“On behalf of Albertans, I would like to thank Dr. Cowell for providing the leadership necessary during a very challenging year. He has delivered important changes that have benefited both patients and staff. During this period of transition for government, this interim measure ensures the obligations of the office of the Official Administrator continue to be met and enables any future decision government may wish to make.”

Over the past year, Cowell led a number of important initiatives, including:

• Implementation of a new organizational structure that reduced the number of vice presidents from 80 to 10;
• Establishment of strict new policies for executive expenses;
• Implementation of a salary-based executive compensation framework that eliminates bonuses and pay-at-risk;
• Development of new performance measures that allow Alberta’s health system to be easily compared with the rest of Canada.

Davidson remains Deputy Minister of Alberta Health while serving in this interim capacity.