Head of London Health Sciences Centre taking 'immediate leave,' hospital officials say
Jackie Schleifer Taylor has held the top job since 2021
The executive who took over London's largest hospital system after the previous CEO was fired for taking trips to the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic is now on leave, officials told staff.
"Due to a health matter, Dr. Jackie Schleifer Taylor is taking an immediate leave, with support from the board of directors," the chair of the board, Matthew Wilson, wrote to staff in a memo on Wednesday.
Dr. Kevin Chan, who is the current corporate medical executive, is stepping into Schleifer Taylor's role for the interim, Wilson said.
The London Health Sciences Centre, which includes Victoria Hospital and University Hospital, as well as the regional cancer program, Lawson Health Research Institute and several off-site medical centres and surgical centre, is London's largest employer.
Schleifer Taylor's annual salary in 2022 was $736,164, plus $17,500 in taxable benefits.
The hospital came under fire earlier this month when The London Free Press reported that the London Health Sciences Centre was spending almost $500,000 to send senior staffers on overseas trips to Portugal, United Arab Emirates and Australia.
The Australia trip was abruptly cancelled after the newspaper's reporting. Ontario's health ministry is investigating, a spokesperson said.
"This leave is not associated with recent inquiries pertaining to international travel," Wilson said.