MUHC tightens control over private subsidiary after cutting jobs

 
The subsidiary, Syscor, which was founded as a non-profit corporation in 1982, is involved in information-technology systems, and was at the centre of controversy after entering into a real-estate agreement with a Montreal developer for a property at 1750 Cedar Ave.  for which the MUHC and Syscor never obtained the required permission, costing the MUHC a loss of $27 million.

Syscor employees, on average, have been paid nearly 20 per cent more than IT specialists working in other hospital networks in the province.  Some of Syscor’s IT specialists were earning as much as $114,000 while its executives made up to $265,000, according to the Baron Report.

Syscor also made a $58,000 down payment on a car lease for a Bentley that was driven by the former executive director of the MUHC, the late Arthur Porter.

Under provincial scrutiny over its finances, the MUHC has steadily whittled down the number of employees at Syscor — from 238 in July 2014 to 210 today. Martine Alfonso, one of Syscor’s administrators told the Montreal Gazette that there will be no more job cuts at Syscor. The MUHC will absorb half of about 130 employees at Syscor in the coming months. The remaining half will continue to work at the company, she said.

Read the full feature at the Montreal Gazette