Geneviève Biron named to head Santé Québec

QUEBEC CITY – The head of Santé Québec will be Geneviève Biron (pictured), who led private provider Biron Health Group from 2014 to 2021, Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé announced this week. Dubé also announced that Frédéric Abergel, head of the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), will serve as executive vice-president of operations and transformation for the agency.

“A complementary duo with an external person but also an internal person,” Dubé said at an afternoon press conference in reference to both nominations.

Biron’s LinkedIn page lists her as the founder and current president of Propulia Capital, an “international investment platform,” according to its website. She has also been a member of Hydro-Québec’s board of directors since 2021.

“She’s a Quebec entrepreneur whose family founded one of our most beautiful Quebec jewels, who decided to throw herself into this big challenge with the main motivation of improving access to health and social services to the population,” Dubé said.

The government announced Biron will take measures to avoid potential conflicts of interests related to Biron Health and her professional activities. “Biron will distance herself from decisions about her investments that could affect the health sector in Quebec. Furthermore, she will put in place an ethical screen, commonly called the Chinese wall, between herself and the members of her family.

“This screen provides that no exchange is possible regarding any file related to the field of health in which her family or her husband could be involved on a professional level and which could have a link with Santé Québec or the institutions or organizations that Santé Quebec manages.”

The Santé Québec board would ensure the law is respected, the government statement said.

Dubé described Abergel as “an experienced manager who knows well the ramifications of the public health network but also … social services.”

“He will be dedicated to a better management of operations and to accelerate … the digital transformation,” Dubé said.

Biron’s nomination as president marks the official launch of Santé Québec, which was established following the adoption of Bill 15 by the National Assembly in December 2023 as an overhaul of the health network. The agency will be responsible for co-ordinating network operations.

Biron thanked the government for its confidence at Monday’s press conference alongside Dubé and Abergel, calling her nomination a privilege.

“Our health system is facing numerous challenges,” Biron said, “including problems with access, long wait times, staff shortages, the aging of the population. I recognize that a lot of things have already been done over the past few years; there have been actions we can be proud of, and on which we can build.”

Biron said her main focus will be improving access to services, adding that Santé Québec will make the healthcare system “more human and more performant.”

“I arrive here today with a different view of our health system, I want to contribute to an innovative approach and a vision,” she said. “I think we’re all aware things have to change.”

Abergel agreed that the goal will be improving access, which he said involves three things: better co-ordination within the network, better world practices, and innovation.

“My role will be to see how we can work better together to better serve Quebecers,” he said.

The pair said they’ll be visiting establishments over the next few weeks and months to meet with teams on the ground.

“It’s by working together that we’ll be able to succeed together,” Abergel said.

Biron will receive a base annual salary of $567,000 that will be bumped by 15 per cent (up to $652,050) for the first two years of her mandate. Biron will also enjoy a $610 monthly car allowance “in lieu of any reimbursement of any travel expenses incurred within a 16 km radius from their usual place of work.”

News of the salary drew the ire of unions, who in January described it as excessive.