The head and temporary CEO of Alberta Heath Services modified the organization’s regulations to specify that only the deputy health minister could be appointed as CEO of the health agency—a change implemented while holding the deputy health minister position.
However, this decision was reversed shortly after Premier Danielle Smith removed Andre Tremblay from his ministerial role and named a new acting deputy health minister amid ongoing investigations into AHS contracting issues.
In response to inquiries from CBC News about the legitimacy of Tremblay’s CEO appointment under the new bylaw, Health Minister Adriana LaGrange’s office directed Tremblay to amend the AHS bylaws once more to allow the administrator to act as CEO during a critical phase of health system reform in the province.
The revised bylaw now permits Tremblay to continue as the sole authority at AHS, serving as both CEO and a solitary board member, a setup that has been deemed problematic by a public administration expert.
Tremblay, who had been the deputy health minister since mid-2023, assumed the role of interim CEO of AHS on Jan. 8, following the removal of Athana Mentzelopoulos from the top executive position at the agency.
Mentzelopoulos subsequently filed a $1.7 million wrongful dismissal lawsuit, alleging termination after authorizing an investigation and audit into AHS contracts, and facing pressure from government officials to approve contracts with private surgical firms despite cost concerns.
While allegations remain unproven in court, AHS and Health Minister Adriana LaGrange are yet to file their statements of defense. LaGrange indicated plans to submit a defense statement in the coming weeks.
After serving as interim CEO in addition to his regular duties for three weeks, Tremblay assumed the title of AHS official administrator, effectively becoming a one-person board of directors after the removal of the previous seven-member board by LaGrange.
By mid-February, Tremblay, holding all three positions, issued a formal resolution as administrator, allowing unilateral modifications to AHS general bylaws, citing a ministerial directive from LaGrange necessitating the amendment.
The amended provision explicitly stated that only the deputy health minister could be appointed as interim president and CEO of AHS during the ongoing restructuring phase initiated by the Smith government.
Although the bylaw change was retroactively dated to Jan. 8, the term used “winding-up period” denotes the current phase of health care restructuring, with AHS transitioning to a hospital service provider contracted by the new provincial agency, Acute Care Alberta.
The duration until AHS is officially dissolved into this new role has not been specified by Alberta Health.
Following the appointment of Darren Hedley as acting deputy health minister, replacing Tremblay, due to discomfort among cabinet members over Tremblay’s multiple roles, questions were raised about Tremblay’s continued leadership at AHS.
A response from AHS clarified that the bylaw change aligned with ministerial directives, indicating that future revisions would align with any updated orders issued by the minister.
Despite losing his deputy minister role, Tremblay is set to continue as interim president and CEO, as confirmed by a forthcoming ministerial order clarifying his dual role at AHS.
Concerns have been raised by experts over the concentration of power in Tremblay’s hands, emphasizing the need for an interim board to ensure transparency and public confidence, especially in light of allegations made in Mentzelopoulos’s lawsuit.
Smith has pledged to establish a “legal conflicts wall” to maintain independence in the oversight and management of the internal investigations involving individuals implicated in the lawsuit, including Tremblay.
