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COMMENTARY: Health P.E.I.: It’s the governance, stupid!

Every few weeks, Islanders read another story about turmoil at Health P.E.I. We hear about executive turnover, recruitment challenges, staffing shortages, operational failures, long wait times, and dissatisfaction throughout the system. Inevitably, the public conversation turns to one question: Who is to blame?

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Most often, attention focuses on the CEO.

Yet this raises a fundamental governance question. Is the CEO really the person who should bear responsibility for everything that happens in Health P.E.I.?

In any properly governed organization, the board of directors is responsible for overseeing the organization and holding the CEO accountable. The board establishes direction, monitors performance, manages risk, and ensures the organization delivers on its mandate. The CEO is accountable to the board, and the board is accountable to the shareholder.

When Health P.E.I. was originally created, this principle was recognized. The organization was established as a Crown corporation operating at arm’s length from government. The intent was clear: health-care delivery should be managed by health-care professionals and governed through a board structure, not directed by politicians. Government would establish policy and funding priorities, while Health P.E.I. would be responsible for delivering quality health care to Islanders.

Over time, however, that governance model has been steadily weakened.

COMMENTARY: Health P.E.I. governance failure can’t be blamed on one CEO

COMMENTARY: Health P.E.I. was meant to fix governance. Why is it now in crisis?

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