Premier Danielle Smith and Health Minister Jason Copping made the announcement Thursday afternoon in Calgary. “The current system is not working fast enough, so we have to do something different,” Smith said, noting that the announcement fulfilled one of her UCP leadership campaign promises.
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Smith was critical of how AHS handled the COVID-19 pandemic and promised to reorganize the health care agency’s entire governance structure. Dr. John Cowell was named the official administrator of AHS, replacing the 12-person board of directors. Story continues below ad “It can speed up all the changes we all need to see,” the prime minister said. “I have complete confidence in his ability to deliver meaningful reform for Albertans.” This is the second time in a decade Cowell has been the official host of AHS. In September 2013, Cowell stepped down as CEO of the Alberta Health Quality Council for that role, a move that followed a provincial announcement that eliminated five senior AHS positions. 1:21 PM Smith says she doesn’t want her or the health minister to get in the way of health decisions Smith said Cowell has been charged with reducing wait times for things like EMS, emergency departments and surgery, and will report directly to Copping and Smith. Cowell said interim AHS CEO Mauro Chies will report directly to him. “The role provides a dedicated full-time focus on issues rather than a part-time strategic board,” Copping said, adding that the board would be reinstated “in due course”. Story continues below ad Copping thanked the outgoing members for their service on the AHS board. “I am grateful for the time you have invested. But we are in an extraordinary situation now and we have to take some extraordinary measures to deal with it,” said the health minister.
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Cowell said he was confident he could deliver on the government’s priorities with a patient-centred approach. “I will be able to effectively contribute to making healthcare stronger and better for the patient experience,” Cowell said. Cowell added that the province’s health care system was not in the “right balance” before the COVID-19 pandemic. 1:36 Alberta’s former chief medical officer seeks reappointment Chies welcomed the returning official administrator of AHS. Story continues below ad “We look forward to using his experience and expertise to leverage new and innovative means to continually improve our services as a health provider to Albertans,” the AHS CEO said in a statement. Copping said he expects Cowell’s job to last about six months. © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
