Following Friday morning’s call from the BC Conservatives for Interior Health (IH) CEO Susan Brown to resign immediately, the IH boss has stated her commitment to completing her term.
“I'm committed to finishing my term strong and dedicated to providing the frontline care teams the tools they need to support patients and their families," said Susan Brown, president and CEO of Interior Health, in a statement.
Brown is set to retire at the end of the year, and alongside calls for her to resign, Kelowna Mission MLA Gavin Dew also called for the Minister of Health, Josie Osborne, to dismiss Brown and appoint an interim CEO if she were not to resign, but Osborne has expressed her support for the IH senior leadership.
“I have communicated my full expectations and expressed my support to Interior Health’s board of directors and senior leadership,” said Osborne in a statement.
“I’ve also offered support from the Ministry of Health, including a neutral mediator or facilitator if needed, to help all parties work together constructively and keep the focus where it belongs — ensuring respectful workplaces and high-quality patient care.”
KGH is in the midst of a six-week closure of its general pediatric ward, and in recent weeks, several statements have been released by various groups of health professionals at KGH highlighting their working conditions.
Brown and Dew recently did interviews with NowMedia, and Dew mentioned that he had heard comments that IH employees are “genuinely fearful of speaking out” and “leadership is authoritarian,” with Brown adding that she has heard similar comments.
“It is important that every healthcare worker feels safe and supported when raising concerns. These concerns must be addressed thoroughly, fairly, and through the appropriate channels,” said Osborne.
“Interior Health leadership is meeting directly with physicians at Kelowna General Hospital to discuss and work through these issues."
Dew said that Osborne “does not seem to understand that people have given up on going through the appropriate channels,” and that is why there have been several letters in the media from Okanagan health professionals.
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Osborne’s statement not only reinforced her support for the senior leadership of IH but also called out the BC Conservatives for Dew’s Friday morning statement, which called for Brown to resign immediately.
“At all times – and especially times like this – it is vital that we all work together on solutions, both short-term and long-term,” added Osborne.
“Attacking individuals publicly does nothing to help move us forward. We remain committed to supporting the dialogue and processes in place, and to building a stronger healthcare system that works better for frontline workers and patients.”
Dew explained that his call for Brown to resign was not about attacking anyone, but about shedding light on the “failing healthcare system as experienced by frontline people delivering the care.”
“I would urge Minister Osborne to stop abdicating command responsibility, come to Kelowna, and meet directly and unfiltered with medical professionals, as I have been doing,” said Dew.
“The sentiment on the ground among healthcare staff appears unanimous that this situation cannot be turned around without an immediate change in leadership.”
Thumbnail photo courtesy of Interior Health.
