Beleaguered health unit board refuses to hear workers

Her father was one of Canada's funniest and most beloved men. Ever.

He was Ben Wicks, known for his humanitarian work and his daily cartoon, which at one point ran in more than 180 North American newspapers.

But the media maelstrom that swirled around Dr. Kim Barker yesterday was anything but funny.

It ended with Dr. Barker submitting her resignation as chief executive officer and medical officer of health at Algoma Public Health (APH).

Last night, there were six seats available for members of the public as Barker’s departure was announced at the regular monthly APH board meeting. 

That wasn’t nearly enough to accommodate more than 50 citizens who packed the conference room.

Most of the guests were APH staffers, who filed in and stood against all four walls of the conference room.

It was the first meeting of a new APH board and Dr. Barker found herself in the unfamiliar role of chairing the gathering until a new chair could be elected.

All Barker had to do was conduct a vote, but Debbie Kirby (a provincial appointee to the board from Sowerby near Iron Bridge) threw a monkey wrench into the works by indicating she wanted to speak about the election, on matters related to APH transparency, accountability and trust.

Kirby said she’d applied to get on the agenda for this purpose, and had been refused.

Dr. Barker then admitted she was not sufficiently familiar with parliamentary procedure to know how to handle Kirby’s request.

She wanted to ask Bob Paciocco, APH’s lawyer.

Paciocco was supposed to be at the meeting, but was still on his way.

The lawyer eventually arrived, Kirby was not allowed to say her bit, and Marchy Bruni was acclaimed chair, Janet Blake vice chair. 

Kirby wasn’t the only one silenced by the APH last night.

The employees present were also denied an opportunity to address the board.

Bruni said there will be other opportunities for staff to speak, and concerns submitted to an APH suggestion box will be addressed. 

Dr. Barker’s resignation will take effect immediately.

She’ll be replaced for the time being by Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, who holds the same positions at the Sudbury District Health Unit.

Bruni said that Dr. Sutcliffe will also continue running the Sudbury health unit until a new APH chief executive officer and medical officer of health is chosen.

After last night’s meeting, Dr. Barker told SooToday.com that she resigned in the best interests of the health unit because the revelations of the past week were posing a “significant distraction” to APH staff. 

“I leave on the best of terms with the board and the executive team,” Barker said, adding that she was thankful for the welcome she received in the Sault.

Barker told us she remains passionate about public health and hopes to find another job in the field.

Last night’s resignation ends nine days of turmoil at APH.

The first signs of trouble surfaced the day after the January 12 meeting of city council, when word started to spread that a Shaun Rothberg who had appeared before council as part of group seeking to develop the Gateway lands, was actually Shaun Rootenberg, a convicted fraud artist who’d done time for defrauding friends and relatives of more than $2 million.

By Friday of last week, SooToday.com was reporting that Rothberg/ Rootenberg had worked six months as interim chief financial officer at APH, and that the city had advised the prospective developer that it wanted nothing to do with him or any corporate entity in which he was involved.

The developer, Paolo Rovazzi, quickly distanced himself from Rootenberg, indicating he would be neither a principal in the development corporation nor actively involved in it.

Then, early yesterday, a flurry of new media revelations hit, exploring how Rootenburg had gotten hired at APH, and the con artist’s ties to a proposed medical marijuana production facility on a former PUC property on Second Line East.

Two media outlets even started speculating about Dr. Barker’s romantic life yesterday.

By late afternoon yesterday, Ontario Health Minister Eric Hoskins had ordered a financial audit and an assessment of Algoma Public Health's board. 

Marchy Bruni said that Dr. Barker’s decision to resign wasn’t made at last night’s meeting.

It had actually been made earlier in the day.

“She asked me how I felt and I said ‘This is your decision only. It’s not the board’s decision. And she decided that she wanted to step down…. She wanted to do what was best for Algoma Public Health,” Bruni said.

The APH board has learned from this experience, especially about vetting outsiders working there.

“We’ve got to do background checks,” he said. “I think the board will have to take some type of blame but hopefully the board will move forward and include policies to prevent something like this.”

The search for a permanent successor to Dr. Barker should begin within a couple of weeks, Bruni said.

APH currently has no rule about relationships between employees but the issue arose during a closed-door session of last night’s meeting, he said. 

Cathy Donnelly, national representative for CUPE Local 1528, representing APH inspectors, dental assistants, RNAs, and clerical workers, described yesterday’s resignation “as a step in the right direction.” 

“But there are many more questions that need to be answered,” Donnelly said.  

Rothberg was involved in negotiating a recent collective agreement with CUPE but Donnelly said that pact is not in any kind of jeopardy.

“We believe that it was a fairly negotiated collective agreement and the parties present were the suitable parties at the table. We need to start to heal, move forward and address the questions that we have as a local,” Donnelly said.

Dr. Barker resigns (update)

Rothberg not part of proposed medical grow op, says proponent

Ministry orders financial audit of APH board

How on earth did this man end up overseeing Algoma Public Heath's cash?

City raises red flags over Gateway developers

PHOTO: Lawyer Bob Paciocco (left) instructs Dr. Kim Barker in the rudiments of parliamentary procedure at last night’s overcrowded APM meeting. David Helwig for SooToday.