Dr. Harry Höediono: fostering new opportunities for exceptional care

Whether it’s providing dental care or volunteering his time to support governance at Grand River Hospital, patient care is key for Dr. Harry Höediono

Dedicated community volunteers give their time, expertise and energy to support the governance of Grand River Hospital through the organization’s board.

Dr. Höediono has brought nearly 30 years as a dental practitioner in Waterloo Region to the GRH board, combined with experience in advocacy with the Ontario Dental Association and a commitment to community service.

Dr. Hoediono is currently the vice chair of the hospital’s board. As he prepares for a term as chair of the board, he is excited about the opportunities for Grand River Hospital in advancing exceptional care for patients and families in Waterloo Region and Guelph Wellington.

Why did you join GRH’s board of directors?

I was asked to join the board of directors by an existing board member who knew that I had extensive experience in governance restructuring at a not-for-profit. During my board service, I have seen first-hand how dedicated all the staff and board members are to providing excellent care to our patients and community members, no matter their role in the hospital.

You’ve been in private dental practice for quite some time. How did you transfer that experience to your board role?

As a general dentist in private practice in our community for almost three decades, many of my experiences have transferred to my board duties. Having been past president of the Ontario Dental Association and having reorganized their governance structure, I was able to bring that experience to our hospital.  

Further, much of the day-to-day fundamentals of running a small business can be scaled to a larger operation such as a hospital. These include working in a clinical environment, managing staff and operational expenses as well as providing high-quality patient care within strict budgetary oversight.

Above all, I’ve lived and raised all my children in the KW area. I’ve been fortunate to have built strong political, business and philanthropic relationships over decades of community service.

If someone knows very little about the hospital’s board, what’s the most important thing you’d want them to know?

Our board of directors is a purely voluntary board. We receive absolutely no remuneration for our work. With that in mind, all those who dedicate their time do so with the only goal of serving our hospital and community to the best of their abilities.

GRH’s board is made up of highly-talented and experienced leaders in their field. They are not only passionate about their contributions to the hospital, but extremely dedicated to our community.

Why are you proud of Grand River Hospital?

I am proud of GRH for the excellent work that we do in providing high quality treatment in 15 different programs from childbirth to cancer treatment and stroke recovery. We do this with dedication and a tireless work ethic, despite constrained resources and the needs of an ever-aging and increasingly complex population.

What do you look forward to?

I am honoured to become chair of the hospital’s board in June. I look forward to working with our CEO Ron Gagnon to take GRH in a new direction towards modernizing our hospital with a new IT structure, ensuring we meet our growing community's needs, attaining sustainable financial stability and growing our range of services within the government's new Ontario Health model.

By doing this, our community’s health needs will be better served while we position ourselves for future care opportunities and leadership in health integration.