It is with mixed emotions that we share the news that JENNIFER BLUM is retiring from her position as VP, Finance and Chief Financial Officer at VHA Home HealthCare (VHA). Jennifer will be greatly missed, but as she nears an impressive 19 years with VHA, we can only celebrate her incredible contributions and wish her all the best with her retirement.

Jennifer joined VHA in 2008. Since then, she has been an invaluable member of the senior management team and has played a crucial role in managing the financial operations of the organization. Under Jennifer’s leadership, VHA has consistently achieved the important balance of being financially stable and maximizing the services and care that we can deliver to clients and families.

Over Jennifer’s tenure, VHA has grown five times in size, and her vision and drive have been key factors in that growth. To offer a few examples, Jennifer played a significant role in the merger with COTA Health in 2009 that established VHA’s rehab business, negotiated a program to serve medically complex children in Toronto Central region, and supported the development of an agreement with VON that grew our Toronto Central Nursing services and our Dietitian services in the GTA.

In her role managing facilities, Jennifer acquired and has redesigned our head office space to meet VHA’s changing needs and has supported the growth of our managed spaces including the North Clinic, Malton Clinic, Sheppard West Clinic and the new VHA Pharmacy that we look forward to launching soon. A strong supporter of technology, Jennifer championed the introduction of telephony in 2009, followed by mobility devices for field staff in 2012 which paved the way for future technology innovations at VHA.

Before joining VHA, Jennifer held roles including Director, Financial Planning at University Health Network, and VP Finance and CFO at the Ontario Centres of Excellence. She has also held board positions with Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) and Compute Canada, Canada’s national advanced research computing platform (now part of Digital Research Alliance of Canada).

In commenting on her retirement, Jennifer shared, “Working at VHA has taught me a lot about leadership, teamwork and collaboration. It has also taught me about HVAC and electrical systems, but I digress. I am grateful for my time spent with an outstanding organization and amazing colleagues. Thank you all.”

Jennifer is greatly admired for her commitment to our people – both to our providers and to the clients and families we serve. Jennifer is an incredibly effective accountant, but perhaps not a traditional one as her passion comes from supporting those who need it most. She is the loudest champion of VHA’s Simple Comforts Fund and is deeply committed to VHA’s charitable status, Responsive Community Care programs, our connection with the United Way, and our Sustainability efforts. We are grateful that Jennifer has agreed to stay on into 2027 – her last day will be March 31st.

We thank Jennifer for all she has brought to VHA and wish her much happiness going forward.