“It means a lot.” - Director Builds on Decades of “Close Connections” in Role at Lakeridge Health

After more than a year and a half as Director of Medical Affairs, Academic Affairs, and LHEARN, Kathleen Corey still finds it “a bit surreal” to be working at Lakeridge Health.   

“My mom Arleen was a physiotherapist and then Director of Inpatient Services at the Oshawa Hospital from 1986 until her death in 2006,” explained Kathleen. “These were the halls I ran around as a child after school and sports practices, waiting for my mom to finish work. I would swim in the old physiotherapy pool and practice my soccer drills at Alexandra Park next to the hospital.”

In addition to her career at Lakeridge Health, Kathleen’s mother welcomed all three of her children at the Oshawa Hospital and received cancer treatment at the Durham Regional Cancer Centre in the years before her death.

“It means a lot to me to be working at the hospital where my mom worked, where I and my siblings were born, in the city where I grew up, where my family seeks care, and has so many close connections,” Kathleen shared. “Running into family friends and my mom’s former colleagues in the hall is always a highlight of my day! Although I’m sure more than a few of them likely heard a mouthful about me from my mom when I was a teenager!”

Although Kathleen was always interested in global affairs and politics, she was initially unsure of the specific field she wanted to work in. After initially pursuing a Bachelor’s of Business Administration, Kathleen spent some time working and volunteering.

“I volunteered with a refugee family for a few years while living in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and witnessing their successes and struggles starting life in Canada really helped me to narrow down to a career in public service,” Kathleen said.

Kathleen then completed a Masters of Public Administration in Scotland through an international program. Following her Masters, Kathleen spent time working for Doctors without Borders/ Médecins sans Frontières Canada before taking a role working for the Chief of Staff at Trillium Health Partners as the Senior Project Manager, Patient-Centred Design and Physician Model of Care.

“That was when it sort of clicked and I recognized how health care impacted everyone,” Kathleen noted. “No matter who you are, where you were born, your socio-economic status, everyone sought and deserved high-quality health care services. I realized a career in health care was the natural next step for me.”

Kathleen joined Lakeridge Health in September 2021 when her daughter was just six months old and is now expecting her second child in July 2023. “I have felt extremely supported as a new and expecting parent by my team, my leaders, and my colleagues,” she said. “As an added bonus, Medical Affairs also works closely with midwives, who have been my care providers during my pregnancies. I have a whole new appreciation for their work in our community.”

As she reflects on the future of the Medical Affairs, Academic Affairs, and LHEARN program, Kathleen is “encouraged by our leadership team, the passion with which they work, and the vison they have for the program. There are great things happening within Academic Affairs, such as the start of the Queen’s-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine Program. While part of me is sad that I will be away from our team and the fun and hard work over the next year while I’m on maternity leave, I can’t wait to see what I’ll be coming back to!”

Looking even farther out, Kathleen shared that “maybe one day my children may work at Lakeridge Health – marking three generations of our families contributing to great care in Durham Region.”