Ann Ford (Photo provided by Brightshores)
The chief executive officer for Brightshores is proud of what has been accomplished for the region over the past year, and knows that the future will bring challenges.
Brightshores CEO Ann Ford said in an interview with Bayshore News that she’s proud of the accomplishments that the health care centre achieved in 2025.
The biggest accomplishment, she said, was that the region’s Wellness & Recovery Centre, located in Owen Sound, celebrated its first anniversary this year.
“I can’t say enough about the team that’s there and their commitment to helping folks see some lasting and meaningful change in their lives,” shared Ford. “Their families are also included in all of these services. And I think through our partnerships in our communities across Grey Bruce, the teams are really making a difference when it comes to mental health and addictions care in our region. They’re doing some fantastic work.”
Meanwhile, Ford wanted to take time to share her appreciation for the Brightshores staff across the region for their hard work and dedication.
The hospital system was also able to reduce the number of agency nurses used over 2025, thanks to a commitment to recruiting full- and part-time permanent nursing staff. She added that Brightshores is continuing to do what they can to recruit more healthcare professionals to add to their network.
She also wanted to give kudos to Brightshores donors from Grey Bruce and beyond.
“We actually have donors who might not live in this area, they might vacation here and have cottages, et cetera, and their ongoing contributions are helping us enhance patient care in meaningful ways. From upgrading some of our internal spaces, to helping us invest in some state-of-the-art equipment. And also equally important: supporting some of our professional development, and training & education.”
Ford did say that in addition to staff recruitment, and continually improving facilities, that a challenge that Brightshores will continue to face surrounds the aging population.
“We know that within the Grey Bruce region, we have a higher population of folks over the age of 65. That population will continue to grow over the next 10-20 years,” she explained.
“So the people we are seeing now are sicker. They’re coming to hospital with potentially more complex needs. Even though they may come into the hospital with a broken bone, they may have heart disease or diabetes, and that’s also impacting their health, and that requires a greater intensity of resources.”
In the later part of the year, Brightshores was also committed to public engagement, with their Stronger Together engagement series, which was a series of 38 pop-ups that took place at grocery stores, arenas, and clinics across the region.
“We brought together voice from across Grey Bruce to understand how people are currently experiencing the care that they are provided today, and how our health system can evolve for the future.”
They’ll be building their 5-year strategic plan based on the feedback they received both internally and externally as they look to 2026 and beyond.
Ford also shared the importance of residents across the region get their seasonal flu vaccines, because of a higher-than-usual number of cases in the region, the province, and globally.