Barbara Bell, RN, BScN, MN, CHE
Chief Quality, Safety and Risk Officer

Appointed August 2022

Barbara Bell leads provincial work to drive high quality patient care by establishing key quality improvement processes and imperatives. Her guidance and oversight focus on patient safety, quality and risk, performance, and regulatory compliance. By developing a new provincial Quality Framework and Policy, Barbara established a common approach to quality improvement and performance across Home and Community Care Support Services to drive excellence in care and service delivery. With the goal of improving patient care and the caregiver experience, the Framework and Policy reinforce key elements of quality care that are embedded in our day-to-day work. Under Barbara’s leadership, Home and Community Care Support Services bolsters a culture of quality, patient safety, and infection control.  

Barbara, a registered nurse, is a values-based, high performing health care leader with expertise in clinical and service excellence, quality improvement, risk management and patient safety. Her clinical leadership career began in 2006, when she spearheaded new models of care and redesign initiatives to improve experience and cost efficiency as Chief Nursing Executive and Health Professions Officer of West Park Healthcare Centre in Toronto. In her role as Vice President, Quality and Safety at Home and Community Care Support Services Central, she was the Ontario Health Team (OHT) Lead for Ontario Health Central Region, supporting local resource coordination, and working with multiple health system stakeholders to integrate health services. At the same time, she was a vital player in the COVID-19 response, establishing models to leverage existing service provider organizations for staffing congregate living settings and long-term care homes. 

With a Master and Bachelor of Science in Nursing from University of Toronto, Barbara has also focused on leadership training, obtaining certifications in leadership from the Hay Group, the Canadian College of Health Executives and the Rotman school of Management. 

I believe in advancing a person-centred culture through stakeholder engagement, collaboration, continuous learning and recognition. I am excited and driven by the opportunities ahead to lead the development and implementation of a superior patient experience across the province.

Connect with me on LinkedIn