Alberta Premier Danielle Smith responds to inquiries on December 18, 2023, regarding her involvement in the cancellation of Dr. Deena Hinshaw's contract in June. The information was provided to Global News.
In a surprising turn of events, Alberta's Premier, Danielle Smith, is deflecting the responsibility for rescinding a job offer to Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the former chief medical officer of health, onto the shoulders of Dr. John Cowell, the individual at the helm of Alberta Health Services (AHS) for a one-year tenure.
At a press conference unrelated to the matter on Monday morning, Smith refrained from directly addressing allegations surrounding the cancellation of Dr. Hinshaw's contract with the AHS Indigenous Wellness Core. The allegations, first reported by The Globe and Mail, surfaced from a resignation letter submitted by Dr. Braden Manns, an interim VP at AHS.
In the verified letter obtained by Global News, Manns cited the Premier's interference by reaching down to AHS to instruct the rescinding of Dr. Hinshaw's contract. Smith, however, shifted the focus during the press conference, stating, "I can tell you that I put Dr. Cowell in place to make these decisions."
According to Manns' letter, the internal memo about hiring Dr. Hinshaw went out on June 1 through the Indigenous Wellness Core. Shortly after, Manns was informed by then-CEO Mauro Chies that Cowell wanted to put a hold on the contract. On the same day, Cowell indicated that hiring Dr. Hinshaw was a "major problem" and had a call with the premier.
In a subsequent meeting, Cowell confirmed that the premier insisted on no hiring of Dr. Hinshaw, prompting Manns to express concern about political interference in the hiring process.
Despite assurances that Cowell could change Smith's mind, Manns was directed to rescind Dr. Hinshaw's contract the following day. This led to Manns' resignation and raised concerns about political interference within AHS.
Smith, a vocal opponent of COVID-19 pandemic measures, asserted that it was Cowell and Chies who decided to rescind Dr. Hinshaw's job offer. She emphasized that AHS decisions were made by AHS, with Cowell playing a pivotal role.
Dr. Cowell, named official administrator in November 2022, had his contract renewed on June 23, 2023 and served until the announcement of AHS' new seven-member board on November 8.
Mauro Chies, AHS president & CEO as of March 20, was eventually succeeded by Athana Mentzelopoulos on December 11.
The cancellation of Dr. Hinshaw's contract prompted the resignation of Dr. Esther Tailfeathers, the senior medical director of the Indigenous Wellness Core.
The Opposition criticized Smith's actions, asserting that they resulted in the loss of valuable healthcare professionals. The Alberta NDP health critic, David Shepherd, deemed political interference in hiring at AHS unacceptable, calling for accountability.
Irfan Sabir, the Alberta NDP critic for justice and public safety, raised concerns about Smith's record of political interference, urging transparency about any potential investigations by the Ethics Commissioner.
The controversy surrounding Dr. Hinshaw's contract adds another layer of complexity to the challenges facing Alberta's healthcare system, raising questions about leadership and ethical considerations during a critical period.
