During the period March 8 to April 3, 2023, application packages will be available for those interested in joining the Grand River Hospital's Board of Directors.

Applications will also be accepted for individuals interested in supporting the work of a Board Committee as a Community Member.
The application can be downloaded in WORD or PDF.

Information About The Grand River Hospital

With over 680 beds and a total revenues of $518 million, Grand River Hospital (GRH) is one of Ontario’s largest community hospitals and a leader in high-quality care. GRH provides excellent patient-centred care to the over 700,000 residents of Waterloo Wellington. Through innovation and collaboration, GRH has become a leader in the provision of patient care programs for our community. GRH provides health services within 15 specialized programs at our Freeport and Kitchener-Waterloo campuses. The Hospital is fortunate to have the services of over 4,100 staff members, 700 medical staff (physicians and midwives), 1600 learners, and 600 volunteers. GRH is privileged to be a key partner in health sciences learning and has a rapidly growing role in research and in the education of healthcare professionals. We are affiliated with the DeGroote Medical School of McMaster University and we serve as the principal hospital site for the Waterloo Undergraduate Medical Campus. GRH hosts post graduate residency training in a number of medical specialties including psychiatry, emergency medicine, pediatrics, critical care, and internal medicine. The Hospital partners with Conestoga College, Wilfrid Laurier University, McMaster University and the University of Waterloo in the professional education of nurses, social workers, medical physicists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, kinesiologists, dieticians and many other health related occupations. GRH also has active research relationships with the University of Waterloo, McMaster University, Wilfrid Laurier University, and Cancer Care Ontario, among others.

You can view our 2021-25 Strategic Plan here.

The hospital has received recognition as one of the ten safest hospitals in Canada by the Canadian Institute for Health Information and was accredited with commendation by Accreditation Canada for outstanding patient care and safety.

Grand River Hospital and its Board have a strong relationship with the Grand River Hospital Foundation. To find out more about the GRHF, please visit their website.

Information About Applying to the Board of Directors

In 2023 the Board of Directors of Grand River Hospital is seeking community-minded, dedicated individuals to join their skills based team in a board leadership role, to govern an organization that provides patient-centred, high quality care. The Board is looking for individuals to join the Board of Directors and its Committees.

All expressions of interest are confidential and all complete applications received by April 3, 2023 will be considered by the interview panel. To learn more, or to obtain an application package, please contact Catherine Heal, Manager, Governance and Corporate Projects by phone at 519-749-4300 extension 6709 or by e-mail at board@grhosp.on.ca.

Recruitment Priorities for the 2023 Recruitment Process

  1. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  2. Legal expertise
  3. Financial investment expertise
  4. Risk management
  5. Governance in the innovation sector
  6. Collaborative governance
  7. Collaboration and partnership
  8. Leadership in a high performing/high reliability organization
  9. Political acuity

Grand River Hospital Board Director Eligibility Criteria

Directors should have familiarity of the social, economic and political characteristics of the Region of Waterloo.

In accordance with the Ontario Not-for-Profit Act or the Grand River Hospital Corporation Corporate By-law, persons belonging to one or more of the following categories are excluded from being appointed or elected as a Director or non-Director Committee Member:

i. is under 18 years old;

ii. has been found under the Substitute Decisions Act, 1992 or under the Mental Health Act to be incapable of managing property;

iii. has been found to be incapable by any court in Canada or elsewhere;

iv. has the status of a bankrupt;

v. is an “ineligible individual” as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada) or any regulations made under it;

vi. is a current employee or Professional Staff member, unless the Board otherwise determines or as required by legislation;

vii. is the spouse, child, parent, brother or sister of a person referred to in e(vi), unless the Board otherwise determines.

Duties and Expectations of a Grand River Hospital Board Director

  • A Director is expected to commit the time required to perform Board and Committee duties. The typical time commitment is likely to be between 10-15 hours per month, spread out to an average of a few hours per week. Frequency of Board and Board Committee meetings is listed below. Total time commitment depends on the number of committees a Director/committee member is on.
  • Directors and Committee members must attend at least 75% of all meetings;
  • Directors must fulfill the requirements and responsibilities of their position; for example, preparing for and attending Board and Committee meetings, upholding their fiduciary obligation to the hospital, and working cooperatively and respectfully with other Board members.
  • Directors must comply with the Public Hospitals Act and other legislation governing the hospital, the hospital's By-laws and policies, and all other applicable rules; and
  • Directors must annually sign a Declaration confirming their agreement to adhere to their fiduciary duties and Board and hospital policies.
  • New members to the Board are required to attend an August orientation sessions in July/August.

Board and Board Committee Meeting Schedule

The following is an example of a general schedule of Board and Board Committee meetings. Directors will be assigned to at least one Board Committee and Board Committee Community Members are each assigned to one Committee. Assignments are made based on the skills and competencies required by each Committee. Board Directors are expected to attend education sessions, Board meetings and Board Committee meetings to which they are a member. Community Members are expected to attend education sessions and the Committee which they support. Board education sessions are scheduled throughout the year. An annual board cycle starts in July and ends in June the following year. Board and committee meetings are typically held between September and June.

Meetings of the Board of Directors

  • Fourth Tuesday of the month starting at 4:00 p.m.; typical duration is 3.5 hours; and there are approximately 10 meetings per year including education sessions

Meetings of the Audit Committee

  • Oversees all material aspects of the corporation’s financial reporting, risk management, and external audit of the annual financial statements. Three to four 2-hour meetings per year.

Meetings of the Governance and Community Engagement Committee

  • Develops and maintains good governance practices, policies and processes, and that these are in compliance with legislation. Six to seven 2-hour meetings per year.

Quality and Patient Safety Committee

  • Oversees the hospital’s quality, family and patient-centred care and patient safety related priorities in alignment with legislative requirements, Accreditation Canada and the strategic, health system and master plans related to Grand River Hospital. A maximum of six 3-hour meetings.

Resources Committee

  • Oversees the effective management of Grand River Hospital’s resources in accordance with the Hospital’s vision, mission, values, strategic priorities and operational needs. The subject matters include, but are not limited to, financial resources, pension, human capital, digital technology (information, systems, management and technology), investments, assets, insurance, contractual commitments and liabilities. A maximum of six 2-hour meetings per year.

Pension Committee

  • As delegated by the Board, the Pension Committee oversees the administration of the Pension Plan for Employees of the Kitchener-Waterloo Hospital (K-W Pension Plan) and the investment of the pension plan funds. Typically four 2-hour meetings per year.

Board Manual Documents

The following policies and documents provide additional detail regarding roles and responsibilities of Directors and Community Members:


Additional Information

Should you have any questions, or wish to obtain an application package, please contact Catherine Heal by phone at 519-749-4300 extension 6709 or by e-mail at board@grhosp.on.ca

Thank you for your interest in Grand River Hospital.