Alberta health minister denies former AHS CEO’s claims in statement of defence
Health Minister Adriana LaGrange has made startling allegations against former Alberta Health Services CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos, claiming that she was unwilling and unable to implement the government’s plan to break up the health authority. LaGrange also accused Mentzelopoulos of becoming “infatuated” with her internal investigation into private surgical contracts and making “incendiary and inaccurate allegations about political intrigue and impropriety” before being fired in January.
These claims were detailed in the minister’s statement of defence filed in the Edmonton Court of King’s Bench. The document refutes allegations made by Mentzelopoulos in her $1.7 million wrongful dismissal lawsuit against LaGrange and Alberta Health Services. The lawsuit included allegations of political interference from a staff member in the office of Premier Danielle Smith, which has sparked controversy within Alberta’s United Conservative government.
Premier Smith has denied any involvement in the contracting decisions mentioned in Mentzelopoulos’s lawsuit. LaGrange’s statement of defence asserts that Mentzelopoulos’s allegations were an attempt to divert attention from concerns about her own performance and professionalism. The document also suggests that Mentzelopoulos made these claims in hopes of receiving a larger payout for her termination.
Mentzelopoulos alleges that she was fired just days before meeting with Alberta’s auditor general to discuss surgical contracts with links to government officials. She claimed that her termination was partly due to her investigation and forensic audit into contracts involving the Alberta Surgical Group and medical supply company MHCare. The document states that most of the $70 million contract awarded to MHCare in 2022 for importing children’s pain medication from Turkey remains unused.
In response to Mentzelopoulos’s allegations, LaGrange’s statement of defence refutes the suggestion that she was fired to prevent her from speaking with the auditor general. The document asserts that Mentzelopoulos was terminated due to her failure to effectively carry out her role as CEO and implement the government’s transformation of AHS. It states that she had lost the confidence of both AHS and the minister.
Mentzelopoulos’s lawyer, Dan Scott, maintains that his client was terminated without cause and looks forward to filing a reply to the statement of defence. The allegations from both sides have yet to be tested in court, but Mentzelopoulos has expressed her readiness to proceed quickly to trial.
The statement of defence also includes allegations of deliberate delays by Mentzelopoulos in implementing the government’s plan to restructure AHS into four separate divisions. The document outlines a timeline of events related to orthopedic surgery services in Edmonton, highlighting concerns about delays in negotiating contracts with providers. It alleges that Mentzelopoulos jeopardized surgeries by refusing to engage in substantive negotiations with providers.
The province is seeking to dismiss Mentzelopoulos’s lawsuit with costs on a solicitor and client basis, citing the incendiary nature of her allegations. Justice Minister Mickey Amery stated that the province will vigorously defend against the unproven claims raised in the lawsuit.
As the legal battle continues, the controversy surrounding Alberta Health Services and the allegations made by its former CEO and the Health Minister are sure to remain in the spotlight. The outcome of this case will have significant implications for the healthcare system in Alberta and the accountability of its leadership.
