LHSC names new board chair as governance rebuild continues

Ron Sapsford will chair LHSC’s renewed board beginning Oct. 1.

London Health Sciences Centre has appointed a new board chair after nearly two years without a board of directors following the governing body’s September 2024 resignation. LHSC announced Wednesday that Ron Sapsford will become chair of the hospital’s renewed board of directors effective Oct. 1, after his term as board chair of Middlesex Hospital Alliance (MHA) – which operates Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital and Four Counties Health Services in Newbury – ends in September. “(Sapsford) is a catch . . .

he’s going to do a really good job,” said LHSC supervisor David Musyj on Wednesday. “He’s always been on the radar because at some point, supervision clearly is never permanent.” Musyj said Sapsford has dedicated his career to improving Ontario’s health-care system, adding his experience and leadership make him “exceptionally well-suited for this role.”

Sapsford, who has served two years on MHA’s board of directors, including one year as chair, holds a bachelor of science from the University of Toronto and a master of health administration from the University of Ottawa, an LHSC news release said. LHSC said Sapsford’s “distinguished career” includes serving as chief executive of the Ontario Medical Association and executive vice-president and chief operating officer of Hamilton Health Sciences, as well as roles on numerous boards and committees. He brings more than 50 years of experience in health care, health education and health research, aligning closely with LHSC’s role as one of Canada’s largest research-intensive academic health sciences centres, the hospital said.

“(LHSC) plays a vital role in advancing patient care, research and education,” Sapsford said in a statement. “I am honoured to serve as chair and look forward to working with the renewed board and the organization as LHSC continues to strengthen its governance and build for the future.” Sapsford’s appointment follows LHSC’s June announcement that it was recruiting members for its renewed board of directors after “two years of work to strengthen the organization’s governance, leadership, operations, policies and procedures” under Musyj.

The previous board resigned in September 2024 following Musyj’s appointment as supervisor after serving as the troubled hospital’s president and CEO for several months. He said it’s important the new board works as a team to move forward without dwelling on past issues. In a $50-million lawsuit filed in July 2025, LHSC alleges three former employees, two associates and nine companies engaged in a “fraudulent scheme” involving construction and facilities-management contracts that did not follow hospital policies, resulting in the hospital paying for work that was not done and overpaying for work that was.

A second lawsuit, filed in June 2025 and seeking $10 million, alleges three former executives were informed about the alleged fraud in 2022 and failed to act. Statements of claim and statements of defence contain allegations that have not been tested in court. Musyj said a board chair such as Sapsford will ensure the board asks difficult questions while remaining focused on governance, including strategic planning and helping recruit a new president and CEO after Musyj leaves the organization.

“We have to make sure that the new board is connected to the leadership, both on a clinical and administrative side,” Musyj said. LHSC continues to recruit members for its renewed board of directors. Those interested in serving can submit an expression of interest through the hospital’s website by July 31.