Local group organizes fundraiser for former AHS CEO’s legal fees

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on May 1, 2025.

In continued pursuit of transparency and accountability, Medicine Hat residents are organizing to help former Alberta Health Services CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos cover ongoing legal costs.

The announcement was held primarily over Zoom on Wednesday afternoon, where the group was joined by Dr. Paul Parks, Dr. Esther Tailfeathers and Dr. Joe Vipond, among others.

Shelley Ewing, a member of the group that is organizing the GoFundMe for Mentzelopoulos’ legal fees, explained that they feel this is necessary to get answers in regards to the allegations made against the Alberta government’s health-care procurement practices.

“The UCP have refused calls from across Alberta for a full public inquiry, which would bear the facts of this case to all Albertans,” said Ewing. “Instead, the UCP has attempted to convince Albertans that investigations that they have been forced to initiate are sufficient. We disagree.

“Investigations that have no teeth, no legal access to the information, no subpoena power, which will land on the desk of Danielle Smith will not uncover the facts for Albertans, the RCMP investigation may well elicit more facts, but its conclusions will be years down the road. Albertans, you deserve better.”

She says she believes that while the allegations have not been proven, she and many residents of Medicine Hat feel the only way for there to be meaningful answers in a timely manner will be in a court of law. However, they also have concerns that the province will be able to overwhelm Mentzelopoulos’ legal counsel.

To prevent this, they have, with the permission of Mentzelopoulos, organized a fundraiser to help cover ongoing legal costs. It is their hope to ensure she will receive her day in court, and demand more transparency from the Alberta Government, which Ewing says has made it difficult for both media and citizens to access information.

Parks spoke in favour of the fundraiser as a physician within Medicine Hat, saying that the case goes beyond one person’s employment, but into the “fundamental principles of transparency, fairness and due process.”

“Ensuring this legal case proceeds is not simply about an outcome for one person, it’s about protecting the ability to speak truth to power and to defend the public’s right to know critical concerns involving our health-care system,” said Parks.

“Miss Mentzelopoulos has alleged serious wrongdoing, that political interference and corruption within the Alberta government are actively undermining the health-care system and putting lives at risk by making it harder for Albertans to access the care that they need in a timely fashion. These are allegations that every Albertan should care about.”

Parks says that allowing Mentzelopoulos’ smaller legal team to be worn down could prevent vital facts from becoming public, and Albertans have the right to know if politics are interfering with their health care, and that the continued lack of full transparency only builds more mistrust.

The GoFundMe went live as of Wednesday, and at the time of writing had already raised $10,961 toward the goal. A statement from Mentzelopoulos asserts that all remaining funds after legal costs will be donated to the Alberta Cancer Foundation.

The fundraiser can be seen at gofund.me/e37c2267.

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