HSC’s chief medical officer resigns

The chief medical officer at Manitoba’s largest hospital is stepping away from the role to work elsewhere in the provincial health-care system.

Health Sciences Centre chief operating officer, Dr. Shawn Young, announced the resignation of Dr. Manon Pelletier in an internal memo to HSC and Shared Health leadership Wednesday.

“It is with mixed emotions that I am writing to inform you our chief medical officer, Dr. Manon Pelletier, will be leaving,” Young wrote in the memo, obtained by the Free Press.

“While we are sad to see Dr. Pelletier leave this position, we are heartened to know that she will continue to lend her considerable expertise and leadership to improving health care across the province, reflecting her deep commitment to system-wide improvement and our shared goal of making health care better for Manitobans.”

Pelletier will officially leave the hospital on Oct. 18. Young will assume her responsibilities as of Oct. 1 “to ensure a smooth transition for operational continuity,” the memo said.

The search for Pelletier’s replacement will begin immediately, it said.

The memo did not say where Pelletier will be working next.

As the chief medical officer, Pelletier was responsible for leadership and co-ordination of medical services at the hospital, which is Manitoba’s primary trauma and acute-care centre.

She joined HSC’s executive team more than three years ago and has overseen the implementation of several initiatives, including the opening of a minor treatment clinic in August 2023, the memo said.

Young also credited Pelletier for expanding coverage and support to the sexual assault nurse examiners program “at a challenging time.”

In March 2023 the program experienced a sudden exodus of nurses who cited a lack of resources and poor communication with management. The hospital, with support from the province, rebuilt the program — announcing in January it had overcome staffing problems and expanded across the province.

“Most recently, Dr. Pelletier has been initiating discussions with community stakeholders in ways to offer improved supports for many of the most vulnerable people we see accessing services at HSC,” Young wrote.

“Her dedication and leadership have been instrumental in many of the positive changes we have seen on our campus. We are grateful for her clinical expertise and lead by example approach to navigate incredibly complex clinical challenges.”

Pelletier’s resignation comes at a time of turmoil for the Health Sciences Centre campus, where doctors, nurses and other staff continue to raise long-standing concerns about workplace safety, which they say have not been adequately addressed.

An annual survey conducted by Doctors Manitoba, released last week, found nearly half of all assaults perpetrated against physicians in the province occurred at HSC last year.

HSC nurses, represented by the Manitoba Nurses Union, voted overwhelmingly last month in favour of grey-listing the facility, a drastic measure urging colleagues to decline jobs and turn down shifts at the hospital until conditions improve.

The move came after numerous safety incidents were reported to the union, including five separate sexual assaults on or near the campus in July.

Union president Darlene Jackson said conditions at the hospital had not improved as of Thursday. Negotiations between the union and health leaders are ongoing, but little progress has been made, she said.

“Things are not looking great. We are still having nurses injured every day,” she said. “It’s just an ongoing thing that doesn’t seem to be getting any better.”

Jackson said she was surprised by Pelletier’s departure, and does not believe it was linked to the union vote at HSC.

Shared Health, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and Doctors Manitoba declined to comment Thursday.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca