Our Leadership Team

Bonnie Ewart - Interim Chief Executive Officer

Bonnie Ewart has a deep knowledge of government and the broader public sector.   Ewart has served as a member of the TC LHIN’s Board since May 2006 and is well acquainted with the LHIN’s priorities and issues. 

In addition, Bonnie has over 30 years of experience in public service with the provincial and municipal governments. She was the Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Community and Social Services as well as Commissioner of Social and Community Services and acting Chief Administrative Officer for the Regional Municipality of Halton.  Her governance experience includes serving as Chair of the Regional Commissioners of Social/Community Services of Ontario and as Director of the Ontario Training and Adjustment Board.

Bonnie was a founding member of the McMaster University Steering Committee and a member of the Health and Social Development Committee of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Canadian Council on Social Development and the Institute of Public Administration of Canada. 

Dr. Howard Ovens - Emergency Department Lead
Howard Ovens is a graduate of the U. of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine 1978. He completed his Family Medicine residency at Mount Sinai Hospital in 1980, and received his Certificate of Special Competence in Emergency Medicine from the CFPC in 1983.

Dr. Oven's been in full time EM practice for 27 years and been Director of the Schwartz/Reisman Emergency Centre for the past 12 years. He’s been an active member of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians and the Section of EM of the OMA and served on many regional, provincial and national committees related to emergency services.

Most recently Dr. Ovens has been a member of the ER/ALC Expert Panel in Ontario since its inception and is acting Co-Chair this year. He’s published and spoken on public policy issues related to emergency services such as the lessons of SARS, shift work, gunshot wound reporting, and universality in health care.

Janine Hopkins - Senior Director Community Engagement and Corporate Affairs
Janine Hopkins has 17 years of experience in public affairs and health policy in the public, not-for-profit and private sectors.

Janine leads the Toronto Central LHIN's community engagement and communications strategy and initiatives and provides executive support to the LHIN's Board of Directors.

Prior to joining the LHIN, Janine was Vice President of Public Affairs for Cancer Care Ontario (CCO), where she was responsible for corporate communications, media relations, stakeholder relations, marketing and online communications.

Janine was Director of Communications for Ontario's former Minister of Health and Long-Term Care George Smitherman during the first half of the government's first mandate; and held senior management positions with the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores and Veritas Communications. Janine also served as a senior policy advisor to Ontario's first Chief Nursing Officer.

Janine holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of Toronto's Department of Political Science, specializing in health policy.

William B. Manson – Senior Director, Performance, Contracts and Allocations
William (Bill) Manson is Senior Director, Performance, Contracts and Allocations for the Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). With an Executive MBA from Richard Ivey School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy, Bill has held several executive level positions at the London Health Sciences Centre and Humber River Regional Hospital and most recently as a Senior Healthcare and Life Sciences Consultant.

During a 30+ year career in both academic and community hospital settings, Bill has been an active participant on various local and regional task forces and steering committees including the Toronto District Health Council, and was Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors at Casey House.

Vania Sakelaris – Director Program Development
Vania Sakelaris’ extensive career in healthcare has involved working in a community care setting, in the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and significant experience in the long-term care sector.

Since June 2008, Vania has been acting as the LHIN’s Director of Program Development, during which time she has demonstrated significant leadership in key LHIN strategies and activities, such as Aging at Home and the Emergency Room/Alternative Level of Care program. Prior to taking on this acting role, Vania was a Senior Integration Consultant with the LHIN.

Previously, Vania held senior leadership positions at Extendicare, Hellenic Home for the Aged, and Canadian Red Cross Society. Vania was instrumental in system change initiatives including the design and implementation of unique ethno-specific programs. Through working with hospitals and community agencies, she led the development of a successful convalescent care program.

Vania holds a B.Sc. from the University of Toronto , and certificates in both gerontology and long-term care administration. Since 2004, Vania has been an instructor with Centennial College ’s Gerontology Program.

Dr. Thomas Stewart - Critical Care Lead

Dr. Stewart is Associate Professor of Medicine and Anaesthesiology at the University of Toronto.  He is also Director of Critical Care Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital and the University Health Network (Toronto General, Toronto Western and Princess Margaret Hospitals) in Toronto.  Dr. Stewart has been a key advisor on the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s Critical Care transformation strategy since the inception. He received his medical degree with honors from the University of Ottawa (1988).  Dr. Stewart completed residencies in internal medicine and critical care medicine at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Stewart has received multiple honors, awards and grants. His research foci include Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), acute lung injury (ALI), lung protective modes of mechanical ventilation, unconventional approaches to mechanical ventilation, critical care medicine networks, leadership skills and implementing change.  He has numerous important publications and is regularly invited to be a presenter nationally and internationally.

Rachel Solomon - Director of Decision Support and Design

Rachel Solomon is the Director of Decision Support and Design at the Toronto Central LHIN.  She leads the LHIN's health system planning and strategy, and performance measurement.  In addition, she is the Toronto Central LHIN's eHealth Lead. Since 2008, Rachel has held various senior management roles at the LHIN and established the LHIN's Project Coordination Office.

Prior to joining the Toronto Central LHIN, Rachel worked at University Health Network as the Director, Health System Integration, leading the provincial development and implementation of the Critical Care Information System, the Emergency Department Reporting System, and the Surgical Efficiency Targets Program. In this capacity, she also supported the Toronto Central LHIN's first eHealth Lead and oversaw the first implementation of Resource Matching and Referral in Toronto.

Previously, Rachel worked in the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in a several capacities, including managing the provincial Wait Time Strategy and playing an instrumental role in leading the implementation of the Ontario Stroke Strategy.

Rachel holds a Masters of Public Health degree with a focus on Health Policy and Management from Emory University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from McGill Univerity.