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Gardam told not to do any more work for Health P.E.I., a week earlier than planned

Former Health P.E.I. CEO Dr. Michael Gardam says he's been told he won't be doing any more work with the agency, a day after he spoke frankly at a provincial legislative committee.

The former CEO had a week left of work, including talks with Island's family doctors

Devon Goodsell · CBC News ·
A bearded man with glasses stands in a doctors office looking at the camera.
Following a tense legislature committee meeting on Wednesday, Dr. Michael Gardam says he was told to stop doing work for Health P.E.I. as of Thursday, a week earlier than his planned departure. (Craig Chivers/CBC)

Former Health P.E.I. CEO Dr. Michael Gardam says he's been told he won't be doing any more work with the agency, a day after he spoke frankly at a provincial legislative committee hearing.

That committee appearance included warnings that the province's health-care system is in danger of collapse, and a heated exchange between Gardam and Progressive Conservative MLA Steven Myers over who said what about the Summerside Hospital's intensive care unit.

During his testimony, Gardam also spoke of interference from the premier's office after he raised concerns in public about the new medical school at UPEI.

Gardam stepped down as the CEO at the end of December but was due to stay on Health P.E.I.'s payroll as a consultant until March.

He had another week of work ahead of him, which included planned negotiations with the P.E.I. Medical Society on a new master agreement with family physicians, before he planned to take vacation using time he was owed.  

On Thursday, while confirming he had been told he would no longer be doing any more work with the agency, Gardam declined to comment any further. 

Corinne Rowswell, chief operating officer Health PEI
Corinne Rowswell, the former chief operating officer of Health P.E.I., has been the agency's interim chief executive officer since Jan. 1, when Gardam's resignation from that job became official. (Brittany Spencer/CBC)

In an email to CBC News, Health P.E.I. said Gardam's current status was "a personnel matter, which is confidential."

Earlier in the afternoon, P.E.I. Premier Dennis King was being interviewed by CBC News: Compass about the allegations Gardam had made Wednesday.

I don't get into the day-to-day operations.— P.E.I. Premier Dennis King

Asked whether Gardam was still working for Health P.E.I., King said he didn't know.

"I think that he retired the first of the year… I don't get into the day-to-day operations of that," he said.

"Usually when someone like Dr. Gardam leaves their position, they would have some overtime. So whether he's on the payroll there or not I don't know, but I know the system is getting ready for a new CEO."

Corinne Rowswell is acting as the interim CEO of Health P.E.I. for the time being; she had been chief operating officer of the agency since May 2021.

With files from Steve Bruce

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