CancerCare Manitoba president, CEO leaving early

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This article was published 22/02/2025 (209 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG — CancerCare Manitoba’s longtime leader will leave the agency’s top job months before her contract expires, the Winnipeg Free Press has learned.

The news shocked physicians working inside the provincial cancer research and treatment agency that, for several months, has battled allegations of a toxic workplace rife with distress, burnout and perceived mistreatment from management.

The CancerCare board announced the departure of president and CEO Dr. Sri Navaratnam in an email to staff Friday morning. Navaratnam sent her own letter shortly after, saying she made the decision “after thoughtful consideration.”

“Working with you, leading CancerCare Manitoba and serving Manitobans over the past 11 years has been the greatest honour of my career,” Navaratnam wrote.

“Although I will be leaving my current role, my commitment to cancer control remains unwavering.”

The change will take effect following a board of directors’ meeting on April 17. It comes amid an ongoing effort to replace Navaratnam, who announced in November she would not remain beyond the end of her current contract in December.

CancerCare is the third major health authority to see executive turnover this month. The province installed new leaders at Shared Health and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority on Feb. 5 after financial audits flagged concerns over repeated deficits.

Doctors Manitoba previously released a report warning that physicians’ complaints about burnout, heavy workloads, recruitment challenges, lacklustre communication, favouritism and distrust among CancerCare executives were credible and widespread.

Asked whether the audit or the report influenced Navaratnam’s departure, CancerCare spokesperson Twylla Krueger told the Free Press, “This decision was made by Dr. Navaratnam at a time that made the most sense for her.”

Asked the same, Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said “I can’t really speak to that.”

“It’s important to recognize years of commitment from Dr. Navaratnam and thank her for that. I wish her the best in the next steps,” Asagwara said.

The CancerCare board has appointed Donna Turner to serve as CancerCare’s interim president and CEO until a permanent replacement is hired, Krueger said.

A staff biography on the agency’s website identifies Turner as an epidemiologist and provincial director of population oncology at CancerCare Manitoba.

“(Turner) is a highly regarded leader who will provide the necessary stability and direction during this transition period,” board chair Jeoffrey Chipman and vice-chair David Mortimer said in the email to staff. The email thanked Navaratnam for her “unfailing commitment and dedication” to the agency.

In her letter, Navaratnam said the agency is in a good place for leadership change because plans are in place for several upcoming projects and initiatives she’d flagged as priorities for 2025.

She cited a new agency road map, a strategic plan for CancerCare’s research institute and the next fiscal budget as examples — saying all will be completed by mid-April.

She also noted high-level planning for a second CancerCare building is completed. The NDP government made the project a pledge during its 2023 election campaign, but has not yet revealed further details.

“I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together and I know the organization is well-positioned to thrive in the next decade,” Navaratnam wrote, adding she will be taking a sabbatical, “during which I will be exploring, researching and learning.”

Doctors at CancerCare were blindsided by the announcement, said a physician who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“Messages are flying back and forth by members of the department right now, trying to speculate on the reason,” the doctor said by phone.

“People are just digesting the news right now.”

The physician said Navaratnam’s departure might bring “a breath of fresh air” because “her presence was going to continue to cause issues.”

The doctor believes it’s unlikely her decision to leave was related to the recent fiscal audits.

Although CancerCare ran similar deficits to the other health authorities, the audit found there is an increasing number of new drugs and therapies for cancer treatments, the costs of which the agency cannot influence.

“That is really beyond the control of everybody,” the doctor said.

Another CancerCare physician, Dr. Bashir Bashir, agreed it was surprising to see Navaratnam step down, but stressed her departure will not impact the daily operations of the agency.

“The CEO can come and go, and it’s fine. My concern is always patient care, which I am certain will continue to be of the highest quality,” said the radiation oncologist, who has worked with CancerCare for more than two decades.

Bashir — who is part of a workload committee formed to advise agency leadership and provincial officials on how to address staff burnout — said managing workloads should remain CancerCare’s focus as it moves ahead.

Both he and the unnamed physician noted staffing levels at CancerCare have improved in recent months.

Updated figures provided by the CancerCare Friday showed 10 oncologists have been recruited to the agency. Six of those are already working, with the remaining four expected to start before the end of the summer.

CancerCare will accept job applications for the role of CEO and president until March 21, it said.

» Winnipeg Free Press