The Honourable George Smitherman, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, and Mr. Ron Sapsford, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, are pleased to announce that Helen Stevenson has been appointed as Assistant Deputy Minister and Executive Officer, Ontario Public Drug Programs.

Ms. Stevenson succeeds Ron Sapsford, who was appointed Executive Officer by the Lieutenant Governor in Council on September 28, 2006.

In her new role, Ms. Stevenson will be responsible for creating a new enterprise to manage all activities dealing the publicly-funded Ontario Drug Benefit Act. As Executive Officer, she will perform the functions of Chief Executive Officer, ensuring efficient organization through planning, execution, issues management, program review and performance measurement processes.

Ms. Stevenson comes to this crucial position with a wealth of skills and experience. In May, 2005, she was appointed Executive Lead of the Drug System Secretariat and was responsible for leading the Ontario Government's plan to reform the $3.5 billion provincial drug system. Ms. Stevenson possesses strong business acumen, having successfully negotiated pricing and listing agreements with pharmaceutical manufacturers. In 1997, Ms. Stevenson started Savattuq Incorporated, a healthcare consulting business in Toronto. As president of this corporation, she led an international expert working group to develop Donor Action, an evidence-based program that provides hospitals the methodology to determine weaknesses in the donation process and provides tools to enhance their best practices.

Ms. Stevenson's academic accomplishments include a Masters of Science Degree in Management from Boston University and a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill.