CancerCare president stepping down in April, months ahead of originally slated departure

Manitoba's CancerCare President and CEO, Dr. Sri Navaratnam, will be stepping down from the organization's top job months before her contract was set to expire.

The provincial agency, mandated to lead cancer care services in Manitoba, started its research for another president last year, engaging a third-party firm after Navaratnam announced she would leave the post after her contract expired at the end of 2025. 

However, in an internal memo to staff and physicians shared with CBC News, the organization's board chair and vice chair said Dr. Sri Navaratnam will leave the post on April 17.

CBC News reached out to Navaratnam for comment, but she declined to do an interview on Friday. Instead, Navaratnam shared a letter with CBC News she sent to staff earlier that day.  

In her letter to staff, Navaratnam didn't directly address why she decided to speed up her departure but said CancerCare is "in a good place for leadership change." 

By mid-April, around the end of her term, Navaratnam said several tasks, including the planning for the agency's second building and its research institute, will be completed.

The rebuilding of research labs will be on schedule, and next year's fiscal budget will be submitted by mid-April, along with survey results from a recent survey to offer guidance on staff engagement. 

"These were priorities I had set for 2025," Navaratnam's letter said. 

The doctor has led CancerCare Manitoba since January 2014, when she signed an initial five-year contract that was extended in 2018 for another five years, and again in June 2023 until the end of 2025. 

Navaratnam described her 11-year-old tenure as the "greatest honour" of her career. She said the organization is well-positioned to thrive in the next decade, and it is proud of the work CancerCare has accomplished. 

"The experiences I've gained in this role have provided me with … the passion to pursue new learning opportunities," the letter said. 

After finishing her term, Navaratnam said in the letter that she will take a sabbatical to explore and research solutions to promote equity in the healthcare system.

Search for new CEO 'well underway'

Navaratnam told CBC in November her decision to leave was made when she agreed to the last contract's extension, and not at the time, when the organization was mired by criticism from doctors regarding a fear of reprisal from leadership at CancerCare. 

In September, Doctors Manitoba said it had heard from "a number of physicians raising serious concerns," including stress, burnout and poor working environment conditions at CancerCare — leading to "significant challenges with physician recruitment and retention. 

Those concerns weren't addressed in her Friday letter, but in November, Navaratnam said she took the criticism seriously.  

"We all will be working collaboratively to get the best for our patients. That's our goal. That's what CancerCare Manitoba is all about," she said in November. 

The selection process to replace Navaratnam is "well underway," with the search for the new president currently in the public phase, according to the memo sent by CancerCare's board president to staff. 

But while the post is permanently filled after Navaratnam's departure, Dr. Donna Turner, CancerCare's chief of population oncology, will be appointed as interim president and CEO, the memo said. 

When asked about concerns stemming from Navaratnam's early departure, Minister of Health Uzoma Asagwara said they have complete confidence in CancerCare and in Turner to keep delivering the healthcare services needed in the province while the search for a new leader finishes.

The minister also thanked Navaratnam for her "hard work, dedication and leadership" at the organization, including leading CancerCare through the pandemic. 

"She continued to prioritize patients and their families and really positioned CancerCare for incredible growth and innovation for years to come," Asagwara said.