The President of the Board, Ms. Claudette Allard, and the other Board members are proud to announce the appointment of the new Executive Director of the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Ms. Lynne McVey.

Director of Nursing and Clinical Operations at the Jewish General Hospital, Lynne McVey is also Co-Director of the Segal Cancer Centre. Ms. McVey is an Associate Professor at the School of Nursing at McGill University in addition to being a principal lecturer at the University of Montreal’s Faculty of Medicine for the Health Administration Program. She teaches management, leadership, patient safety, and partnership between nurses and doctors.

Ms. McVey has been a Fellow at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in the Health Management for Nurse Executives Program since 2009, and a member of the Board of this same institution since 2010, serving until 2012.

She has extensive knowledge about the stakes and challenges in health, research, and teaching. Lynne McVey stood out from a group of outstanding candidates and conveyed her excellence to a selection committee of five members: two from the Douglas Institute Board; the head of the Departments of Psychiatry at the Douglas and at McGill University, Mimi Israël, MD; the President and CEO of the Montréal Health and Social Services Agency , Mr. David Levine; and the Executive Director of Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital, Mr. André Lemieux. Ms. McVey will take on the functions of Executive Director of the Douglas Institute beginning January 16, 2012.

Lynne McVey is recognized for her patient-centered approach and interdisciplinary leadership. She has an impressive track record in improving patient care, especially with respect to better organization of services. Ms. McVey also believes in continually improving the patient experience, especially for those who must live with the stigma associated with mental illness, wanting to ensure they receive care with dignity.

Clearly passionate, dynamic and persistent, Ms. McVey proved to be the ideal candidate for the Douglas Institute. The Board is pleased to announce this important appointment. The arrival of Ms. McVey will allow the Institute to continue its mission to offer cutting-edge care and services and advance and share knowledge in mental health.