Dr. Tom Stewart out as St. Joseph’s CEO after Caribbean vacation

The St. Joseph’s Health System has begun the search for a new president and CEO after parting ways with Dr. Thomas Stewart following a trip he took to the Caribbean over the holidays amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In a short statement, the agency’s board of directors thanked Stewart for his service and said they will be announcing a new Interim CEO and President “shortly.”

St. Joseph’s Health System operates hospitals in five cities with over 15,000 staff.

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Stewart resigned from a position that advised the Doug Ford government on the pandemic. He also resigned from two other panels and was removed as CEO of Niagara Health after the agency discontinued its purchase of CEO services from St. Joseph’s on Tuesday.

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A statement from Niagara Health said that for the past six years, the organization has had a contractual agreement with St. Joseph’s Health System that, among other things, meant the two health systems would have the same CEO.

The current president of Niagara Health, Lynn Guerriero, is now the president and interim CEO.

A statement from the senior vice-president of St. Joseph’s Health System on Tuesday said Stewart was on “approved vacation” from Dec. 18 to Jan. 5. During that time, he travelled to the Dominican Republic.