Tony Dagnone, January 1983.
Born in Civitanova, Campobasso, Italy, on August 4, 1941, Tony Dagnone came to Simpson, Saskatchewan in 1949. He attended Scott Collegiate in Regina, studied Commerce at the University of Saskatchewan, and completed post-graduate studies in Hospital Administration at the University of Toronto. In 1967, Dagnone embarked on an illustrious healthcare career at University Hospital in Saskatoon. At age 36, he became the hospital’s executive director, and subsequently its president and CEO. During his 25-year tenure at Saskatchewan’s major teaching hospital, renamed Royal University Hospital in 1990, Dagnone directed expansion projects in excess of $70 million and facilitated the development of new tertiary care programs, including Saskatchewan’s first CT scanner and magnetic resonance imager (MRI); the latter necessitated a $4.2 million provincial fund-raising campaign. Dagnone was instrumental in developing outreach and community-based healthcare services, including Kinsmen Children’s Centre, Ronald McDonald House, and the Geriatric Assessment Unit/Day Hospital, first of its kind in Canada. Known for his high energy and community commitment, Dagnone was Chair of Century Saskatoon, marking the 1982 city centennial. In 1989, he presided over Saskatoon’s Canada Summer Games. Dagnone was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 1991. The following year, he left Saskatoon for London, Ontario, where he is president and CEO of the London Health Sciences Centre.
Kathryn J. Ellis