Amid a recent travel scandal, London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) hospital chief executive, Jackie Schleifer Taylor will be taking a leave of absence, according to its board of directors.
In a letter released Wednesday afternoon, board chairperson Matthew Wilson said that “due to a health matter, Dr. Jackie Schleifer Taylor is taking an immediate leave, with support from the Board of Directors.”
Dr. Kevin Chan, corporate medical executive, has been appointed acting president and CEO of LHSC for an interim period.
“Kevin has proven to be a strategic leader,” Wilson continued. “I have every confidence that he, along with our incredibly capable leadership team, will continue to provide strong guidance to support the patients, families, and communities we serve.”
The announcement comes just over a week after the London Free Press reported that the Ministry of Health launched an investigation after LHSC reportedly spent around $470,000 on trips for executives.
“This leave is not associated with recent inquiries pertaining to international travel,” Wilson concluded in his statement.
The hospital said that no further comment in relation to Schleifer Taylor’s leave will be provided at this time.
Schleifer Taylor was the former president of the Children’s Hospital before becoming LHSC’s permanent president and chief two years ago, in November 2021.
Earlier that year, former LHSC president and CEO, Dr. Paul Woods, filed a lawsuit against the hospital network over his firing following the public outcry over his travel during the pandemic.