LAVISH SEVERANCES

Former SHA execs paid millions

SASKATOON The former chief executive of the Saskatoon Health Region took home almost $1 million last year, more than half of which came in the form of a severance cheque worth $529,723.

Dan Florizone and three other health region heads who lost their jobs when the regions were officially amalgamated on December 4 collectively drew severances worth $2.2 million last year.

That brought the total severances paid by the new Saskatchewan Health Authority to 12 former health region executives to $4.6 million as of Dec. 4 — $500,000 more than its previous estimate.

In an interview, Saskatchewan Health Authority CEO Scott Livingstone said the total has since risen to $4.96 million, paid to 13 former health region executives, for the full fiscal year ended March 31, 2018.

“What caused it to climb is we actually negotiated the severance for others under the same principles. The numbers were just off. We used an estimate (in December),” Livingstone said.

According to the health authority’s annual report, Florizone — who worked for about nine months of the fiscal year — also earned $373,377 in base salary payments, plus $5,724 in benefits.

Former Five Hills Health Region CEO Cheryl Craig earned $834,227 over the fiscal year, the bulk of which was made up by a $569,376 severance package.

David Fan, who ran the Prairie North Health Region, also took home a $569,376 severance cheque which, when combined with his salary and benefits, brought his fiscal 2018 earnings to $854,501.

On top of her $293,481 salary, former Prince Albert Parkland Health Region head Cecile Hunt received $6,958 in benefits and a severance package valued at $518,544, for a total of $818,983.

In the roughly nine months ended Dec. 4, eight former vice-presidents from five separate health regions received severance packages ranging in value from $131,745 to $478,033, according to the annual report.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority began operations on Dec. 4. It was clear months earlier, however, that the amalgamated authority would need fewer than 12 CEOS and 62 vice-presidents employed by the health regions.