Interior Health CEO steps down amid pediatric unit closure at Kelowna General Hospital
The CEO of Interior Health is stepping down amid an extended closure of the pediatric in-patient unit at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH), the regional health authority announced Friday.
Service disruptions to the KGH's 10-bed inpatient general pediatrics unit were announced on May 24, with an extended closure of six weeks to begin May 26, due to doctor shortages.
CEO Susan Brown had announced her plans to retire last spring, but will be leaving in advance of her pending retirement, Interior Health said in a news release.
Her resignation is part of "several key actions" taken by the board of directors, the senior executive team and KGH medical leadership to reopen the pediatric unit as soon as possible, according to Interior Health.
The health authority said it will continue to work with the medical staff association and Doctors of B.C. through an established joint action committee to address the staffing challenges and "stabilize services," and will appoint a third-party facilitator to make recommendations to the board.
Interior Health said Sylvia Weir, the current chief financial officer and vice president of corporate services, will be stepping in as the interim president and CEO of the government agency.
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