Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services recently faced allegations that staff members were purchasing homes to rent to agency and internationally trained nurses. After a thorough investigation, the health authority decided to terminate 51 leases that were found to be in violation of the Conflict of Interest Act.
In March, Yvette Coffey, president of the Registered Nurses’ Union of Newfoundland and Labrador, brought forward the accusation. An internal review revealed that there were a total of 57 leases between NLHS employees and the health authority, with 17 of those leases belonging to managers. These accommodations were then assigned to internationally-trained or agency nurses.
Debbie Molloy, NLHS human resources vice-president, defended the employees involved, stating that they were unaware of any potential conflict of interest and did not intentionally violate the Act. She emphasized that the employees believed they qualified for an exception due to emergency circumstances and had no malicious intent.
The health authority ultimately decided not to take disciplinary action against the employees involved, with interim CEO Karen Stone stating that there was no evidence to support the claim that managers purchased homes specifically to rent to nurses or agencies. However, there is still a possibility that a conflict of interest occurred, prompting NLHS to request an investigation by the province’s conflict of interest committee.
In light of these events, NLHS is taking steps to prevent future conflicts of interest, including educating leaders and staff members on the importance of adhering to ethical standards. The Auditor General is also conducting a performance audit and will provide recommendations for improvement in the future.
See also Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s tough Bronx persona is under fresh scrutiny with a resurfaced childhood nickname from her suburban upstate New York upbringing casting doubt on that publicly portrayed image. The progressive champion’s latest spat with President Donald Trump over the Iran strikes again called into question her true upbringing when she declared on X she was a “Bronx girl" to make her a point against the president. The 35-year-old congresswoman wrote in part on X: "I’m a Bronx girl. You should know that we can eat Queens boys for breakfast. Respectfully," she said, referring to the president’s upbringing in Queens as she called for his impeachment over his decision to bypass Congress in authorizing U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx but moved to Yorktown – which is nearly an hour outside New York City -- when she was 5 years old and went on to attend Yorktown High School where she graduated in 2007. She was considered an accomplished student there and well thought of by teacher Michael Blueglass, according to a 2018 report by local media outlet Halston Media News. “There, known by students and staff as ‘Sandy,’ she was a member of the Science Research Program taught by Michael Blueglass," the report states. “She was amazing," Blueglass said, per the report. “Aside from her winning one of the top spots and going to the [Intel International Science and Engineering Fair], she was just one of the most amazing presenters in all of the years I've been at Yorktown. Her ability to take complex information and explain it to all different levels of people was fantastic." After high school, Ocasio-Cortez attended Boston University, where she majored in economics and international relations, per the report. Ocasio-Cortez’s “Sandy" nickname — which carries a more suburban and preppy tone — appears to undercut her politically crafted image as a tough, inner-city fighter, one she has portrayed since her famous 2018 congressional campaign where she eventually ousted former 10-terms Congressman Joe Crowley. New York GOP Assemblyman Matt Slater, who now represents Yorktown, added to the scrutiny of Ocasio-Cortez’s persona in the wake of her brash with Trump and released images of Ocasio-Cortez from his high school yearbook. He claimed he and the rising Democratic star attended Yorktown High School at the same time when she was a freshman and he was a senior. "I saw the attacks on the president and her [Ocasio-Cortez] claims that she's a big, tough Bronx girl," said Slater. "To sit there and say that she’s a Bronx girl is just patently ridiculous." "Everybody in our community knows this is just a bold-face lie," said Slater on "Fox & Friends First" last week. "She grew up in Yorktown, she was on my track team." "She's lying about her background, she's lying about her upbringing," Slater claimed. Slater’s post sent social media ablaze and prompted Ocasio-Cortez to respond after an image if her family’s home was posted online. “I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X Friday responding to the post. “My mom cleaned houses and I helped. We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep." “Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality & it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today!"
Overall, NLHS is committed to upholding transparency and integrity within the organization, ensuring that all actions align with ethical guidelines and best practices. The health authority remains dedicated to providing quality care to patients while maintaining a culture of accountability and professionalism.
