Health PEI Executive Leadership Team

Chief Executive Officer

Melanie Fraser

Melanie Fraser, CEOMelanie is an accomplished senior Public Sector executive with 20+ years' experience building, leading and empowering growth in organizations and systems. Throughout her career with the public service, she has led large organizations and systems to deliver results for the benefit of the public.   

She has a track record of successfully leading in complex, multistakeholder environments and is known for delivering results. Melanie is highly regarded for her strategic and very collaborative approach and is known as a compelling communicator who confidently gains buy-in from stakeholder. She is a calm and thoughtful people leader who takes pride in building high-functioning, diverse teams and values-based culture. 

Melanie was formerly the Associate Deputy Minister for Health, for the Province of Ontario with leadership of numerous portfolios including, the creation of the Ontario Health Agency, Mental Health & Addictions, Data and Digital Transformation, Hospital Operations & Capital Development, Home & Community Care, Agency Oversight, Health Human Resources, Labour Relations and Ambulance Services. Prior to that she held executive positions including the Corporate Chief Information Officer for Ontario, the Chief Administrative Officer at Treasury Board and the Director of Operations, for the Ontario Death Investigation System. 

Melanie received an Honours BA, Master of Arts and the Presidents Gold Medal from Wilfrid Laurier University and an Executive MBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University. Melanie reflects that her work ethic and passion for community service comes from her family who are farmers and Dutch immigrants. She and her husband, who is from the East Coast, have two beautiful children and enjoy golfing, watersports and time spent at the barn. 

Chief Operating Officer

Corinne Rowswell, MPA, BSc, RN

Corinne RoswellCorinne is a registered nurse with over 35 years of health care experience. She has worked as a front-line nurse in acute care, home care, palliative care and public health in Nova Scotia, PEI, Quebec and Ontario. Throughout her career she has worked with patients, families, health care providers and community programs towards safe and supportive transitions in care, particularly from acute care settings to home based care. Corinne credits working with people and their families, particularly at their most vulnerable time of life, as fundamentally shaping how she practiced nursing in a collaborative inter-disciplinary team and working towards patient-centred care.

In 1998, Corinne moved home to PEI with her family and put those skills to use leading program and policy development for home care and palliative care before joining the Chief Public Health Office where she worked as part of the team to develop healthy public policy for a stronger public health system in PEI. In 2018, Corinne transitioned to working with the broader Health and Wellness team, leading key strategic initiatives and played a leadership role in the COVID-19 response before returning to operations with Health PEI in 2021.

Corinne holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from St. Francis Xavier University and a Master of Public Administration from Dalhousie University.  She lives near Hunter River with her husband and they have launched three adult sons.

Chief Nursing and Professional Practice Officer

Marion Dowling RN, BScN, MScN

Marion DowlingMarion graduated from the first class of the New Bachelor of Science Degree program in Nursing from the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) in 1996. She also completed her Certificate in Public Administration from UPEI in 1997. She completed her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Ottawa in 2008.

Marion was honoured in June 2008 by receiving the Canadian Nurses Association Order of Merit for Nursing Policy, as well as one of the CNA Centennial Awards.

Marion has worked in various nursing roles throughout her 20-plus year career as a registered nurse on Prince Edward Island. She has worked in acute care medical; rural emergency department; nursing management and administrative roles in acute care as director of Nursing; and as principal nursing advisor for the Province. Since beginning her role as chief of nursing, Allied Health & Patient Experience in July 2016, she has had the opportunity to regain some brief clinical practice time as a front-line home care registered nurse.

Interim Chief Transformation and Strategy Officer

Christopher Gillis, MPA, CPHR, PMP

Christopher GillisChristopher is a highly motivated transformational leader with a proven track record of implementing complex projects, delivering positive results and successfully managing organizational change. With 15+ years working in management he is passionate about human resources, project management and the ability to use both to solve multi-faceted problems and create cultures of performance all the while building effective relationships through communication and trust. With a natural, optimistic, professional approach to people, career and team-work, he has the demonstrated ability to set goals and successfully handle multiple high profile priorities at the same time. His experience working and succeeding in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors is a testament to his flexibility, agility and determination.

Most recently Christopher was the Deputy Minister, Priorities & Intergovernmental Affairs and, Deputy Clerk of Executive Council & Deputy Secretary to Cabinet with the Government of PEI. As Deputy Minister Christopher worked with senior leadership within the Department of Health and Wellness and Health PEI to implement many successful health priorities including: the founding and creation of Canada's first multi-jurisdictional licensing model for physicians (the Atlantic Registry), Pharmacy Plus, Virtual Hallway for physicians and, led the province's most recent round of negotiations with the federal government on health transfer funding for the province. Christopher's experience in healthcare extends to his time as Director of Human Resources & Project Management with a regional healthcare firm focused on community pharmacies and long-term care facilities.

Christopher holds a Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) from the University of Prince Edward Island and a Master of Public Administration from Queen's University with a focus in health and social policy. He is a Certified Professional in Human Resources (CPHR), a Project Management Professional (PMP) and, a certified leader in organizational transformation (PMI).

Christopher lives in Charlottetown with his husband, Craig, and their mini-labradoodle, Pepper. 

Chief Academic Officer

Dr. Preston Smith

Dr. Preston SmithDr. Smith holds dual roles as the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, UPEI, as well as Chief Academic Officer and an Executive Leadership Team member for Health PEI.

A highly regarded medical educator and administrator, Dr. Smith completed his medical education at Dalhousie University and is a Certificant and Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada. In 2010, he completed a Master of Education from Mount Saint Vincent University focused on medical education.

Dr. Smith's career has been marked by his dedication to developing medical education programs. He spent 25 years as a family physician in Moncton, during which he served as VP of Medicine in Moncton, New Brunswick, during the transition from the province’s 52 hospitals to eight regions and then down to 2 health regions. This experience provided him with significant expertise in health system reform and administration. He also held the position of Senior Associate Dean of Education within the Faculty of Medicine at DAL, where he played a key role in developing and overseeing the Dalhousie medical education program launched in Saint John. He was instrumental in starting new family medicine residency programs in PEI, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. His most recent role as Dean of the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan saw his team lead a significant restructuring of the College of Medicine.

Interim Chief Medical Officer 

Dr. Johan Viljoen

Dr. Johan Viljoen Dr. Viljoen is a distinguished OB/GYN with a wealth of experience in clinical practice and organizational leadership. He is a seasoned leader with a profound understanding of the Canadian healthcare landscape, encompassing its structure, governance, funding mechanisms, and legal framework.

Dr. Viljoen is a dedicated advocate for physician development. From coaching and mentoring physicians to recruitment through performance management, he actively supports and empowers physicians, providing guidance and constructive feedback to ensure their continuous professional growth.

Dr. Viljoen is deeply interested in the future of technology and its transformative potential in healthcare. Dr. Viljoen is passionate about harnessing technology to support the evolution of healthcare for all Canadians. With that eye on the future, Dr. Viljoen combines traditional medical wisdom with a passion for cutting-edge technologies to help shape the future of healthcare.

Dr. Viljoen holds a Master of Laws (LLM) in Health Law from Osgoode Hall Law School, an MBA in Executive Management from the University of Massachusetts (Isenberg School of Business), and certificates in Health Law, Negligence, Risk Management, and Litigation from Osgoode Hall Law School. An avid learner, Dr. Vilogen also achieved a CPE in Medical Leadership from the American College of Physician Executives, an LMCC in Medicine from the Medical Council of Canada, and credentials in Obstetrics and Gynecology from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, University of Stellenbosch (M.MED), and University of Stellenbosch (M.B.Ch.B.).
 

Published date: 
January 21, 2025
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Health PEI
PO Box 2000
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Phone: 902-368-6130
Fax: 902-368-6136

healthpei@gov.pe.ca

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