Published On: November 10, 2026
The Board of Directors of St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital (STEGH) announces that Karen Davies, President and Chief Executive Officer, has advised the Board of her decision to retire from her role.
In her letter to the Board, Davies expressed her commitment to remaining fully engaged in her role throughout the transition period, continuing to advance the hospital’s strategic priorities while supporting the onboarding of new leadership.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to thank Karen for her extraordinary leadership, dedication, and service to our hospital and community,” said Amy Dale, Chair of the Board of Directors. “The Board is deeply grateful for Karen’s leadership, vision, and unwavering dedication to the patients, families, staff, physicians, volunteers, and communities we serve. Her impact on this organization will be felt for many years to come. Karen has provided transformational leadership at STEGH, and her vision, steadfastness, calm nature and commitment to putting people first have created a very strong hospital and bright future for care in our community.”
Davies joined STEGH as Chief Nursing Executive and Vice President in 2012 and served in that role for nine years before becoming President and CEO in 2021. Throughout her tenure, she has championed a culture grounded in respect, accountability, compassion, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Under her leadership, the hospital strengthened its culture with an enduring focus on quality, emergency room performance, patient experience, staff experience, and operational excellence.
“Serving this hospital and community has been one of the greatest privileges of my life,” said Davies. “I have been fortunate to work alongside exceptional staff, physicians, volunteers, leaders, Board members, and community partners who share an unwavering commitment to providing exemplary care. While this decision comes with mixed emotions, I leave with tremendous confidence in the future of STEGH and deep gratitude for the opportunity to serve here.”
The Board of Directors will initiate a comprehensive search process for the hospital’s next President and CEO in the coming weeks.
During the transition period, the Board remains confident in Davies and the hospital’s leadership team and their continued focus on delivering exceptional care to the residents of Elgin County and surrounding communities.