Alberta Health Services official administrator Dr. John Cowell is seen on Feb. 27, 2023. (Photo From Flickr/Government of Alberta)

By Canadian Press

Alberta health minister says $1,400 car ride pricey but value for money

Mar 3, 2023 | 2:35 PM

EDMONTON – Alberta’s health minister says he appreciates that a $1,400 round-trip car service trip by his top administrator looks pricey but it’s actually value for money.

Jason Copping says the private car and driver allowed John Cowell to take calls and handle sensitive documents while going from Calgary to Edmonton and back in November in order to take in the throne speech at the legislature.

Copping says Cowell, who is the official administrator for Alberta Health Services, has been given a mammoth task to steer a new direction for the $16-billion health system and Copping wants him focused on that.

Cowell was appointed to job in mid-November after Premier Danielle Smith fired the entire governing board of Alberta Health Services, citing the board’s failure to meet the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cowell was hired to reduce surgical wait lists, improve ambulance response times and reduce emergency-room bottlenecks.

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Earlier this week, he introduced a 90-day update and said while there are improvements across the board, more work needs to be done.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 3, 2023.

The Canadian Press