There’s still no public reason being given for the abrupt departure of the now-former president and CEO of the IWK Health Centre.
Tracey Kitch resigned suddenly on Wednesday, more than two years before the end of her contract. A statement from the IWK indicated the board accepted Kitch's decision to leave as she “pursues other opportunities."
It was earlier reported that Kitch’s expense reports had changed from one reporting period to another. It was also said that she had used a corporate credit card to pay for personal expenses, including limousine rentals and an iTunes account.
The board refused an interview on the resignation on Thursday, but IWK board chair Karen Hutt said in an email: “Ms. Kitch has repaid a portion of expenses identified as personal. The board is in the process of finalizing an independent review and will be seeking repayment for any outstanding amounts."
The report will be released next week, and CTV News has been told Karen Hutt will answer questions about the findings and Kitch's resignation at that time.
In the meantime, the IWK will not say how much has been repaid or how much is owed.
Kitch was hired by the IWK in 2014 with a base salary of $280,000 plus expenses. As president and CEO, Kitch was responsible for overseeing budgets in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Kitch was on a contract that expires in September of 2019. She will not be receiving any severance or payment, and neither she nor the board is bound by any non-disclosure agreements.
Dr. Krista Jangaard, the hospital's vice-president of medicine and academic affairs, will take over until a replacement is found.
Tracy Kitch did not return CTV News’s calls for comment on Thursday.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Sarah Ritchie.
