DOUG EARLE APPOINTED CEO OF WRHN FOUNDATION

After a 30-year career in fundraising Doug Earle has taken the role as the first CEO of the Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) Foundation as it begins to fundraise for the new hospital campus scheduled to open in 2035.   

The WRHN Foundation was established in May 2025 following the merger of St. Mary’s Hospital and Grand River Hospital and their respective foundations.  

Earle was announced as CEO on Oct. 29, 2025, and will lead the foundation’s fundraising efforts for its three existing facilities and the new hospital campus located in the David Johnston Research + Technology Park at the University of Waterloo’s North Campus.  

Before joining the WRHN Foundation, Earle was the CEO of the West Park Healthcare Centre Foundation in Toronto where he led fundraising for the hospital’s new building that opened in 2023. It was the tenth building that Earle had led the fundraising effort, but he joked that he still had the itch to work on another project.  

“I’m not a maintainer, I’m a builder. I was looking for a new challenge, and this new hospital building is quite exciting to be a part of,” he said.  

While it is not his first hospital project, it does hold a special meaning.  

“I’ve never actually been at the beginning of a new building project. That’s my goal this time. To be here while we’re just starting the design, and I hope to be there when the staff move in,” Earle said.  

The initial planning and application phase of the new hospital was completed this year with a $15 million contribution from the province. The WRHN is now actively working with the province to receive approval to move into the design phase, which will take two years to finalize.  

The province funds 100 per cent of the design and planning phase, and 90 per cent of the construction costs. The WRHN Foundation and local governments are responsible for the construction phase’s remaining 10 per cent and all required equipment and infrastructure.   

“If we get the go ahead in the spring budget, it’ll be about three years before the walls go up. Then it takes about two years for all the electrical work and quality testing. That’s when we would take possession, probably 2031, and our first payment would be due,” he said.  

The second payment would be due in 2034, but before that, the WRHN Foundation will need to start fundraising for equipment in 2030.  

“That’s about $30 million a year; it’s a lot of dollars,” he said.  

Fundraising for the new hospital does not mean that new equipment and programs are on hold at WRHN’s Midtown, Queen St., and Chicopee campuses. One of the campaigns Earle is working on is to bring neurosurgery back to the Waterloo Region.  

“We have not had a neurosurgeon for well over a decade. If you’re having an aneurysm and you’re in the ER, you know time is short. Right now, you have to go to McMaster, which is another hour of not getting treatment. We’ve submitted a plan to the Ministry of Health and we’re waiting to hear back,” Earle said.  

Once approved, the WRHN Foundation will fund renovations at WRHN Midtown to support neurosurgery.  

“We can run neurosurgery at Midtown for another ten years and then move all the equipment to the new hospital when it opens.”  

Whether it is one-time or monthly donations, Earle said this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make an investment in healthcare.   

“We’re the fastest growing region in the country and will be over a million people in ten years. The one thing that’s been consistent is the care and passion of our staff and the delivery of quality care. Now we have an opportunity to give them a building that is designed for them to deliver the best quality care possible,” Earle said. 

NEW CLINIC PRIORITIZES CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING

On Mar. 3, the Waterloo Wellington Regional Cancer Program (WWRCP) adopted a new cervical cancer screening method, replacing the Pap test with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing. 

Family doctors, nurse practitioners and midwives have started using HPV as the new primary cervical cancer screening method. This new test will lead to early detection and prevent long-term impacts of cervical cancer. 

“While cytology-based Pap tests only looked for pre-cancerous or cancerous cells, we now know that the majority of all cervical cancers are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV),” Neil Naik, Regional Primary Care Lead for Cancer Screening and Prevention for Waterloo Wellington, said. 

Pap tests detect abnormal or pre-cancerous cells on the cervix but don’t detect the virus itself. 

Even when abnormal cells or changes within the cervical cells are detected, the examination process requires further investigation or treatment. Unlike the Pap test, which was recommended every three years, HPV testing is done every five years, starting at age 25, for individuals with a cervix, if the results are negative. 

“This new approach tests for the presence of the 13 high-risk HPV strains known to cause cancer, allowing for earlier detection—before significant cellular changes occur,” Naik said. 

Certain HPV strains can cause high risks for cervical cancer, especially types 16 and 18. The test can identify if a person is infected with these high-risk strains, even before abnormal cell changes occur. 

“By checking for HPV—the virus that causes cervical cancer—we can detect it at an earlier stage, allowing for fewer unnecessary interventions and faster for those who need it,” Peter Potts, chief of staff at WRHN and a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist, said.  

“The new screening only detects cancer-causing HPV strains, not those that cause warts, and the test was designed for people without symptoms,” he said. 

The benefits of HPV testing has higher sensitivity, so it is better than cytology testing at detecting cervical pre-cancer or cancer. It is highly consistent and reproducible, and it has a higher predictive value, meaning negative results will correctly identify people who do not have a cervical pre-cancer or cancer and who will not develop cervical cancer in the next six years. 

Local start-ups such as CELLECT Laboratories Inc. are also playing a role in advancing cervical cancer screening. CT Murphy, a nanotechnology engineering alumnus from the University of Waterloo, is developing new tools to improve HPV testing and accessibility. 

Although the HPV vaccine protects against the most common cancer-causing strains, the testing is recommended for individuals with no symptoms to detect early exposure. HPV testing generally ends between the ages of 65 and 69, but it may continue based on the individual’s medical history. 

Healthcare professionals recommend that people over age 25 take the HPV test screening if they took the HPV vaccination, feel healthy, have been through menopause, have had any family members with cervical cancer, or have had contact with a partner.

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