Dr. John Cowell will now oversee the $15 billion organization — and not for the first time. “It can accelerate the changes that we all need to see,” Smith said at a news conference Thursday. Smith has tasked Cowell with reducing ambulance waiting times, reducing emergency room waiting times and reducing surgical waiting times in the province. The government also wants to consult health workers to devise long-term reforms to the system. Cowell will report to Health Secretary Jason Copping, who has said the government needs to move faster to address challenges in the health system. Unlike board members, who serve in part-time roles, Cowell will be a full-time civil servant. Cowell said he understands that audiences have heard these promises before and may feel skeptical. “I really hope that I will be able to make an effective contribution to the enhancement of healthcare and a better patient experience,” he said. “If we fail, it’s mine,” he added later. In 2013, Cowell served a one-year term as an AHS trustee after the board was dismissed by the then Progressive Conservative government. He was also the CEO of the Alberta Health Quality Council. Replacing the AHS plaque was one of Smith’s UCP leadership campaign promises. Last month, he said a new governance structure for the provincial health authority would be in place within 90 days. Aware of Smith’s plans for the board, one member tendered her resignation last month after Smith was elected party leader. Smith said AHS failed to ensure there were enough health care workers on the job during the COVID-19 pandemic when it required all workers to be vaccinated against the disease. In December 2021, AHS placed 1,650 unvaccinated employees without valid exemptions on paid leave. The organization employs 121,000 people. About 750 of them were expected to return to work last March when the order was lifted. Smith also said AHS neglected to set up enough intensive care units in hospitals earlier in the pandemic. “In a business, when they fail to meet goals and fail to meet direction, you change management,” Smith said in October. Smith also this week fired former health director Dr. Deena Hinshaw and replaced her with AHS Vice President Dr. Mark Joffe. Alberta Health Services also has an interim CEO after the now-fired board terminated the employment of CEO Dr. Verna Yiu. In 2013, the Prime Minister’s former health minister Alison Redford also sacked the AHS board of the day after members clashed with the government over executive pay. Four trustees, including Cowell, acted in place of a board until the NDP government appointed new members in 2015.
