The CEO of Alberta Health Services, who assumed the position following a controversial dismissal in January, is now on a leave of absence. Andre Tremblay, a former provincial health official, is currently on leave, as confirmed by the provincial hospital agency on Wednesday. Erin O’Neill, an existing executive at AHS, has been appointed as the interim CEO by Hospitals Minister Matt Jones.
Eleven months ago, Tremblay was appointed as the top executive and sole director of AHS after the removal of the entire board and the then-CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos. Mentzelopoulos had filed a lawsuit against AHS and the provincial government, alleging wrongful termination for initiating an investigation into contracts with private surgical companies with alleged government ties. These claims sparked controversy over AHS procurement practices and accusations of conflicts of interest, leading to investigations by various authorities.
Tremblay, who previously served as the deputy minister for Alberta Health, was implicated in Mentzelopoulos’s claims. According to her lawsuit, Tremblay unexpectedly joined a Zoom call on January 8 and informed her of immediate termination. The reasons for Tremblay’s leave of absence were not disclosed by AHS, citing it as a confidential human resources issue.
Premier Danielle Smith’s government had allowed Tremblay to hold multiple roles simultaneously, including Alberta Health deputy, AHS CEO, and AHS administrator. However, following internal pressures and allegations related to Mentzelopoulos’s case, Tremblay was eventually removed from the ministry job in mid-February.
O’Neill, the newly appointed interim CEO of AHS, had previously worked as an assistant deputy minister for Alberta Health alongside Tremblay. This leadership change at AHS coincides with the province’s ongoing restructuring efforts, transferring responsibilities to new Crown agencies like Acute Care Alberta and Primary Care Alberta. The government’s objective is to streamline the health system and redefine AHS’s role as a supervisor of public hospitals, rather than a comprehensive provincial health authority.