Assessor's Report: APH board failed, recommends overhaul

Ontario’s Health Minister Eric Hoskins has asked for the immediate and voluntary resignation of municipal and provincial members of the Board of Algoma Public Health who were appointed prior to last fall’s municipal election. Speaking at a newsconference on Tuesday at the Civic Centre, Hoskins says it is time to make a fresh start. A Ministry ordered assessment of the Board of Algoma Public Health found that it failed to meet its obligations. The province will also continue to conduct regular follow-up audits of the Board of Health to ensure compliance with requirements related to financial, operational, and value for money aspects of transfer payment funding…

Hoskins says the report released on Tuesday afternoon recommends not appointing city councillors to the Board of Algoma Public Health. Other steps that will be taken include the province working with the Board of Health in the recruitment and appointment of a full time Medical Officer of Health. Doctor Hoskins wrote a letter Tuesday to affected board members making that request. The report is a response to the affair involving former interim Chief Financial Officer Shaun Rootenberg and the agency’s handling of that matter. Graham Scott was the assessor who wrote the report. He says that the actions — or lack of them — by Algoma Public Health were not a breach of trust…

In his announcement, Doctor Haskins credited front line staff at APH for their hard work during this time. Sault Mayor Christian Provenzano echoed those sentiments in a release following the announcement, saying that the vast majority of Algoma Public Health employees do their work with diligence and professionalism. Scott says he is fairly confident that this and other report recommendations will be followed…

A number of audits will be performed on APH as the overhaul of the board progresses.

Click below to watch the entire announcement from the Civic Centre…