SINGAPORE – Woodlands Hospital will welcome a new person at its helm from Feb 1, with Mr Joe Hau succeeding Dr Jason Cheah as its chief executive officer.
Dr Cheah, 58, will step down on Jan 31 after more than a decade of service, but will continue in his role as deputy group CEO of strategy, planning and resourcing at NHG Health, said Woodlands Hospital in a statement on Jan 29.
Woodlands Hospital is a member of healthcare provider NHG Health.
Mr Hau, 48, has more than two decades of leadership experience across acute, community and primary care settings.
He has served as CEO and chief operating officer (COO) at several healthcare institutions, including Ren Ci Hospital, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Yishun Community Hospital.
Under his leadership, these institutions achieved breakthroughs in patient care and operational efficiency, while strengthening collaborations across the healthcare and community care sector, said the hospital.
Mr Hau’s contributions have snagged him multiple National Awards, including the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) at the National Day Awards in 2022 and the Public Administration Medal (Silver) (Covid-19) in 2023.
Congratulating Mr Hau on his new appointment, NHG Health group CEO Joe Sim said: “As he steps into this role, I am confident he will carry forward the mission of Woodlands Hospital with the same dedication and purpose, galvanising the clinical, ancillary and administration teams to further anchor the hospital as a trusted partner in health for the patients and residents we serve.”
He also thanked Dr Cheah for playing an instrumental role in shaping Woodlands Hospital as an integrated public hospital, from the early planning stages in 2014.
“He has been deeply involved in conceptualising and future-proofing this hospital as envisioned by the Ministry of Health and fostering an integrated approach to patient care with enhanced outcomes,” said Professor Sim.
Several programmes introduced under Dr Cheah’s leadership have since been scaled nationally, including NurseFirst, a helpline that provides medical advice and guides callers to appropriate care options.
Dr Cheah also led the establishment of the Women’s Health & Specialist Centre and Children’s Clinic in 2025, which made Woodlands Hospital the first public hospital in the north of Singapore to offer specialist services for women and children. These services are supported by KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.