Just shy of a year after taking the job on an interim basis, Mauro Chies is now Alberta Health Services’ president and CEO.
AHS announced the appointment on Monday morning, saying Chies was chosen by a selection panel led by official administrator Dr. John Cowell after reviewing “highly qualified” international and national candidates.
Chies began his health-care career with the Capital Health Region in Edmonton and has worked with AHS since 2009. He has also held previous executive leadership roles — including board chair of Alberta Precision Laboratories, senior operating officer for AHS diagnostic imaging services and vice-president of Cancer Care Alberta.
“I am extremely pleased to be given the opportunity to continue to serve as President and CEO at AHS,” Chies said in an emailed statement.
“It is a source of pride and a great privilege to work alongside Dr. Cowell and the Advisory Board, our dedicated executive leadership team and our incredible staff, physicians, and volunteers — all of whom are committed to providing exceptional healthcare to the people of this province.
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“Under Dr. Cowell’s strategic direction and with his support, we will continue to move forward on the changes that ensure improved healthcare experiences for all Albertans.”
Chies’ appointment comes after Dr. Verna Yiu left the position last April. Yiu has been the president and CEO of AHS since 2016 and her contract was extended in 2021 for an additional two years.
At the time, AHS said the health-care system was shifting to a system that focused on “pandemic recovery and renewal.”
Chies became the interim president and CEO shortly after.
It also comes after Premier Danielle Smith scrapped the AHS board and installed Cowell as the provincial health authority’s sole administrator last November.
Smith has been critical of how AHS handled the COVID-19 pandemic and has promised to reorganize the entire governance structure of the health-care body.
“I am absolutely delighted that Mauro has agreed to take the permanent position as President and CEO of Alberta Health Services,” Cowell said in an emailed statement on Monday.
“In combination with his extensive experience, Mauro also brings a desire to drive innovation and change that will help employees and all Albertans experience a healthcare system that is more accessible, effective, efficient, and accountable – advanced by an organizational culture built on safety and trust.”
–With files from Caley Gibson, Global News.
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