Saskatoon Health Region CEO Dan Florizone is taking a medical leave of absence to address personal health issues just days after announcing there would be job cuts in the region because of a budget shortfall.
During a news conference on Monday, the Saskatoon Regional Health Authority Chair Mike Stensrud named 3sHealth CEO, Andrew Will, as the interim president and CEO effective immediately. Stensrud said he’s not sure how long Florizone will be away.
“Like all things health related, you hope for the best and you plan for the worst,” he said.
Stensrud said Florizone told the board during their Nov. 25 meeting that he’d be stepping away. However, Florizone still gave a news conference the following day, where he announced layoffs would be coming in light of a $45 million projected deficit, the largest the health region has ever faced.
“While the timing is difficult and Dan wanted to continue leading the region through the current financial challenge, his health issues have reached a point where a short leave is necessary in order to focus solely on his health,” Stensrud said.
Will was notified on Nov. 26 about the interim position and accepted the job later that week, Stensrud said.
“I was surprised for sure,” he told reporters on Monday. “You know, I’m really pleased to join a very strong team. I’m very confident that I’ll be able to leverage their knowledge and the work that they’ve been doing to move the region forward.”
Will said he plans to spend the next few weeks meeting with health region leadership teams, reviewing their plans and board financials while discussing recommendations with the provincial government.
The change in CEO should not impact the timeline of the proposed job cuts that were announced last week, Stensrud said.