Ousted Alberta Health Services boss warned of private surgery prices, documents show – CBC
Draft letter includes cost comparison between AHS, chartered surgical facilities
Feb 26, 2025
The former head of Alberta Health Services, Athana Mentzelopoulos, tried to caution the government about the potential impact of chartered surgical facilities on the provincial health-care system months before she was fired, CBC has learned.
Mentzelopoulos earlier this month filed a $1.7-million wrongful dismissal suit alleging she faced government pressure to sign off on commitments for new chartered surgical facilities (CSFs).
One of those was an approval of a contract extension for one vendor, Alberta Surgical Group (ASG), despite concerns she had that the costs were high compared to other contractors.
In a draft letter obtained by CBC News and referenced in her statement of claim, Mentzelopoulos wrote that “AHS remains committed to supporting CSFs and their role in the health system and recognizes the value that they bring including additional surgical capacity and improved access for scheduled surgeries.”
