New Shared Health CEO rolls up sleeves, eager to tackle burnout in health care By: Katie May Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Thursday, May. 4, 2023

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This article was published 04/05/2023 (856 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As she takes over as CEO of the entity that manages Manitoba’s health care-system, Lanette Siragusa says she, too, has experienced burnout, and will make it a priority to support the wellness and retention of health-care staff.

Siragusa, four days into taking charge of Shared Health, said she realized she was feeling “extreme burnout” in January 2022.

She had left her job as chief nursing officer at Shared Health to go to the University of Manitoba, where she became vice-dean of education at the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences and associate director of Ongomiizwin Health Services.

“It took me a long time to get back to normal, so there are things you can do to take care of yourself. Just like when you’re healing, healing takes time, but it also takes the right environment. So I think we need to talk to our people, talk to our providers — often they have the answers, and find out from them, ‘What can we do to support you better?’ And it might be different for every person, and we have to appreciate that.”

Her first priorities include listening, meeting with managers and staff, and tackling the “three pillars”: retention, training and recruitment.

Reducing burnout is “absolutely” a priority, she said.

“I think we need to get more people, so that the shifts are filled and the care is given and the teams are built up, but we also need to talk (about) how do you build that resilience, how do you create that wellness.”

“I think we need to get more people, so that the shifts are filled and the care is given and the teams are built up, but we also need to talk (about) how do you build that resilience, how do you create that wellness.”–Lanette Siragusa

Siragusa’s hiring as CEO was announced April 28, one day after Adam Topp’s resignation became public knowledge and following Health Minister Audrey Gordon’s admission she hadn’t read a Shared Health-commissioned draft report on Manitoba’s high rate of health-care worker burnout.

Opposition politicians obtained and released the report to the media. It stated 68 per cent of health-care workers who had been surveyed, reported experiencing burnout — a higher rate than in any other province.

Siragusa said she needed to find time for balance, reflection, and taking care of herself physically to recover from burnout, but was eventually able to work through it. As one of the public faces of the province’s early COVID-19 pandemic response, Siragusa said she initially didn’t realize she was getting burnt out.

“If you would have asked me during COVID, I would’ve said I was fine. It wasn’t until I left that I thought, ‘Wow, I’m really tired.’”

“But you do get inspired by your teams, you work hard for your teams and for the people out there who are needing the services, needing that clinical expertise and guidance,” she said. “So for me, it was a fairly long process, actually, but I had to be patient, and slowly but surely, I was able to get my energy back, and my focus, and I feel ready to commit to this challenge right now.”

Siragusa, a registered nurse, still holds her position at U of M in a part-time capacity. She made it clear Thursday that leading Shared Health “is my first priority.”

“If you would have asked me during COVID, I would’ve said I was fine. It wasn’t until I left that I thought, ‘Wow, I’m really tired.’”–Lanette Siragusa

In response to questions about whether she’ll have too much on her plate by holding the two high-profile jobs amid a health-care crisis, Siragusa said if that turns out to be true, “then we will adjust accordingly.”

As for the timing of her taking on the role, Siragusa didn’t speak about Topp’s departure.

“It was quick conversations for me as well, and I don’t have a lot of information on what led up to it, but I know I was asked, and I gave it consideration, and I made that decision with the support of my family and in discussion with the university.”

Tackling the high rate of turnover in the health system is one of the toughest challenges of the job.

She said she’s taking a closer look at the administrative burden facing front-line managers, those who interact directly with staff and patients, to help them work effectively and sustainably.

Siragusa said she wants staff to tell her what they need.

“There’s been so much change and turnover in the system, so there’s a lot of people who are tired, and they are needing support. So how do we make that happen? It’s been my experience that (health workers) always put the patients first, which is wonderful, but they also have to put themselves first as well.”

Since taking the job, Siragusa said she has met with provincial medical specialty leads, including medical officers of health, and hopes to travel around the province to meet with staff.

“All the right people are there. Of course, with the vacancies, we could use more, but we have great leadership. It’s just about really building more capacity in the system. I believe that is coming, but we will continue to pursue that in any way possible.”

She is hopeful about the future of Manitoba’s health-care system: “There are good things, I believe, on the horizon.”

“There are good things, I believe, on the horizon.”–Lanette Siragusa

She said the care and dedication of clinical providers, including volunteers and support staff, give her hope.

“They are so dedicated, and we need to help them work their magic, because they are the ones who provide the great services to patients. So we’re going to continue to grow and support our staff, so that patients can get the care they need.”

Manitoba Nurses Union president Darlene Jackson said she is positive about Siragusa’s leadership role, given her nursing experience.

“There are so many issues out there that need to be dealt with, and as a nurse, I believe she may be able to understand and deal with them. So that is our hope, that this is going to be very positive for nurses in this province, that she will make change, much-needed change, for nurses,” Jackson said after Siragusa’s appointment was announced.

The NDP has criticized the administrative structure and lack of transparency of Shared Health.

Siragusa said there is a need to better inform the public about “what Shared Health is” and how it co-ordinates health services across the province as well as being responsible for legal services and supply chain management.

NDP health critic Uzoma Asagwara said they want to “wish Ms. Siragusa well in her new role.”

“But there is more chaos and confusion in the health care system today because of the PCs, and it starts with the fact the health minister claims to have not read a report commissioned by Shared Health from 2022 that shows half of all heath care workers are considering leaving the profession.”

katie.may@winnipegfreepress.com