Andrée Robichaud reflects on 5 years at Thunder Bay hospital

Superior Morning8:33Andree Robichaud Leaving

The head of the Regional Health Sciences Centre in Thunder Bay has announced her resignation. We'll talk to Andree Rochaud about her decision, and her legacy

The president of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, Andrée Robichaud, is defending her legacy after five years in charge of a chronically overcrowded hospital that has seen multiple resignations from doctors.

Robichaud announced her resignation to the public on Wednesday. Her last day of work will be in June.

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Her departure comes at a time when Thunder Bay's hospital is seeing a record number of patients, and has been in a chronic state of gridlock for several months, with patients crowded into hallways and common areas. 

"Gridlock is a national problem. It's more acute here because of the isolation and it's not a Thunder Bay Regional problem. It's a community problem. It's a partnership problem," Robichaud said.

If the government approves a plan by the Local Health Integration Network to increase long-term care beds in the city, the problems with overcrowding at the hospital will disappear within 12 to 14 months, she said.

'Great leader'

​Robichaud has been a "great leader" for the hospital during "challenging times," said hospital board chair Susan Fraser.

"We have the busiest emergency department in Ontario, yet we are consistently at, or near the top, of all efficiency markers for the province," Fraser said. "Andrée has been an integral part of that performance."

Fraser stood by Robichaud last year when the hospitals lost six doctors in a short period.

"I know there's been a number of rumours and innuendos circulating about," Fraser told CBC News last January, adding that the board was "not concerned" and has the "utmost confidence in CEO Andrée Robichaud's leadership and through her, the operation of the hospital."

When asked on Wednesday whether she was leaving under a cloud caused by rumours of dissatisfied staff, Robichaud said "well, it's a very bright cloud as a CEO you have to make some very hard decisions and sometimes people are happy and sometimes people are not happy. But I can tell you I'm not leaving because I'm not happy."

Robichaud said she looks forward to the new challenge of running the Rouge Valley Health System in the Greater Toronto area, which has a growing population.