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New Executive Director announced at Welland McMaster Family Health Team

Date Posted: 
January 31, 2025 9:32 am

Three Niagara area Family Health Teams sign Administrative Service Agreement

 January 30, 2025, Welland, ON

The Boards of Directors of Niagara Medical Group Family Health Team (NMGFHT,) Portage Medical Family Health Team (PMFTH) and Welland McMaster Family Health Team (WMFHT) are pleased to announce their organizations have entered into an Administrative Service Agreement, effective April 1, 2025. 

This agreement arose from an opportunity to collaborate on a reorganization that will increase front-line resources. Jim Borysko, the Executive Director of WMFHT is retiring which will result in additional funding opportunities to increase Interdisciplinary Care Providers while the provision of Senior Administration will be provided by NMGFHT. These Administrative services will include Board of Directors management; funder liaison; financial planning and human resources performance. Day-to-day operations at WMFHT will be managed by internal administrative staff. 

“We are excited about this opportunity to use our joint resources to better serve our patients,” said WMFHT family physician Dr. Jennifer Mueller. “We have opted not to replace our retiring Executive Director and redeploy those saved salary dollars by entering into this agreement and expanding our interdisciplinary team to provide enhanced direct patient care.”

“Our Board is always willing to explore new options. We have worked with Welland McMaster Family Health Team on several projects during recent years and have philosophies in common,” explained Dr. Roxan Guise, Treasurer of NMGFHT Board. “When we were asked to consider an Administrative Service Agreement, our Board was willing to enter into discussions, leading us to where we are today with a finalized agreement.”

There will be no job losses at any of the Family Health Teams, other than the noted retirement. Patients of all Family Health Teams will not see a change in their care as a result of this agreement as it pertains to back-office functions, not front-line health care delivery.

From the outset, the Family Health Team funder, Ontario Health, has supported the discussion of an Administrative Service Agreement. Each Family Health Team’s relationship with the funder will not change. As well, both incorporated organizations will remain distinct and separate, independent of each other—still three boards of directors, three budgets, three agreements with Ontario Health. 

As of April 1, all Senior Management activity for WMFHT should be directed to Frank Ruberto at fruberto@wellandmcmasterfht.com

For more information, please contact

Frank Ruberto – frank.ruberto@niagaramedicalgroup.com

Jim Borysko – jborysko@wellandmcmasterfht.com