For 20 months after Sandra Hanmer abruptly left her position as CEO of the Waterloo-Wellington Local Health Integration Network, she remained on the organization’s payroll.
Hanmer was relieved of her duties at the LHIN, the body in charge of allocating health care funding in Waterloo Region and Wellington County, in September 2010.
In announcing her departure, the LHIN offered no details about why Hanmer was dismissed or whether she would continue to receive her six-figure salary.
Citing privacy issues, the organization refused to elaborate on the reason behind Hanmer’s leaving.
When the provincial sunshine list for 2011 was released in March 2012, Hanmer’s name appeared on it – collecting more than $270,000 despite having spent the entire year away from the LHIN.
Documents obtained by CTV News through the Freedom of Information Act show that Hanmer was ultimately paid her full salary for 20 months after her departure.
During that time, she was also given vacation pay for six weeks per year, a monthly car allowance of more than $700 and a $7,500 career transition fund – which she may have used to help land her current job as a CEO in New Zealand’s health care system.
Waterloo-Wellington LHIN chair Joan Fisk replaced Kathy Durst in that position about eight months after Hamner left.
She says she can’t comment about an old contract put into place by a previous board.
“I can only tell you that going forward, we work very responsibly with taxpayers’ money and adhere to guidelines and principles that are put out by government,” she says.
The Ontario sunshine list for 2012 will be released later this week, and Hamner’s name will appear on it once again.
Hanmer did not respond to multiple requests for an interview.
