Leadership Team

Executive Leadership Team 

Melissa Farrell, President & CEO

Melissa joined Halton Healthcare as President & CEO in June 2023. Melissa is a health system leader who is passionate about building integrated care and making sure that people have the support they need from all parts of the health system - this includes hospitals, community services, primary care, mental health, public health, population health and more. 

Prior to joining Halton Healthcare Melissa served as President of St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton where she led an innovative multi-site academic teaching hospital, affiliated with McMaster University. Before her time at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Melissa had a long and distinguished career largely focused in the public sector including her role as Assistant Deputy Minister, Acute and Emergency Health Services for the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

Melissa is currently a Board Member of the Ontario Hospital Association. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Master’s Degree in Planning from Queen’s University and has continued educational development in leadership programs at Harvard Business School, Ivey Business School and The Rotman School of Management.

Dr. David McConachie, Chief of Staff

Since joining Halton Healthcare in 1993, Dr. McConachie has held several critical medical leadership roles and maintained a busy clinical practice. Dr. McConachie has been instrumental in shaping the current OTMH medical model of care and has led transformational changes in many programs and departments. He has extensive credentialing and physician performance management experience, has mentored several medical professionals, and has been an active member on a number of internal and external committees including Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Intensive Care and Mississauga Halton LHIN-CV Steering Committee. Dr. McConachie will continue his clinical practice as a Cardiologist and Intensivist, bringing his expertise to all three hospitals. Dr. McConachie is dedicated to exemplary patient and family focused care, the growth of our collaborative culture and the on-going development of an inclusive medical staff team across all of our hospitals and community locations.

Monica Bettazzoni, Interim Chief Operating Officer, Milton District Hospital and Georgetown Hospital

Monica Bettazzoni holds a Bachelor of Medical Rehabilitation, Occupational Therapy from the University of Manitoba and a Master of Education and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Toronto. She has been a vital part of the Halton Healthcare team for over ten years in the role of Program Director, Mental Health, Central Intake and Self-Management Programs. Monica has provided exceptional leadership on several key projects and initiatives including the Mental Health Program expansion, the move to the new Oakville Hospital and the integration of the North Halton Mental Health Clinics from Halton Region to Halton Healthcare. She was also Co-Chair of the Mental Health and Addictions Work Stream for the Connected Care Halton Ontario Health Team. Over the course of the pandemic, Monica has also held a leadership position within the Halton Healthcare COVID-19 Emergency Operations Centre, as an integral part of the team directing the organization’s overall pandemic response and recovery efforts. Monica is described as a humble and thoughtful leader who has well-established relationships within Halton Healthcare and with the many partners that contribute to the hospital community.

Dr. Stephen Chin, Interim Vice President, Medical Affairs 

Dr. Stephen Chin is the Interim Vice President, Medical Affairs and a hospitalist at Halton Healthcare. He brings extensive experience as a clinician, and as a system and medical leader. His experience spans across various organizations including William Osler Health System, Ontario Medical Association and the Region of Peel.

Dr. Chin joined Halton Healthcare as the inaugural Chief of Hospital Medicine, Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital in 2017. During his tenure, Dr. Chin has played an important leadership role, advancing the Medicine Program to improve quality and delivery of services. Dr. Chin successfully implemented innovative service changes and supported the development and implementation of a hospital-wide Point of Care Ultrasound solution and the Schwartz Compassionate Care Rounds. 

As Section Chair on Hospital Medicine with the Ontario Medical Association, Dr Chin participates on efforts to modernize physician payment models. In his local community, he serves in a long-term care home and is helping to design and led an integrated senior’s care centre.

Prior to joining Halton Healthcare, Dr. Chin was Site Division Head of Hospital Medicine at Brampton Civic Hospital.  He is also an Associate Adjunct Professor with the Department of Family Medicine with McMaster University. Dr. Chin received his medical degree from Queen’s University and is a Senior Fellow of Hospital Medicine.

Al Coady, Senior Vice President, Redevelopment, Facilities & Retail Operations

Al has more than 25 years of progressive experience in project planning and management in the private and public sectors, including policy development and finance. He brings extensive knowledge of hospital facility planning to his position and is no stranger to the organization, having served in progressive roles from 2012 to 2020.

Prior to returning to Halton Healthcare, Coady served in the position of Chief Project Officer and led the planning of Project Horizon – the redevelopment project of The Hospital for Sick Children. In his career he has also held public service positions within several Ontario ministries involving other successful hospital redevelopment projects.

Thomas Ferns, General Counsel & Chief Legal, Risk and Privacy Officer

Tom joined Halton Healthcare in May 2023. Before that, he served as General Counsel & Corporate Secretary of Mohawk College in Hamilton, held legal, governance and public affairs roles in the steel industry, and practiced as a corporate lawyer with a national law firm. For his work at Mohawk College, Tom was awarded the Canadian General Counsel Award for Environmental, Social and Governance in 2021.

Tom holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Queen’s University, and Master of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Toronto. He is a member of the Bar in Ontario and Massachusetts.

Brendan Kwolek, Chief Information and Digital Officer

Brendan first joined Halton Healthcare in 2018 as Director, ICT & Biomedical Engineering and more recently as the Executive Director, Interchange Project & ICT. Brendan has led several strategic initiatives and organization wide projects related to cybersecurity, virtual care and improved overall customer engagement. Previously, Brendan held several positions at Women’s College Hospital, completing his term as Director, IM/IT where he helped lead the building of their ambulatory electronic patient record and patient portal. Brendan also contributed to advancing the electronic medical record at North York General during his time there as Project Manager. Brendan holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from York University, is a Project Management Professional (PMP) and has attended the Rotman Executive Program at the University of Toronto. More recently, he has joined the Board of the Children’s Treatment Network.

Michele Leroux, Chief Human Resources Officer

Michele Leroux joined Halton Healthcare in September 2022 as the organization’s Chief Human Resources Officer. She is a seasoned Human Resources professional with nearly two decades of leadership experience in both the public and private sector. Michele joined Halton Healthcare after six years at Hamilton Health Sciences where she most recently held the position of Vice President, Human Resources. Prior to that her career included 13 years at McMaster University and roles in the private sector, including at Ford Motor Company.

Michele has an impressive track record of leading change, enabling technology and driving continuous improvement. She is passionate about leading HR innovation, enabling staff engagement and fostering partnerships. She has an Honours Bachelor of Commerce in Human Resource Management.

Janet Skupsky, Interim Chief Operating Officer, Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital

Janet Skupsky transferred to the Milton District Hospital in 2009 in the role of Program Director Milton Family Practice, and as of April 2012, she also assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO), Milton District Hospital. Janet has a very long history with Halton Healthcare, holding the position of Program Director Emergency/Ambulatory Care at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital for over twenty years prior to her transfer to Milton District Hospital. Janet has developed an incredible reputation as a highly skilled and extremely hard working leader of some of our most critically important services at both the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital and Milton District Hospitals.

Adrienne Spafford, Chief Communications Officer and Vice President, Strategy & Partnerships

Adrienne Spafford is a values-driven leader who is well-known among Ontario’s healthcare sector for her commitment to quality, equity and humanity in the delivery of care. She brings 20 years of results and positive impact in strategic communications, stakeholder relations, policy and strategy to Halton Healthcare.

Adrienne joined Halton Healthcare in November 2023 from Ontario Health, where she was the Vice President, Ontario Health Teams Strategy & Policy. In this role, she led the development of the Ontario Health Team (OHT) program and supported the implementation of the OHT model in partnership with colleagues across the province's health care system, including patient and family/caregiver partners.

Previously, Adrienne was the Chief Executive Officer of Addictions and Mental Health Ontario and has held senior positions at the Ontario Long Term Care Association, Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, the Ministry of Health, Infrastructure Ontario, and with a former Premier of Ontario. Adrienne began her career as a consultant for private sector clients on culture and gender diversity at Catalyst Canada, Inc.

In this pivotal role, Adrienne will be responsible for leading Halton Healthcare’s communications, partnership development, advocacy and strategy.

Dr. Cheryl Williams, Executive Vice President, Clinical Operations, and Chief Nursing Executive

Dr. Cheryl Williams joined Halton Healthcare in February 2025 as Executive Vice President, Clinical Operations, and Chief Nursing Executive. A transformational healthcare leader with over 25 years of experience, she has held senior leadership roles at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton Health Sciences, and Joseph Brant Hospital. Cheryl brings extensive expertise in clinical operations, quality, professional practice, and health system transformation. She has successfully led major initiatives in workforce strategy, innovative models of care, and system integration, driving meaningful change across healthcare settings.

A values-driven leader, Cheryl is passionate about integrated systems of care that enhance quality, safety, and health equity. A strong believer in the power of partnerships, she has worked extensively with patients, families, providers, and community organizations to drive system-wide improvements and seamless care delivery.

Cheryl holds a PhD in Nursing Science and a Master of Nursing (Acute Care Nurse Practitioner) from the University of Toronto, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from McMaster University. She also serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor at McMaster’s School of Nursing and is a Certified Health Executive (CHE).