Alberta government overhauls board of health authority, appoints administrator

EDMONTON — Alberta’s government says it has dismantled the board of Alberta Health Services — for the second time in nearly as many years — and appointed a high-ranking bureaucrat as administrator.

The move comes weeks after Athana Mentzelopoulos was let go as chief executive officer just over one year into her four-year contract. Deputy minister of health Andre Tremblay was appointed interim CEO on Jan. 8.

The government says Tremblay will now take on the role of official administrator in place of the board, while also retaining his deputy minister duties.

Tremblay will oversee the remaining transition period for AHS, which is being reduced from Alberta’s overarching health authority to a hospital service provider as part of the government’s health system overhaul.

The government has created four new agencies to replace AHS — Recovery Alberta, Primary Care Alberta, Acute Care Alberta, and Assisted Living Alberta. Each new agency has its own team of executives.

Under the new system, Alberta Health Services will continue operating the majority of Alberta’s hospitals, but will report to Acute Care Alberta.

The government says Acute Care Alberta will become a legal entity on Saturday.

Health Minister Adriana LaGrange’s office said in an email Friday that greater government oversight of AHS was needed.

“This is a critical time in our refocusing efforts as AHS continues to transition to a hospital-based service delivery provider, so it is essential that we remain extremely nimble in addressing any issues that arise,” LaGrange’s office said.

“We believe this is best achieved by increasing government oversight and involvement in the winding up of AHS as a regional health authority and overseeing its final transition to a service provider.”

The statement goes on to thank the outgoing AHS board members, including board chair Angela Fong, who had only been in the role since September.

The outgoing board was appointed in November of 2023, one year after the United Conservative Party government fired the previous board of AHS and installed Dr. John Cowell as administrator.

The 2022 board firing was a campaign promise made by Premier Danielle Smith, who took office that October.

Smith had said AHS was responsible for a number of perceived shortcomings during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as shortages of health-care workers and intensive care units.

Opposition NDP health critic Sarah Hoffman said in a statement Friday that dismantling the board of AHS only furthers the chaos.

“No one is asking for dismantling, mass firings, chaos and new logos,” Hoffman said. “We all deserve public health care that is there when and where we need it.”

Friends of Medicare executive director Chris Gallaway also called the move chaotic.

“This is a massive amount of time, money and energy that would be better spent bolstering front line health care and ensuring that workers are being paid fairly,” Gallaway said in a statement Friday.

“Instead of creating an expensive revolving door of leadership at the top of our health-care system and agencies, the government should be laser-focused on a workforce plan for the front lines, where a strategy for retention and recruitment of skilled health professionals is desperately needed.”

The government says the health ministry will now take over the responsibility of finding a new CEO for AHS, which the outgoing board had been tasked with doing earlier this month.

LaGrange’s office said Friday the search for a new CEO would begin immediately.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2025.

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press