Former Manitoba health minister takes over Winnipeg women’s clinic

WINNIPEG –Former NDP health minister Theresa Oswald has been appointed as executive director of Winnipeg’s Women’s Health Clinic.

Oswald was one of five cabinet ministers under former premier Greg Selinger who challenged his leadership and tried to oust him in the fall of 2014.

Oswald ended up coming a close second in a leadership race but lost to Selinger by 33 votes and then chose not to run for re-election in her Seine River constituency.

On Wednesday, her new job was announced in a news release that paid tribute to her “extensive experience with Manitoba’s health care system, keen insight into government relations and an ardent commitment to feminist values.

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Laurelle Harris, head of the clinic’s board of directors, said they are thrilled at her appointment, saying Oswald will be the driving force behind its move to deliver accessible and equitable health and wellness services.

The clinic has operated in the city since 1981 with a staff of 200, 80 volunteers and a budget of nearly $7 million.

“I am honoured to move into the role of executive director of Women’s Health Clinic,” Oswald said in the release.

“I am proud to join a team that is so clearly committed to providing compassionate care and support, and that works every day to ensure the rights of all women are at the centre of all that we do.”

Oswald was health minister for seven years.