Health care turmoil continues with Alberta Health Services staff transfers, terminations
CBC
Another high ranking Alberta Health Services official has been ousted and hundreds of staff are being transferred to the province's new acute care agency, as the government continues its complete overhaul of the health system while embroiled in a contract procurement controversy.
On Tuesday, 425 Alberta Health Services (AHS) staff members were told their positions will be transferred to Acute Care Alberta as of April 1.
A memo, signed by AHS interim president and CEO Andre Tremblay and obtained by CBC News, reveals workers from a variety of teams are being moved, including those involved in surgical care, planning and performance, patient safety and some contracting and commissioning work related to chartered surgical facilities.
In addition, CBC News has confirmed that Penny Rae, the chief information officer (CIO) of AHS, has been dismissed.
Rae led the implementation of Connect Care (the health authority's centralized clinical information system), and was recognized nationally in 2018 for being one of Canada's top women leaders in digital health.
She was in that role — leading the information technology department — for more than a decade and worked as a senior vice-president within the health authority prior to that.
Health Minister Adriana LaGrange faced questions from NDP deputy leader Rakhi Pancholi about the firing of the CIO and "other high ranking" officials during question period at the provincial legislature on Wednesday.
LaGrange confirmed the transfer of 425 AHS staff and acknowledged a handful of positions have been eliminated.
"We've said it all along, with the refocusing, people have to move to the new pillars," said LaGrange.
"Of those position there are five positions that were identified for elimination that would not be required by the acute care agency. They're not front-line staff. They're not involved with procurement."
AHS provided a statement to the same effect.
"We cannot comment further on human resource matters," spokesperson David Veitch said in an email.
All this comes as the UCP government is gripped in a controversy and the auditor general looks into procurement and contracting processes at the Department of Health and AHS related to chartered surgical facilities, pain medication and COVID-19 personal protection equipment.
Former AHS CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos has filed a $1.7 million wrongful dismissal suit alleging she faced government pressure to sign chartered surgical facilities contracts. The claims in the lawsuit have not been tested in court.
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