LaGrange orders rule change to lock in Andre Tremblay as AHS interim CEO
The recent shakeup at Alberta Health Services (AHS) has raised eyebrows and concerns about the concentration of power in the hands of one individual. Andre Tremblay, who was serving as both the deputy health minister and interim CEO of AHS, changed the agency’s official rules to declare that only the deputy health minister could be named CEO. This move, however, was short-lived as Premier Danielle Smith removed Tremblay from his ministry job amid ongoing investigations into AHS contracting.
Questions arose about the legality of Tremblay’s appointment as CEO while serving as deputy health minister and whether it violated the corporate bylaws he had just enacted. Health Minister Adriana LaGrange quickly ordered Tremblay to revise the AHS bylaws once again, allowing him to serve as both CEO and a one-man board of directors during a period of major reforms in the provincial health system.
Tremblay’s appointment as CEO and administrator of AHS, following the removal of the existing board, has raised concerns about the concentration of power in one person. Evert Lindquist, a professor at the University of Victoria’s School of Public Administration, called the arrangement “problematic” and emphasized the need for an interim board to provide oversight and accountability.
The recent changes at AHS come in the midst of allegations made by former CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos, who filed a wrongful dismissal suit claiming she was terminated after authorizing an investigation and forensic audit into AHS contracts. Tremblay, who is not a named defendant in the lawsuit, has been tasked with overseeing the transition of AHS into a hospital service provider contracted by a new provincial agency, Acute Care Alberta.
Despite the controversy surrounding Tremblay’s multiple roles and the potential conflicts of interest, the government has indicated that a search for a permanent CEO will begin once the transition of AHS is completed. In the meantime, Tremblay will continue to serve as both CEO and administrator of the agency, with a new ministerial order clarifying his role as interim president and CEO.
As investigations into AHS contracting continue and the agency undergoes significant restructuring, the need for transparency, accountability, and independent oversight remains paramount. The government’s commitment to establishing a “legal conflicts wall” to ensure the integrity of the investigation and management of the allegations is a step in the right direction. However, the concentration of power in one individual at AHS highlights the importance of establishing a diverse and credible interim board to oversee the agency during this period of transition.
