By: Tara Young, Communications Business Partner, Bluewater Health
When Bluewater Health and Lambton Elderly Outreach (LEO) appointed Lisa Regan to a dual leadership role in 2023, they took a bold step to bridge hospital and community care. Today, as Vice-President, Care Transitions at Bluewater Health and Chief Executive Officer at LEO, Regan is leading efforts to deliver care that is connected, community-focused, and patient-centered.
“I see my role as creating a seamless path for patients and families – whether that path starts in the hospital, at home, or in the community,” says Regan. “Together, we’re ensuring people have the right supports in the right place at the right time.”
Leveraging Hospital Resources for Community Benefit
For LEO, a small but vital community support service organization, integration with a larger hospital system has been transformational. LEO supports older adults and people with disabilities in Lambton County with in-home care, transportation, meals on wheels, volunteer opportunities, and social programs.
Through this integrated model, LEO has gained access to Bluewater Health’s expertise, staff education, and specialized resources otherwise out of reach.
“As a small non-profit, LEO doesn’t have the manpower or funding to bring in specialized expertise,” Regan explains. “Through this partnership, we can tap into hospital resources – like finance, quality and risk, and project management – that elevate our capacity to serve clients.”
This collaboration has improved operations and given staff new training opportunities, raising the quality of care for clients across Sarnia-Lambton.
Strengthening Ties with the Community Support Sector
Regan’s integrated role has also connected her to the wider network of community support services. Locally, she works with partners like March of Dimes, Alzheimer Society and the Red Cross to coordinate supports and help people remain safe at home. Regionally, she serves on Ontario Health West’s Community Support Services Advisory Table, linking with agencies from Windsor to Hamilton to identify gaps, align priorities, develop strategies and work plans and share learnings.
“Wearing both hats gives me a unique vantage point,” says Regan. “I don’t just represent the hospital or the community – I represent the shared goal of keeping people healthy and supported where they live.”
These strengthened relationships are paying off. LEO has seen a 30 per cent increase in demand for services, while reducing waitlists and expanding programs such as Meals on Wheels. By building community capacity, Regan and her partners are advancing the mission of keeping people well and independent at home.
Driving Flow, Discharge Planning, and Reduced ALC
The most striking outcome of this model has been its impact on patient flow and Alternate Level of Care (ALC) at Bluewater Health. By aligning discharge planning with community supports in real time, patients transition home more safely and quickly.
“My work with LEO is directly tied to reducing ALC,” Regan explains. “Bluewater Health’s Care Transitions team, with support from LEO and other community partners, is focused on admission avoidance, emergency diversion, and making sure patients don’t end up in hospital beds when they could be supported in the community.”
The results speak for themselves. As of March 2025, Bluewater Health cut the number of ALC patients nearly in half compared to the year before, freeing up acute care beds and easing system pressures. Regan credits the integration with community partners:
“When we collaborate closely, we see opportunities to move people to the right level of care faster and with more confidence.”
Lessons for Ontario Health Teams
As Ontario Health Teams (OHTs) look to hospitals as anchor organizations, the Sarnia-Lambton experience shows what’s possible when leadership spans both acute and community care. Bluewater Health’s ability to share resources, coordinate planning, and champion community services through an integrated executive role has advanced a connected continuum of care.
Paula Reaume-Zimmer, President & CEO of Bluewater Health, has a proven history as an integrated leader and is a strong proponent of collaboration across the health system. She emphasized, “As hospitals establish trusting relationships with community partners, and demonstrate through our actions that we are invested in their success, integration opportunities like this, can take some of the administrative burden off, and allow our partners to have as much focus on delivering quality patient care; it’s a win-win-win.”
At its core, this model reflects the OHTs vision of providing people with better connected and more convenient care. For Sarnia-Lambton, having an integrated leader like Regan has meant fewer barriers, faster transitions, and a stronger safety net for older adults and their families.
“We all want the same thing,” Regan reflects. “To help people live well at home, avoid unnecessary hospital stays, and ensure that when hospital care is needed, it’s there.”