For Immediate Release:
January 8, 2021
London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) President and CEO, Dr. Paul Woods, a Canadian citizen with green card status in the United States, has travelled to the US five times since March 2020, including most recently from Dec. 19 to 25.
Dr. Woods lives alone and made these trips to visit his immediate family in the United States. In addition to these extenuating circumstances, Dr. Woods followed public health guidelines and mitigated risk by driving across the border, staying in one place while in the US, and quarantining upon his return.
“The Board of Directors is aware Dr. Woods continued to travel for personal reasons given the separation from his immediate family and the Board supports his continued leadership of LHSC. At a meeting of the elected Directors of the Board, Dr. Paul Woods received the support of the Board, and we believe it is in the best interest of the system to maintain stability at the CEO level at such tumultuous times,” says Chair of LHSC’s Board of Directors, Amy Walby.
“I will no longer be traveling until federal restrictions limiting non-essential travel are lifted. Hindsight will always be 20/20 and I cannot turn back the clock. What I can do is take accountability for my decision to visit with immediate family out-of-country and fully apologize. Please accept my deepest regret for my actions,” says Dr. Woods.
London Health Sciences Centre will not be commenting further at this time.
