Jeff Letourneau is a long-time Braeside resident and sees his new role as VP of Finance and Support Services and CFO at ARH as a welcomed opportunity to get to know his community better and contribute to an organization that means so much to residents.

“I have never worked in my community, and I’m looking forward to that,” said Jeff. “I’ve met people in the community as a volunteer with soccer and hockey, but my daily knowledge and connection have been through my regular coffee stop at McDonald’s on my way out of town for my commute to work.”

Introduction to 24/7 healthcare environment

Jeff was introduced to health care through his previous role as VP of Finance and Corporate Services at Eastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association (EORLA).

“EORLA gave me great insights, regional networks, and a window into health care. It touched every acute care hospital in the Champlain LHIN at the time, and I enjoyed the operational nature of the role in a 24/7 organization.”

Jeff Letourneau, VP of Finance and Support Services and CFO at ARH

At EORLA, Jeff’s broad portfolio included finance, IT, HR, facilities, legal, and communications.

“Working in health care, you can really see how you’re helping to provide value for the community. You’re not just in a room crunching numbers, but what you do directly impacts the lives of residents.”

Bringing value to current challenges

Jeff joined the ARH Team on October 31 and has focused his time on getting to know the team and processes and visiting the different areas across the organization to understand the patient, resident, and internal clients’ perspectives and needs.

“Health care has been through a lot over the last couple of years, and the opportunity to come back during a challenging time was really attractive,” shared Jeff.

One area that Jeff hopes to contribute to is the current staffing crisis.

“My team and I have started to partner with HR on how we can work with the ARH budget to identify alternative funding that will help us maximize our resources and staffing. In addition, I will focus on working with our regional partners to advocate the government for funding changes that benefit staffing levels in long-term care and/or acute care.”

Leadership approach

When Jeff reflects on his leadership approach, he shares that he is always keen on opportunities to break down silos and work collaboratively to tackle challenging problems and improve processes.

“My leadership style is supportive, innovative, and collaborative – what really brings me a lot of pride is supporting my team by removing roadblocks and seeing them have success.”

On the road

Jeff and his wife live in Braeside and have three boys ages 16, 18, and 20 – two are playing high-level hockey, and the eldest is away at university in New Brunswick.

“Most of my time right now is spent driving around to watch them play hockey – my 18-year-old son plays for the Renfrew Wolves, and my 16-year-old son attends school in Toronto and plays hockey all over North America.”

When not on the road, Jeff enjoys staying active with tennis and golf and keeping up with his COVID dog, Ripp.

“The kids were bugging us for years, and we finally broke down and got a dog about two years ago. His name is the perfect fit because he likes to either rip paper or rip around the house.”