Karen Riddell delivers first report as acting CEO at Windsor Regional Hospital

Acting CEO prioritizing opioid crisis Karen Riddell, acting CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital, says she is prioritizing Windsor's opioid crisis as she settles into the position.

For the first time as Acting President and CEO, Karen Riddell spoke before Windsor Regional Hospital’s board of directors on Thursday.

It’s hardly her first time in the room, however. Riddell has been with WRH for 25 years, including seven years on the senior leadership team.

“Certainly there is a difference in the scope of the work,” she said Thursday, “but overall, it's going very well.”

Riddell steps into the role as David Musyj is called to temporarily take the helm at London Health Sciences Centre.

At Thursday’s meeting, Riddell spoke about WRH’s successes in bouncing back from the debilitating cyber attack last fall. She also highlighted the perceived successes of the Nurse Practitioner Team (NPT) formed in partnership with Windsor Police, a partnership she hopes to see expand.

“We're hoping that we're going to be able to grow and expand that and continue to get the services in place,” said Riddell.

“It’s a very complex issue. We didn’t get here overnight, but unfortunately, it’s really kind of blowing up at this point over the last few years. So there’s lots of work left to do. It’s definitely a priority,” she said.