MLA Gavin Dew/BC Legislature

By Vernon Matters Staff

Tough talk

Kelowna MLA calls for Interior Health CEO to resign, citing crisis in care

Jun 13, 2025 | 11:07 AM

A Kelowna-area MLA is calling for the immediate resignation of Interior Health’s top executive, citing a growing crisis in the region’s healthcare system.

In a strongly worded statement released Friday, Kelowna-Mission MLA Gavin Dew said Interior Health “can’t be fixed without change at the top,” as public concern continues to mount following the sudden closure of the pediatric unit at Kelowna General Hospital.

“For weeks, families, healthcare workers, and community leaders across Kelowna and the Central Okanagan have been raising alarms about the state of healthcare in our region,” said Dew. “It has become painfully clear that the current leadership of Interior Health has lost the confidence of both the people who work there and the people it is meant to serve.”

Dew specifically called for Interior Health CEO Susan Brown to step down. If she does not, he said Health Minister Josie Osborne must intervene.

“I am calling for Susan Brown to immediately resign as CEO of Interior Health, so that we can reset an organization in crisis,” he said. “If she will not resign, I am calling for Minister of Health Josie Osborne to take immediate action to dismiss Ms. Brown and appoint an interim CEO while a permanent leadership transition is completed.”

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The Conservative MLA argued that decisive action is needed now, not months down the line, to stabilize health services and restore trust with frontline staff and patients.

“Premier Eby and Minister Osborne have acknowledged that our healthcare system is in crisis. But recognizing the problem is not enough – there must be accountability and there must be decisive action,” Dew said. “Leadership matters, and right now, Interior Health needs strong new leadership to begin rebuilding public confidence and stabilizing services.”

Dew’s comments come amid a wave of concern from physicians, specialists, and other health professionals across the Central Okanagan. Many have spoken publicly or submitted letters to elected officials warning of deteriorating conditions, particularly around access to pediatric care.

“Interior Health cannot afford to drift further into dysfunction,” said Dew. “It’s time to put patients first, listen to the dedicated healthcare workers of the region, and restore faith in our healthcare system.”

The Ministry of Health has not yet issued a response to Dew’s comments.