Senior Leadership
The Senior Leadership Team is responsible for advancing the Covenant Health’s strategic directions and working within the integrated provincial health system to lead operations, address operational issues, and respond to provincial priorities and opportunities. Operations are divided into three portfolios. Edmonton Acute Care includes programs and services at our two large urban hospitals. Operations in Seniors Health include large continuing care programs in Edmonton, Lethbridge and St. Albert. Our Rural Health portfolio brings together facilities in our smaller urban centres and rural areas. The portfolios have been designed to meet and address local community needs, look for new areas of growth and respond to Alberta Health Services prorities across the continuum of care in both urban and rural care settings.
R. Patrick Dumelie
President and CEO
As President and CEO, Patrick brings a strong background in leadership, change management and strategic planning to Catholic health care in Alberta, including playing an integral role in refreshing the vision of Catholic healthcare and in the consolidation of sixteen Catholic health care facilities as Covenant Health in November 2008.
In his role, Patrick collaborates with Alberta Health Services, government and community partners to meet the growing demands for health care services in the province, continuing his commitment to advancing contributions of faith-based health care in Alberta and Canada.
Prior to the formation of Covenant Health, Patrick was President of Caritas Health Group, playing a pivotal role in refreshing the organization's vision and strategic direction. Patrick came to Edmonton from the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region in Saskatchewan where he served as Chief Operating Officer, Integrated Health Services.
His 20+ year career in health care includes leadership positions in rural and urban acute and long term care, ambulance services, public health, home care, mental health and addiction, strategic planning and a broad range of administrative services.
Patrick holds a Masters of Business Administration from Queens University and a Bachelor of Administration from the University of Regina.
Al Pierog
Seniors Health
With a Master's degree in Science Administration, Al brings to his role a broad range of leadership expertise and nearly 30 years of service experience in Catholic organizations. As Vice President, Continuing Care, with Caritas Health Group, Al provided solutions-focused leadership to the Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre since 2004, and to Youville Home in St. Albert since 2008. He is an active member of the local community with memberships at the Knights of Columbus and the Rotary Club of Edmonton. He places strong values on best practices; responsive, resident centered services; and compassionate, professional care.
Prior to joining Covenant Health in 2004, Al worked as Chief Operating Officer at Catholic Social Services, where he served in various leadership roles.
Fran Ross
Vice President, Communications
Fran's 25-year career in communications spans a range of roles—including journalism, marketing, organizational communications, and consulting in both the public and private sectors. As Vice-President, Communications, she provides leadership to internal and external communications, public and media relations, community relations, volunteer services, telecommunications, and web communications for Covenant Health. In her role, she supports the organization's efforts to deepen the mission, engage the community and key stakeholders, build relationships and strategic partnerships, implement corporate strategies and manage change.
Fran served as Vice President, Communications and Community Relations for Caritas Health Group until 2008. Prior to her work in health care, she worked as Director of Marketing at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Extension. She has a Bachelor's degree in English and a Master's degree in Journalism.
Gordon Self
Vice President, Mission, Ethics and Spirituality
Dr. Self provides executive leadership for clinical and organizational ethics, mission integration, diversity, and spiritual care for Covenant Health. He is co-facilitator of the Covenant Health Leadership Program, helping develop leaders in values-based decision-making and moral reflection. Gordon is a member of the Core Team commissioned by the Catholic Health Alliance of Canada to develop the new edition of the Health Ethics Guide, the foundational ethics resource used by Catholic health-care organizations in Canada, including Covenant Health. A former chaplain at St. Boniface General Hospital in Winnipeg, Gordon pursued a fellowship in mission and ethics with Trinity Health in Michigan. He holds a doctorate in organizational ethics with a focus on discernment and decision-making. His column, Ethics Made Real, appears monthly in Western Catholic Reporter and is also available on the Covenant Health website.
Greg Hadubiak
Senior Vice President, Edmonton Acute Care
Committed to Catholic health care, Greg has served in several leadership roles with Caritas Health Group and Covenant Health since 2002, including Acting Vice-President of Acute Care and Vice-President, Operations Grey Nuns. Greg's career has spanned 25 years across three prairie provinces and in a range of health care environments from rural to urban and not-for-profit to provincial departments. He holds a Bachelor degree in Commerce and a Master's degree in Health Services Administration. He continues to be active in both the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and the Canadian College of Health Leaders.
Jan Schimpf
Senior Operating Officer, Misericordia Community Hospital
Jan has held a number of leadership roles in health care during her 30 plus years career as a registered nurse, educator and health care administrator. Over the past 3 years, Jan has led the Misericordia Community Hospital as Site Administrator. She brings a wealth of clinical and operational experience to her current role, having served as Acting Vice-President, Acting Associate Vice-President and Manager of Intensive Care/Cardiac Care at the Misericordia Community Hospital over an eight-year-period. A consummate educator and team builder, Jan is committed to using her strong strategic planning, problem-solving and mentorship skills to provide quality, compassionate care and be of greater service to the community.
Jan graduated from the Royal Alexandra School of Nursing and holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Nursing. She is currently a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Dr. Jeffery M. Robinson, M.D., C.C.F.P., F.C.F.P., Dip. Sport Med.
Senior Vice President, Medicine
Dr. Robinson is a family physician who has practiced in Edmonton since 1983.
Prior to serving as the Senior Vice President, Medicine for Covenant Health, Dr. Robinson was Chief of Staff for the Caritas Health Group. His clinical practice includes family medicine at the Misericordia Hospital. He is a member of the Edmonton West Primary Care Network, and he practices sport medicine in his family practice and at the University of Alberta Glen Sather Sports Medicine Clinic.
Dr. Robinson is a graduate in Medicine from the University of Calgary and Family Medicine from the University of Alberta.
Dr. Robinson is a team physician for the Edmonton Eskimos, the Edmonton Oilers and the Edmonton Capitals Baseball Club. He has served as the Executive Director for the Alberta Chapter of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and as President of the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine. As well, he has worked with several of Canada’s national sport teams and has been a member of the medical staff for Canada at the Olympic, World University and Pan American Games.
Jennifer Haggerty
Vice President, Planning and Support Services
Jennifer brings to her leadership role knowledge and experience in capital planning, change management, project management, and strategic planning—including training in Balanced Scorecard methodology. Jennifer joined the Senior Leadership Team of Covenant Health in 2008 with accountability for strategic and capital planning and led the development of our three-year plan, Lighting our Way. She also assumed accountability for support services including facilities management, food and nutrition services, environmental services, protective services, and parking - providing leadership for integration and standardization within these portfolios.
Prior to joining the Senior Leadership Team, she worked as the Director of Executive Services for Caritas Health Group providing executive support to the President and the Board of Directors and its committees and project management for a variety of corporate initiatives.
Jennifer holds a Bachelors of Science and a Masters of Health Administration from Dalhousie University.
Jon Popowich
Vice President, Quality
Jon currently leads Covenant Health’s Quality portfolio, which includes the strategies and operations for quality and patient safety, Lean, patient relations, health information management, policies and procedures, and information access and privacy. He has held administrative and leadership positions in quality, governance, and strategic planning with Caritas Health Group and Covenant Health since 1989, and has also been active in ethics consultation and teaching internally and externally.
Jon’s education includes business studies at the University of Alberta, and a post-graduate degree in Management from the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Leicester. He holds certificates in Catholic Leadership, ISO9000 internal audit, and business process redesign. He has served the community in a variety of capacities, including Board Chair, Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton. In addition to his passion for quality and patient safety, Jon is a published outdoor writer, climber and avid photographer.
Karen Galenzoski
Vice President, Human Resources
Karen has over 25 years experience in various roles within Human Resources for faith-based organizations. Karen was appointed Vice President, Human Resources for Caritas Health Group in 2005 and currently holds that role for Covenant Health. She is responsible for the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of various Human Resource programs and services, including recruitment and workforce planning, wage and salary administration, employee benefits, job evaluation and design, as well as labour and employee relations. Her portfolio also includes Organizational Development, Staff Education, Occupational Health and Safety, and Library Services.
Karen is a certified Human Resource practitioner (CHRP) and is an active volunteer in the community.
Karen Macmillan
Senior Operating Officer, Grey Nuns Community Hospital
Karen brings a passion for mentorship, research, and ongoing quality improvement to her leadership role. A registered nurse, Karen is the Senior Operating Officer for the Grey Nuns Community Hospital and senior lead for the Palliative/End of Life Strategy. She has been engaged in palliative care research and education for over 20 years and has served on a variety of committees and task forces and has published extensively in this field. She was a recipient of the Caritas Mission Award in 2008 and the University of Alberta McClure Award for Nursing in 2007.
Karen holds a Certificate in Adult and Continuing Education, a Bachelors of Science in Nursing and a Masters of Science in Nursing.
Michael Shea
Vice President, Board Support
From 1998 to 2007, Michael served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Alberta Catholic Health Corporation (ACHC) which was responsible for sponsorship of Catholic health organizations in the province. He came to the ACHC from St. Mary's Hospital in Camrose, where he served as Executive Director. Prior to entering the Catholic health care ministry, Michael articled with a chartered accounting firm. Michael is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), has a Bachelor of Commerce Degree and a Diploma in Health Services Management. He has served on the Boards of the Christian Health Association of Alberta, the Catholic Health Association of Canada, the Sisters of Providence Health System and numerous task forces and committees. He also served as a school trustee and has been an active volunteer in his community. Michael is currently the Chair of the Catholic Health Alliance of Canada.
Rosa Rudelich
Senior Vice President Finance and Chief Financial Officer
A Chartered Accountant, Rosa was appointed as Vice President, Finance & Administration for Caritas Health Group in 1997 before taking o her current role as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Covenant Health. Over the years, Rosa has been responsible for finance, information technology, legal, and risk management services as well as various administrative services, including health records, telecommunications, purchasing and material management.
Rosa holds a bachelor’s degree in Commerce and was admitted to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta in 1990. She is and active member in the community, having served on committees and boards of various organizations.
Scott Baerg
Senior Operating Officer, Mental Health
Scott brings a commitment to quality improvement and patient advocacy to his role at Covenant Health. As a nurse, Scott practiced in a variety of clinical settings, including forensic and general psychiatry and pediatric oncology. He held leadership roles in the areas of palliative care at the Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre and mental health at the Grey Nuns Community Hospital and Misericordia Community Hospital. His strong clinical background and leadership skills are supported by a degree in Bachelor of Nursing and a Masters in Business Administration.
Sheli Murphy
Vice President, Rural Health Services and Executive Head for Research and Professional Practice
Dr. Sheli Murphy currently provides leadership to eight Covenant Health rural health facilities in Alberta, located in three of the five Alberta Health Services zones. As well, she has Executive Lead for Research and Professional Practice. Sheli has held leadership roles in Catholic health care for over a decade. She has served as Acting President of Caritas Health Group, Vice President for the Misericordia Community Hospital and concurrently Chief Nursing Officer with Caritas Health Group with lead for academics and research. Sheli has extensive clinical experience as a registered nurse in pediatrics and emergency care and has been an educator, research assistant and frontline manager. Sheli's education includes a Masters of Science in Nursing and a PhD in Business Administration specializing in Leadership and Administration with a focus on Social Return on Investment.
