Leadership Team
Lakeridge Health is governed by a voluntary Board of Trustees made up of community members, medical staff, volunteer, and Foundation representatives.
Our Senior Management Team is focused on implementing the Strategic Plan of Lakeridge Health. The team is responsible for overseeing the administration of the hospital and relentlessly pursuing quality and safety improvements.
Cynthia Davis, President and CEO
Cynthia Davis, BSc, MSc, ICD.D, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lakeridge Health, embodies the pinnacle of transformative leadership within the health-care sector. Cynthia's journey began on the frontlines as a registered nurse, instilling in her a profound understanding of patient care at its core. With a distinguished career spanning over three decades, Cynthia blends her leadership and operational expertise to deliver visionary initiatives that aim to improve generational health outcomes for local communities.
Cynthia joined Lakeridge Health in 2021, amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, and fiercely guided the organization in the face of unprecedented challenges. With her unwavering commitment to enhancing the well-being of residents, Cynthia disrupted the status quo and continues to build a comprehensive, integrated health-care system in Durham Region. Within four years, Lakeridge Health expanded exponentially, introducing groundbreaking projects such as the Lakeridge Gardens Long-Term Care (LTC) Home—a pioneering endeavor within Ontario’s Accelerated Build program—and the state-of-the-art Jerry Coughlan Health & Wellness Centre that is setting new benchmarks in surgical care. She also launched the collaborative Queen’s University-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine Program, a first-of-its-kind in Canada, to help address the family physician shortage in Durham Region and beyond.
Prior to her tenure at Lakeridge Health, Cynthia managed a clinical area at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto during a dynamic period of change and developed a new tertiary-level cardiac program at St. Mary’s General Hospital in Kitchener. She also served as Vice President of Patient Services, Chief Nursing Officer, and President and Chief Executive Officer, respectively, at Western Health, where she implemented transformative patient care initiatives in her home Province of Newfoundland.
Whether a bedside nurse or a senior leader, Cynthia has consistently demonstrated a passion for fostering patient-centred care and a rare blend of empathy, decisiveness, and operational acumen. Her enduring legacy within and beyond the doors of Lakeridge Health serves as a testament to her unwavering dedication to advancing healthcare excellence and improving the lives of those she serves.
Phone Cynthia: 905-576-8711 ext. 34421
Dr. Randy Wax, Chief of Staff
Dr. Wax was appointed Chief of Staff and Chair of the Medical Advisory Committee for Lakeridge Health in December, 2022. He served prior as Section Chief of Critical Care, evolving the service into an expanded regional academic critical care site and Clinical Teaching Unit. He also held the position of Medical Director of Academic Affairs and as the President of the Medical Staff Association.
At a provincial level, Dr. Wax has served as the Central East Sub-Region Critical Care Physician Lead for Ontario Health. In addition, he has supported Ornge, Ontario’s air ambulance and critical care transport service, as a Transport Medicine Physician. Dr. Wax also brings experience in patient safety review from his prior work as an Investigating Coroner.
Within academia, he is an Associate Professor in the Department of Critical Care Medicine and former Regional Director of Clinical Education in Durham Region for the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University. He also serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Wax is an active researcher and has lectured extensively. He has published numerous papers and book chapters on a variety of topics. One of his papers on COVID-19 patient care has been downloaded more than 100,000 times around the globe and cited in more than 1,000 research papers.
Dr. Wax has received specialty certifications in Internal Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, and Emergency Medical Services. He has also been inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine and has received numerous awards from the Society of Critical Care Medicine for his leadership in education, clinical care, and international disaster management. As well, he was selected by the Canadian Association for Medical Education to receive the 2018 Certificate of Merit Award for his commitment to medical education.
Dr. Nadia Ismiil, Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief, Academic Affairs and Research
Dr. Ismiil is the Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief of Academic Affairs and Research at Lakeridge Health, where she has been making significant contributions since joining in September 2019. Initially, she served as the Chief and Medical Director of the Laboratory Medicine Program. Dr. Ismiil earned her Doctor of Medicine degree in Iraq and completed her residency in Anatomic Pathology at Memorial University of Newfoundland.
In her role as Deputy Chief of Staff, Dr. Ismiil collaborates closely with the Chief of Staff to support key initiatives, including quality and safety, leadership development, and human resources planning. She also leads efforts in Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Anti-Racism (IDEAA), serving on the IDEAA Committee of the Board.
As Chief of Academic Affairs and Research, Dr. Ismiil focuses on advancing strategic leadership in research and innovation, particularly in medical education with a strong emphasis on simulation. She has been instrumental in the development of the Queens Lakeridge Medical School, a key initiative aimed at strengthening primary care in the Durham Region.
With nearly a decade of leadership experience, Dr. Ismiil has been a driving force in transforming the Laboratory Medicine Program at Lakeridge Health. She led the transformation of Diagnostic Pathology into a subspecialized model and enhanced the Laboratory Medicine quality management system.
Before joining Lakeridge Health, Dr. Ismiil served as the Chief and Division Head of Anatomic Pathology at Sunnybrook Hospital. There, she pioneered an innovative leadership development program focused on fostering a culture of respectful relationships and equipping interprofessional teams with essential leadership competencies.
A dedicated mentor, Dr. Ismiil has always been committed to nurturing the next generation of medical leaders. She holds a Masters Certificate in Healthcare Management from the Schulich School of Business at York University and a Master of Management degree from McGill University’s International Masters in Health Leadership (IMHL) program.
Petrina McGrath, BSN, MN, PhD, Health System Executive, People, Quality and Practice and Chief Nursing Executive (CNE)
Petrina is an accomplished health-care leader with extensive experience leading change and driving results within complex health-care environments. Throughout her career, Petrina has been a committed leader, educator, and researcher in the areas of patient- and family-centred care, quality, safety, and interprofessional practice.
Most recently, she served as the Executive Director of Quality and Safety for the Saskatchewan Health Authority, which delivers health care to 1.2 million people with 43,000 staff and 2,500 physicians.
Throughout all phases of the pandemic, Petrina provided invaluable service and support to the Province of Saskatchewan’s pandemic response as the Safety Officer in the Emergency Operations Centre while continuing with her Executive Director responsibilities.
Petrina sits on the Board of Healthcare Excellence Canada. Created in 2020, the Board brings together the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement and the Canadian Patient Safety Institute.
Petrina received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Saskatchewan, her Master of Nursing at the University of Toronto, and her PhD in Human and Organizational Systems from the Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California.
Phone Petrina: 905-576-8711 ext.34447
Kirsten Burgomaster, PhD, Health System Executive, Clinical
An accomplished leader with significant experience in health care, academia, and research in both tertiary and community hospitals, Kirsten has taken on many diverse hospital leadership roles over the years in regional and community care. These include, but are not limited to, roles in oncology, nephrology, diabetes, mental health and addictions, and the Durham Ontario Health Team. She is also an adjunct professor at Ontario Tech University.
Kirsten has been a leader within the Cancer program at Lakeridge Health for more than ten years. Since 2019, she has served as Ontario Health's (Cancer Care Ontario) Regional Vice President of the Central East Regional Cancer Program (CE RCP), which includes the Durham Regional Cancer Centre at Lakeridge Health.
As Health System Executive, Clinical at Lakeridge Health, Kirsten has oversight of the CE RCP, Mental Health and Addictions, Pharmacy, Diagnostic Imaging, and Laboratory Medicine. She works with many partners across the continuum of care to create and advance synergies between acute care, primary care, and many community-based programs at a regional and provincial level.
Kirsten received her Bachelor of Kinesiology and PhD in Physiology from McMaster University and is a graduate of the University of Toronto’s Advanced Health Leadership Program, Rotman School of Management.
Phone Kirsten: 905-576-8711 ext. 36161
Tabitha Carroll, Health System Executive, Clinical
As Health System Executive, Clinical, Tabitha’s areas of focus include Surgery, Women’s and Children’s Health, Ambulatory Care, Laboratory Medicine, Diagnostic Imaging, and Pharmacy.
Prior to this role, Tabitha served as Lakeridge Health’s Director of Surgery. In this role, she worked closely with the Chief of Surgery to create a surgical plan that aligns with the organization’s strategic plan; in partnership with Capital Planning and Development, established a clinical model of care for the Jerry Coughlan Health & Wellness Centre; led the surgical team through the transition to Epic and established a strategy to optimize Epic within the surgical program; developed a surgical recovery strategy to support Ministry of Health directives on long wait times and surgical back logs; and in partnership with surgical dyads, led the surgical team in quality to be awarded a National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) award of meritorious performance in surgical care.
Tabitha has served in various leadership roles over the past decade with experience in both regional and community hospitals. Previously, she served as the Director of Peri-operative Services, Ambulatory Care, Obstetrics, and Pharmacy at Ross Memorial Hospital where, among many initiatives, she led the pharmacy team through Ontario College of Pharmacists accreditation and collaborated with community partners to develop a COVID-19 response plan, including for long-term care and retirement facilities in the area.
Other leadership roles have included Director of Intensive Care and Women and Children at Peterborough Regional Centre and Director of Intensive Care, Emergency, Dialysis, Chemotherapy, Critical Care and Acute Inpatients at Northumberland Hills Hospital.
Tabitha started her career as a registered nurse, having graduated from Sir Sanford Fleming College in the Nursing Diploma Program. She has also received an Honours Business Administration degree from Trent University and a Master in Health Management from McMaster University.
Brian Pollard, Health System Executive, Clinical
As Health System Executive, Clinical, Brian’s areas of focus include healthy aging, long-term care, complex continuing care, regional nephrology and diabetes, and family and community medicine. He is also supporting the Durham Ontario Health Team and leading population health engagement, as part of Lakeridge Health’s work related to inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility, and anti-racism.
For more than two decades, Brian has provided strategic and operational leadership in increasingly senior roles in complex business environments, including the Government of Ontario, Ontario hospitals, and in government policy advocacy and consulting. He has led some of the most challenging initiatives, including transforming the health-care and long-term care systems to be sustainable, ensuring a higher quality of care.
Prior to joining Lakeridge Health, Brian served as the Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) for the Long-Term Care Capital Development Division at the Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care (MLTC) where he was responsible for implementing the largest development program in recent provincial history and the commencement of construction and opening of thousands of beds.
He has also held other ADM roles in the MLTC, as well as ADM and Director roles in the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care with responsibilities for regulating, funding, and setting policy for the long-term care sector and transforming the funding approaches for the hospital and long-term care capital sectors.
Before moving to the Government of Ontario, Brian held executive roles at the Ontario Long Term Care Association and clinical program administration roles at University Health Network and Lakeridge Health. He started his career at ICF (Inner City Fund) in Washington, DC.
Brian holds a Master in Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business, Western University (London, Ontario), a Master in Engineering Management from the George Washington University (Washington, DC), and Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, New York).
Dr. Ilan Lenga, Chief Information Officer and Regional Chief Medical Information Officer, Central East Ontario Clinical Information System
Dr. Ilan Lenga joined Lakeridge Health in 2004 and has dedicated his career to advancing the organization in medical information management and technology, promoting standardized care, and improving data quality.
As the CIO, he is responsible for Digital Transformation at Lakeridge Health. Dr. Lenga has played a key leadership role in the procurement of the Clinical Information System for the hospitals across Ontario’s Central East Region and continues to lead the implementation and governance of this system for both Lakeridge Health and the Central East Region. In addition, he serves as the Digital Health Lead for the Durham Ontario Health Team, which is advancing virtual care, data sharing, and analytics throughout Durham Region.
He is a computer programmer and has written and developed health care related computer and mobile phone applications.
Dr. Lenga is also a practicing nephrologist at Lakeridge Health, a lecturer at the University of Toronto, and an adjunct assistant professor at Queen’s University.
Christopher J. Squire, CPA, CA, Health System Executive, Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer
Chris is an accomplished health-care leader with over 13 years’ experience in financial and support services leadership.
Prior to his arrival at Lakeridge Health, Chris most recently served as the Vice President of Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer at Western Health, one of the four leading integrated health authorities in Newfoundland and Labrador responsible for the delivery of integrated health services to a diverse population across the entire continuum of care. In this role, he was responsible for financial services, capital planning and redevelopment, health records, food services, environmental services, and facilities and equipment operations.
During his tenure at Western Health, Chris participated in the implementation of leadership and talent management frameworks; led the development of a financial shared services model for the provincial health sector; participated on the provincial health accord subcommittee, Digital Health; provided governance to provincial eHealth delivery through the eHealth Executive Committee; and served on provincial committees focused on improving efficiency and data quality within the health system.
In addition, his professional accounting designation, in combination with a Master of Business Administration(c), leadership development through LEADS Canada, Management Information Systems training through the Canadian Institute for Health Information, and training in process improvement/Lean, has given him the tools to provide effective financial oversight and leadership to health-care organizations.
Trevor Stewart, Chief Development Officer
As Chief Development Officer for Lakeridge Health, Trevor is responsible for driving transformative redevelopment and construction projects that will shape the future of care in Durham Region. These include the Bowmanville Hospital redevelopment, the development of the new post-acute care facility in Pickering, the new hospital in Whitby, and major site redevelopments at the Oshawa and Ajax Pickering Hospitals.
With more than 30 years of experience in complex infrastructure, Trevor ensures that people have safe and healthy environments in which to work and to conduct learning, healing, and research. As a proven leader in sustainability and accessibility mandates, he has earned awards for past projects and is recognized for his ability to build strong networks and strategic alliances with the community.
Previously, as the Chief Building and Planning Officer (CBPO) at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), Trevor was responsible for all facilities management and planning across the hospital’s entire campus (over 1.4 million square feet) and supporting infrastructure, including the new Integrated Children’s Treatment Centre currently under construction. At Global Affairs Canada and Carleton University, he was a leader in design and construction; capital development and planning; fire safety and engineering; and energy and asset management mandates.
Trevor holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Waterloo and has completed postgraduate courses and certificates in health-care leadership, fire safety, engineering, and emergency management. He is also a Licensed Professional Engineer (PEO) and recently earned WELL Certification (the science of how physical and social environments affect human health, wellbeing, and performance).
As a past resident of Durham Region, Trevor is eager for the opportunity to continue making a lasting impact.
Shara Santan, Senior Director, Strategic Communications (Interim)
Shara is a storyteller, strategic communication specialist, and mental health advocate.
She brings nearly a decade of expertise in elevating brands and spearheading impactful campaigns across various sectors. Shara helps individuals and organizations uncover and tell their authentic stories and actively applies a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens in every aspect of her work, from campaign conception to delivery, to help dismantle barriers for underrepresented communities.
Shara's commitment to championing inclusion led her to establish her consulting firm, where she blends her diverse experiences and offers comprehensive, culturally responsive solutions to help forge and strengthen meaningful relationships between brands and diverse consumers. Shara has led research projects, including one of the largest public surveys in Canada, communication strategies, personal and professional brands, digital and social media marketing campaigns, corporate events, and more.
Notable among her achievements are the brand launch of a nationwide free therapy initiative for women of colour in the U.S. and the product launch of Ontario's gender-inclusive government IDs and forms introducing the 'X' gender identifier—a first in North America. Her signature projects gained traction from high-profile influencers and earned notable media coverage.
Shara also holds a Master of Science in Strategic Communication from Columbia University, a Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration from Toronto Metropolitan University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies from the University of Waterloo.