Alberta Health Services board member resigns over Danielle Smith’s plans for health reform

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An Alberta Health Services board member has resigned after Danielle Smith was named United Conservative Party Leader, saying she could not support the new Premier’s plans to reform the health system and its organizational structure.

Ms. Smith has promised to hire a new chief executive officer for AHS and replace its entire board with an interim health commissioner, in addition to tasking an independent organization with providing recommendations within 90 days on how to decentralize control of health care delivery.

“I cannot, in good faith, support the new leader’s stated intention to install a commissioner to replace the board, and conduct yet another destabilizing review and potential cost-cutting in AHS,” Deborah Apps said in her resignation letter, which was obtained by The Globe and Mail. The statement is dated Oct. 7 – the day after Ms. Smith won the UCP leadership race and before she was sworn in as Premier last week.

Eleven people remain on the board, which is responsible for the governance of AHS, a single-health authority that is the first and largest of its kind in Canada. AHS is accountable to Alberta’s health minister and works to ensure access to health care for all residents.

Ms. Smith has railed against AHS senior management, saying they did not develop adequate surge capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic and that the vaccine mandate bled the organization of workers, compounding problems in the health system.

About 1,650 employees were placed on unpaid leave as a result of the vaccination policy, which has since been lifted. AHS employs about 125,000 staff and 10,000 physicians.

Ms. Apps, who joined the board last January under former premier Jason Kenney, said it was closely aligned, during her tenure, with the direction provided by Alberta’s health minister and AHS leadership. She said despite many political and health care challenges during the pandemic, AHS delivered services “as well or better than” other health systems in Canada and globally.

“No one had ‘the playbook’ for COVID-19. Consequently, governments across Canada are all wrestling with the impacts of the pandemic: staff burnout, work force recruitment, patient wait times, and facility capacity issues,” Ms. Apps said in her resignation.

“I fear that the premier-elect’s proposals will further destabilize the workplace environment for all health care workers, adding more uncertainty when front line staff and those who work tirelessly to lead and assist them require support and thoughtful oversight.”

Steve Buick, press secretary to Health Minister Jason Copping, said in a statement that the government respects her choice to leave.

“It’s normal to see some turnover with new leadership in government, and we’ve been clear that we’re going to be making changes in the governance of AHS, including the board and senior management,” Mr. Buick said.

Ms. Smith did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and AHS declined to comment.

Ms. Apps declined an interview request but said in a statement that she does not believe it is the right time for wholesale change in the organization, which is why she tendered her resignation.

“This isn’t about me, but about striving to deliver the best health care for Albertans,” she told The Globe.

Earlier this year, Verna Yiu was removed as CEO of AHS with more than a year left on her contract. The government said “renewed” leadership would help propel its plans to revamp care in the province.

Members of the UCP had taken issue with Dr. Yiu’s vaccine mandate for AHS employees. She had, on occasion, delivered details during COVID-19 press briefings that contrasted with the government’s point of view.