Patricia Somers

Patricia has recently retired as the senior Vice-President, Patient Services, and Chief Nursing Executive at the Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Patricia's responsibilities have included the achievement and sustainment initiatives related to operational effectiveness and clinical efficiencies. Her areas of focus have been acute care program development, quality and patient safety, risk management, professional practice for all members of the RHPA, strategic planning, and board governance. Recent endeavors have also included recruitment and retention initiatives, and readiness planning for the implementation of the electronic clinical documentation initiative.

In addition to the above, Patricia is versed in LEAN methodology and has served as project champion for several LEAN initiatives related to patient flow, leadership standard work and clinical process improvements. Patricia has held a variety of senior positions over the course of her career in both large and small health care settings. She has been a surveyor with Accreditation Canada since 1997 with experience surveying a variety of health care setting both nationally and internationally. Nationally Patricia has participated in surveys that have included rural and urban hospitals, multi site health care systems, aboriginal health care and correctional health care settings. Her international experience has included surveys in Bermuda, the Middle East, the Philippines, Ecuador and most recently Brazil. Her experiences include work in the public and private sectors as well as the mentoring of international surveyors.

Patricia holds a Bachelor of Nursing and a Bachelor of Psychology from the University of Windsor and a Master of Nursing (Administration) from the University of Western Ontario.