The CEO hired to run Manitoba’s massive health care bureaucracy isn’t giving up her old job.
Lanette Siragusa, who took over Monday as the chief executive officer of Shared Health, will remain in her position as vice-dean of education at the University of Manitoba Rady Faculty of Health Sciences in a reduced role.
When Shared Health announced Friday that Siragusa had been retained, it didn’t mention she would keep her vice-dean position at the University of Manitoba.
KEVIN KING / POOL
Lanette Siragusa, who took over Monday as the chief executive officer of Shared Health, will remain in her position as vice-dean of education at the University of Manitoba Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.
The faculty of health sciences newsletter made the announcement Monday, saying her roles as CEO of Shared Health and vice-dean of education “are complementary as the Rady Faculty is looking forward to continue working collaboratively with Shared Health in developing a rigorous health workforce plan as well as opportunities to evolve inter-professional models of care to create a sustainable workforce,” it said
“Siragusa will continue to play a key role in engaging and inspiring the next generation of learners and health-care workers at the University of Manitoba,” it said.
Amid a crisis in health care, questions are being raised about having someone in charge of Shared Health who isn’t laser-focused on running the system.
“From what we know of Shared Health, it will be a full-time job addressing the work and dysfunction under the PC government,” Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said Tuesday.
“We wish Lanette Siragusa the very best, and we’ll have to see how (she navigates) the challenge, because it will really require undivided attention, ” Lamont said.
The NDP declined to comment.
Siragusa replaced Adam Topp, whose departure as CEO was announced Thursday.
“She’s very capable but I don’t know how on earth she can do both. Vice-dean is full time. Shared Health is more than full time.”–U of M faculty member
Topp, whose biography and employment agreement have been scrubbed from the Shared Health website, earned $259,223 as CEO in 2021, according to Shared Health’s most recent compensation disclosure.
A U of M faculty member, who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity, said news Siragusa would fulfil both leadership roles at once has raised eyebrows.
“She’s very capable but I don’t know how on earth she can do both. Vice-dean is full time. Shared Health is more than full time,” the faculty member said.
“There may be some opportunities for integration but the demands of holding down both positions” may be too much.
Some questioned the potential for conflicts of interest as Siragusa serves as vice-dean for the university while working for Shared Health and the government.
“If you need to make decisions or advocate, how do you know which hat to put on?” the faculty member said.
As Shared Health’s former chief nursing officer, Siragusa became familiar to Manitobans during the COVID-19 pandemic as she shared information updates at public health briefings.
She left the government more than year ago to join the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences as vice-dean of education and associate director of Ongomiizwin Health Services.
A spokesman for Shared Health said during that time Siragusa supported the preparation of learners for a career in the health system.
RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES
As Shared Health’s former chief nursing officer, Siragusa became familiar to Manitobans during the COVID-19 pandemic during her public health briefings, pictured here with Dr. Brent Roussin in January 2021
Part of her role as CEO is maintaining close connections and developing “synergies” with post-secondary institutions that are training the next generation of health workers, he said.
The dean of health sciences said having Siragusa in both leadership roles is a “win-win” for the health system.
“Lanette, obviously, has lots of energy and capacity in her leadership role,” Dr. Peter Nickerson said. “She had a whole vision for inter-professional education and more importantly, where we’re going with workforce planning for the province.”
“To make sure that we’re actually training the workforce that we need in clinical practice, that’s our goal,” the dean said.
Siragusa’s workload as vice-dean will be reduced by 80 per cent, as is her salary, so she can focus on how to co-ordinate education and training spots to fill Shared Health’s staffing needs, said Nickerson. He wouldn’t divulge Siragusa’s salary, saying it’s a private matter.
Her top job is Shared Health CEO, the dean said.
“We’ve gone into this eyes wide open. We’re going to see if it works. If it’s not working, we will go with what Lanette’s perceiving as her best interest,” said Nickerson.
“We see the opportunity for delivering innovative solutions and solutions that are aligned, and we should take advantage of that opportunity because I think it’s going to benefit Manitobans.”
Shared Health said Siragusa’s immediate priorities as CEO “will be to foster a healthy work environment along with prioritizing progress in areas of workforce and health human resource planning to support clinical operations and Manitoba’s clinical and preventive services plan.”
Her continuing role as vice-dean supports initiatives that have a direct relationship with the health system, the Shared Health spokesman said in an email.
“These include health human resource planning and educational/training seats, inter-professional practice, leadership education and rural/remote placements to ensure students are exposed to a diverse selection of clinical environments.”
A spokesman for the provincial government echoed Shared Health.
“Our government respects the advice of health care experts, including Lanette, who is a registered nurse. This arrangement is similar to that of provincial medical specialty leads who hold joint appointments with the university and Shared Health. The health system benefits from maintaining these relationships in developing and implementing new models of care and around workforce development – two significant health system priorities.”
Carol Sanders
Legislature reporter
After 20 years of reporting on the growing diversity of people calling Manitoba home, Carol moved to the legislature bureau in early 2020.
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