“Alberta Health Services CEO on Leave Amid Leadership Shake-Up”

The CEO who assumed leadership of Alberta Health Services following a contentious dismissal in January is currently on a leave of absence. Andre Tremblay, a former provincial health official, is on leave, confirmed the provincial hospital agency on Wednesday. Erin O’Neill, a current AHS executive, has been appointed as the interim CEO by Hospitals Minister Matt Jones. Tremblay took over as the top executive of AHS eleven months ago after the removal of the entire board and former CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos. She later filed a lawsuit against AHS and the provincial government alleging wrongful termination for investigating contracts with private surgical firms connected to government officials. Tremblay, who previously served as Alberta Health’s deputy minister, was mentioned in Mentzelopoulos’s claims. Premier Danielle Smith allowed Tremblay to hold multiple roles within AHS until he was reassigned in mid-February amid internal pressures related to the allegations. O’Neill, the new interim CEO, previously worked as an assistant deputy minister for Alberta Health alongside Tremblay. These changes in AHS leadership coincide with the province’s restructuring efforts, delegating responsibilities to new Crown agencies and redefining AHS’s role as a supervisory body over public hospitals.