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
Vice President Operations, Seniors Services
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 Operations, Seniors Services, with Covenant Health, Al has been providing solutions-focused leadership to the Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre, St. Joseph’s Auxiliary Hospital, Youville Home in St. Albert, St. Michael’s Health Centre, St. Therese Villa and Martha’s House in Lethbridge, and since April 2012 to St. Joseph’s Home in Medicine Hat. He is an active member of the local community, 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 the Caritas Health Group in 2004, Al worked as Chief Operating Officer at Catholic Social Services.
Fran Ross
Vice President, Communications & Community Engagement
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 sector. As Vice-President, Communications and Community Engagement, she is responsible for the development, execution and evaluation of comprehensive and strategic communications and community engagement programs for the organization. She provides leadership to internal and external communications, public and media relations, community relations, volunteer services, telecommunications and web communications for Covenant Health. Fran served as Vice-President, Communications and Community Relations for Caritas Health Group until 2008. Prior to her work in health care, she was Director of Marketing for the University of Alberta's Faculty of Extension. She has a Bachelor's degree in English and a Master's degree in Journalism. She currently serves on the Boards of Cantilon Choirs and Terra Centre.
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 was 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 healthcare 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.
Jan Schimpf
Vice President Operations, Acute Care, Misericordia Community Hospital
Jan graduated from the Royal Alexandra School of Nursing and holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Nursing. She 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 four 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 a nine 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 is a strong believer of continuous learning and 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 & Chief Medical Officer
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 Olympics, World University and Pan American Games.
Jennifer Fougere
Vice President Operations, 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
Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer
Karen has over 25 years experience in various roles within Human Resources for faith-based organizations in Vancouver and Edmonton. Karen was appointed Vice-President, Human Resources for Caritas Health Group in 2005 and currently holds the Senior Vice-President & Chief Human Resources Officer role at Covenant Health. She is responsible for the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of a comprehensive range of Human Resource programs and services—including recruitment and workforce planning, wage and salary administration, employee benefits, job evaluation and design, labour/employee relations. Her portfolio also includes Organizational Development, Staff Education, and Occupational Health and Safety. Karen is a certified Human Resource practitioner (CHRP) and is an active volunteer in the community.
Karen Macmillan
Vice President Operations, Acute Care, 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 Vice-President Operations 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.
Linda Revell
Senior Vice President Operations and Chief Operating Officer
Linda Revell brings extensive experience in strategy, complex change and care and service operations in regional and large health organizations in Ontario and British Columbia.
Linda began her career as a Clinical Dietitian and worked for a number of years in the areas of critical care, nephrology, neonatology and women’s health. In addition, she provided nutrition advice and was the media lead for the CBC Health Show and the Tea Council of Canada.
After completing her Masters of Science in Health Administration at the University of Toronto, Linda worked as a Project Manager at St. Michael’s Hospital, leading
organizational change initiatives in clinical services. She relocated to Vancouver in 1998 and began a series of progressive leadership positions at Providence Health Care, including: Leader of Strategic Planning, Corporate Director of Change Initiatives and Vice-President, Clinical Programs. As the Vice-President, Clinical Programs, Linda was accountable for the Heart Centre, Renal Program, the Centre of Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Mental Health and Addictions, Acute Geriatrics and Geriatric Psychiatry, Residential Care and Assisted Living. In partnership with the Vice-President, Research, Linda implemented the Heart and Lung Institute at St. Paul’s Hospital that integrated care, teaching and research across cardiac and respiratory sciences.
Working with clinical and operational teams, Linda was also a recipient of two national quality awards for the application of LEAN to multi-site Radiology Services and the implementation of medication reconciliation in Residential Care. From there, Linda joined the Fraser Health Authority as the inaugural Vice-President of Clinical Integration, where she developed and implemented the Clinical Integration Strategy that integrated clinical and care services across 10 municipalities and 12 acute care hospitals.
Most recently, Linda has been the Chief Operating Officer of the interim First Nations Health Authority—the first of its kind in Canada. In this role, Linda had accountability for Health Actions, Human Resources, Finance, Information Management and Technology, and Privacy and Records Management. Linda worked closely with the Board of Directors and the senior team to prepare the organization to assume accountability for federal health services for First Nations people on reserves.
Prior to her Masters of Science, Linda earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Human Nutrition. She has also completed the Executive Program in Change Leadership at the Rotman School of Business and the 12 for 12 Executive Leadership Program at Royal Roads University.
Michael Shea
Vice President, Governance 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) and 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 & Chief Financial Officer
A Chartered Accountant, Rosa was appointed as Vice-President, Finance & Administration for Caritas Health Group in 1997 before taking on her current role as Senior Vice-President & 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
Vice President Operations, Mental Health Services
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 Operations, Rural Services
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.
Truman Severson
Vice President, Innovation and Business Development
Truman Severson is Vice-President, Innovation and Business Development - a new roll for Covenant Health and one that Truman assumed in March 2012. Prior to joining Covenant Health he spent 10 years with The Good Samaritan Society in Edmonton, which included postings as Vice-President of Service Development, and Vice-President Human Resources and Mission Effectiveness. He had key responsibility for managing the Society’s expansion to new communities throughout Alberta and British Columbia. This involved setting up a Project Development department and assembling a team that successfully managed 17 major projects across two provinces, representing over $250 million of new capital development. During his tenure, he also co-lead a comprehensive and organization-wide strategic planning process and initiated several staff engagement strategies.Truman’s education includes an MBA from Royal Roads (2012), a BSW from the University of Calgary (1993) and a Bachelor of Arts - Religious Studies (1989) from the University of Alberta.