Dr. Tom Stewart out as St. Joe’s CEO just after Caribbean getaway

Dr. Tom Stewart has shed his position as CEO of St. Joseph’s Health and fitness Program after vacationing in the Dominican Republic above the holiday seasons when non-important vacation was meant to be averted to halt the unfold of COVID-19.

It is mysterious if he resigned or was terminated, as a assertion from St. Joseph’s at 7:11 p.m. on Thursday simply just suggests they have “parted methods efficient currently.”

It is also unclear if he will receive the golden parachute well worth far more than $1 million that is set out in his deal.

“We have heard your stress and disappointment about Dr. Stewart’s global travel during a significant level in the pandemic. We share these thoughts,” said an electronic mail to all workers, doctors, volunteers and learners from St. Joseph’s Health care Hamilton president Melissa Farrell and interim chief of workers Dr. David Russell, which was obtained by The Spectator.

Stewart’s excursion experienced presently prompted his resignation Tuesday from a selection of boards that supply COVID-19 information to the province.

But up right up until Thursday evening, Stewart remained president and CEO of the significant wellbeing system, which consists of St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Niagara Health, St. Mary’s Normal Medical center in Kitchener, St. Joseph’s Wellness Centre in Guelph, St. Joseph’s Lifecare Centre in Brantford, St. Joseph’s Villa in Dundas and St. Joseph’s Property Care.

Under the exact deal and around $650,000 wage, he was also CEO of St. Joseph’s in Hamilton and Niagara Health.

Niagara Health ousted Stewart Wednesday night, ending a 6-year arrangement to obtain CEO expert services from St. Joseph’s Wellbeing Program, but leaving other sections of the arrangement in area these kinds of as joint applications and expert services. It is unclear what the economic ramifications will be for both of the health methods.

The clinic board named its recent president Lynn Guerriero interim CEO of Niagara Health and fitness.

The CEO’s removal in Niagara prompted the St. Joseph’s Health Process board assembly Thursday, along with mounting phone calls for action after Stewart and his spouse and children put in the vacations at their private dwelling in the Caribbean, returning Tuesday.

“We recognize that we are going through a very critical issue and, as a board, should just take the important time to deliberate and hear to our team and group,” board chair Sister Anne Anderson claimed in a assertion early Thursday.

St. Joseph’s Wellbeing Method has reported Stewart was on authorized vacation from Dec. 18 to Jan. 5. It has not answered inquiries on no matter whether the board understood about the worldwide journey.

St. Joseph’s in Hamilton has remained silent about the vacation and has not responded to concerns about irrespective of whether its board has achieved.

“This has been a hard week for our St. Joe’s crew,” mentioned the e-mail to staff late Thursday. “You have demonstrated incredible commitment and professionalism as we react to this pandemic and provide compassionate care to our clients, households and the communities we provide. You and your households have designed amazing sacrifices and gone to incredible lengths to defend our treatment for our clients and local community.”

Neither St. Joseph’s Hamilton nor the overarching health and fitness process have reported if any of their other leaders travelled

Hamilton Wellbeing Sciences and Mohawk Higher education both of those say none of their leaders still left the country over the holiday seasons, when McMaster College and Burlington’s Joseph Brant Hospital say its senior leadership hasn’t travelled internationally in the course of the pandemic.

A expanding checklist of Canadian politicians have appear less than hearth for intercontinental vacations, such as Conservative MP for Flamborough-Glanbrook David Sweet, who resigned from his job as ethics committee chair and declared he will not seek out re-election.

It is not the 1st time Stewart has left an organization embroiled in scandal. He resigned as Mount Sinai’s leading health practitioner in 2013 amid questions about 3rd-bash contracts involving hundreds of countless numbers of pounds of public cash with the Ornge air ambulance assistance

Stewart’s golden parachute at St Joseph’s is not paid if the agreement is terminated for cause.

Or else, the contract dated Aug. 1, 2018, entitles him to 24 months pay back.

He took home the third maximum general public-sector income in Hamilton in 2019 at $629,715, which includes taxable advantages.

His agreement sets out an annual salary of $552,500 and a overall performance dependent adjustment of $97,500.

The agreement also provides continuation of particular work-linked gains for a established time, such as the Health care of Ontario Pension Prepare, the supplemental executive retirement system, dental, group life insurance plan and extended wellness benefits.

Phone calls had mounted since Tuesday for St. Joseph’s board to take action, which includes from the Ontario Community Assistance Personnel Union, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and the Ontario Health Coalition.

“We imagine he must have resigned, but if they had been to say he’s not suit to be the leader of the health procedure, we would applaud them in that” reported Natalie Mehra, government director of the overall health coalition. “This situation is amazing and it truly is an extraordinary lapse in integrity, frankly.”

Neither St. Joseph’s Well being Procedure nor St. Joseph’s Hamilton have named an interim CEO as of 8 p.m. on Thursday.