Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen says he is very pleased that Abe Bergen of Kleefeld has agreed to serve as the new chair of the board for Southern Health. Bergen takes over from Guy Levesque of Ste. Anne, who will remain on the board. Goertzen says Bergen brings a lot to the position.

Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen"Abe brings a lot of experience in terms of working on boards. He'll bring that experience to the Southern board. I also think he's got a good understanding of the region generally."

Bergen is with Kleefeld Developments Ltd. (property development) and is the former director of development with Canadian Mennonite University. Goertzen notes the decision to move Levesque out of the chair position was not politically motivated.

"It's certainly not political. You'll know that Mr. Levesque had some concerns with the changes of the boards. You reported that on your news outlet. I thought that he brought value in terms of bringing experience to the board and the transition would be easier. Some might suggest that the political thing to do would be to remove somebody who disagrees with you. As a politician, I can tell you if I didn't associate with everybody who didn't agree with me, I might not associate with a lot of people. I thought it was the right thing to have a transition on there. Mr. Levesque has good experience on the board and I think he will be an asset to the board during his term and also will be an asset to Mr. Bergen as he transitions into the chair position. I'm glad that he's remaining on the board, that he re-applied and I think that will be positive for the board."

Other members of the board from the southeast area include Viola Peters of Steinbach, Ramona Coey of Lorette and Konrad Narth of Zhoda. Goertzen notes the size of RHA boards has been reduced from 15 members to 12 as a signal that the health care system must learn to work more efficiently. He adds, it might not save a lot of money but it sends a message.

"Its the principle. Some might say it's symbolism but sometimes symbolism matters. You want to show people that it's important, that you're serious and you're setting that tone from the top. It's more than symbolic though, I think it's the right size of board."

Goertzen notes the Southern Health board has a strong tradition of living within its budget and has been a good model for other RHAs, something he expects will continue.