KITCHENER -- The head of a major healthcare system, which runs hospitals in Kitchener, Guelph, and Brantford, has apologized after taking a Caribbean vacation over the holidays and resigned from his provincial positions.
Dr. Tom Stewart is the CEO of St. Joseph's Health System and was quoted in a statement issued Tuesday night confirming he was on an approved vacation from Dec. 18 to Jan. 5.
During this vacation, Stewart travelled to The Dominican Republic.
"I regret this non-essential travel and I'm sorry," he said in the statement. "I recognized everyone should be avoiding non-essential travel now, including me."
Some of the hospitals that St. Joseph's runs includes St. Mary's in Kitchener, St. Joseph's Health Centre in Guelph, and St. Joseph's Lifecare Centre in Brantford.
"As a health system leader, my actions in no way reflect the tireless dedication and commitment of staff at St. Joseph's Health System," Stewart said.
The CEO will be self-isolating at his home for two weeks.
Later that evening, the Ministry of Health confirmed that Dr. Stewart resigned from several positions he held on a provincial level.
“Helen Angus, Ontario’s Deputy Minister of Health, has accepted Dr. Tom Stewart’s resignation from the Health Coordination Table, the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, and the LTC Incident Management System Table," a statment reads in part.
