National recognition highlights Southlake’s commitment to people, leadership excellence, and a thriving organizational culture
Southlake Health is proud to be named one of Canada’s Most Admired™ Corporate Cultures for 2025, a national honour celebrating organizations with cultures that enhance performance and sustain a competitive advantage. Presented by Waterstone Human Capital, the award recognizes Southlake’s commitment to its people and dedication to building a thriving, inclusive, and high-performing workplace.
“Being named one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures is an incredible honour for Southlake,” said Paul Woods, MD, President and CEO, Southlake Health. “Across every program and service, our teams demonstrate a pride for people, from patients to colleagues to our communities. Southlake’s people are our greatest strength.”
Southlake’s Strategy for the Decade Ahead recognizes people as a key enabler that will drive progress and transform Southlake into a Distributed Health Network. As part of this, Southlake has advanced several initiatives that support culture and engagement. These include enhanced leadership development, improved communication tools, and expanded wellness and recognition activities. These efforts build on Southlake’s long-standing commitment to cultivating a workplace where people feel valued, connected, and empowered.
“The Southlake Health family of more than 6,000 staff, medical staff, volunteers, and learners work together to support one another and deliver exceptional care,” said Cristina Amaral, Vice President, People, and Chief Human Resources Officer. “This award celebrates the work happening across Southlake to create an environment where people feel valued, heard, and supported. I am incredibly proud of our teams and what we have accomplished together.”
Southlake’s continued focus on leadership excellence, employee engagement, and a connected organizational culture empowers teams to deliver leading edge care, close to home. Clinical and non-clinical teams work closely together across disciplines, sites, and programs to solve challenges, innovate, and support patients and families at every step of their care experience. Its culture is rooted in teamwork and a deep commitment to patient-centred care.
“The 2025 Canada’s Most Admired award recipients exemplify how culture drives performance, especially in the face of economic uncertainty and other recruitment and retention challenges,” said Marty Parker, President and CEO of Waterstone Human Capital and Chair of the Canada’s Most Admired program. “This year’s winners are leveraging culture to drive growth and success in today’s highly competitive talent market through the acquisition, retention, and optimization of high-performance leaders, teams, and corporate cultures.”
Southlake will be formally celebrated at the Canada’s Most Admired Awards Gala in early 2026.
