EDMONTON – Milton Sussman (pictured), a veteran civil servant who held high-ranking positions in Manitoba’s former NDP government, has been hired as Alberta’s next deputy minister of health.

Milton Sussman, who takes over the role officially Oct. 23, recently ended a short stint as CEO of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. Sussman stepped down from the health authority in June after serving 21 months.

As CEO, he led one of Manitoba’s largest employers with a budget of more than $2.6 billion and 28,000 employees. His last year in the job came under the province’s new Conservative government, which has recently mused about introducing healthcare premiums or else cutting services.

His roles in the Manitoba government from 1999 to 2015 included deputy minister of health, clerk of executive council and cabinet secretary, and deputy minister of family services and housing.

Sussman replaces Carl Amrhein, who resigned to take a new job as provost and vice-president, academic, with Aga Khan University.