales. Tony is currently the Senior Provincial Director, Medical Imaging (MI) Program for Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services.
We talked to Tony about the challenges of delivering healthcare in Newfoundland and Labrador, his military involvement, and what he admires about CMEPP.
What drew you to working for the province and specifically Medical Imaging?
I started my career as a Biomed in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and spent nearly 25 years working in PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications System) with every Medical Imaging department in the province. I returned to the province to lead the Medical Imaging Program transformation into a provincial program because I believe in the vision of the NL Health accord and want to give back to the province that I absolutely love.
What’s something people would be surprised to learn about NL Health Services?
Many would be surprised to learn about the size and depth of services offered at NLHS. As one of the province’s largest employers, NLHS has approximately 26,000 employees, physicians and volunteers who work together to provide safe quality care throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. NLHS delivers health services to more than 510,550 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and operates in five geographic zones across the province. That’s an incredible accomplishment considering the unique geography of the provincial zones, the rural and remote areas of our province, Indigenous communities, and the different approaches to healthcare.
What makes the mission of CMEPP meaningful to you?
As a former Biomed, I am proud of the early days of CMEPP where a group of biomedical engineers from the University of Toronto and its affiliate teaching hospitals came together to find efficient and cost-effective ways to manage medical equipment maintenance and repairs. CMEPP’s mission of creating strategic partnerships to reduce equipment risk, leverage purchasing power, and enable reinvestment in healthcare strongly aligns with the goals and objectives of NLHS.
In addition to working in healthcare, you’re very active in the military – serving as Deputy Commanding Officer in the Canadian Armed Forces for the past 12 years and leading a team of reserve forces in Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick. Why is this involvement important to you?
I have an innate desire to serve and put country before self. As an officer in the Canada Armed Forces, my leadership training has been second to none in private industry. I really believe in the line in NL’s former national anthem, Ode to Newfoundland which states, “Where once they stood we stand” (The Provincial Anthem: Ode to Newfoundland (heritage.nf.ca). Put simply, it’s my time to stand and serve.
Is there someone in healthcare you look to for inspiration – someone you really admire?
Dr. Patrick Parfrey, Co-Chair of the Health Accord NL. The result of this report will drive call to actions to transform healthcare delivery in Newfoundland and Labrador for the next 10 years. He is the Leader of Quality of Care NL and Choosing Wisely NL. He has an international reputation for patient-related research in kidney disease and in genetic disease. Despite his very busy clinical practice, he has also been a leader in rugby in the province and in Canada. Dr. Parfrey has made a huge impact in Newfoundland and Labrador and is a true leader who has inspired a new generation of leaders.