The disturbing facts surrounding the golden parachute given Gary Switzer, former chief executive officer of the Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network, should be a catalyst for change.
Switzer, who headed the local LHIN for a decade, is entitled to more than a half million-dollar severance package after being dismissed without cause in May.
Under the terms of his contract, Switzer could have the settlement halved depending on his employment status.
He began and left a subsequent job since departing the LHIN so any impact on the amount he will receive is a legal matter between the two.
The fact that Switzer was able to negotiate such favourable terms leads us to believe there needs to be more guidance and framework in the system.
It’s one thing for private sector officials to have the ability to negotiate their wages with no ceiling in sight.
If a board of directors makes a bad decision, the company suffers. If a group such as the LHIN or another agency is overly generous, taxpayers are on the hook but those doing the hiring seldom face the consequences of their actions.
There is no public sector under more intense pressure to get value for its budget than health care.
Perhaps in the name of that pressure, those hiring are apt to fall victim to a “health care demagogue” syndrome, seeking someone who can cure the woes of the system.
Health care spending is structured in such a way that we require competent administrators. We don’t need to pay exorbitant sums for visionaries who don’t have the authority to change the system in which they work.
Administering a system within that framework takes ability but those positions should not be compared to private enterprise in terms of risk-reward.
To the taxpayers footing the bill, it seems an entirely too cozy arrangement.
