IWK board looks to prevent 'unintended errors' in staff expenses

The outgoing chair of the IWK Health Centre's board is asking the hospital's auditors for ways to prevent "unintended errors" in staff expenses after thousands in personal expenses were charged to the CEO'scorporate credit card.

Bob Hanf said during an interview on Monday that the request was made at a June 6 meeting of the board's finance and audit committee.

The move comes after CBC News made a series of freedom of information requests about CEO Tracy Kitch's expenses, beginning in January afterseveral discrepancies were discoveredin expense reports posted online by the IWK.

• IWK CEO used hospital credit card to pay for thousands in personal expenses

The Halifax children's hospital subsequently said several of the charges to Kitch's card some in the thousands were made by mistake and reimbursed.

'Relentless focus' ontransparency

Hanf said the requested guidance about error preventionisin keeping with a 2015 auditor general recommendation that Crown corporation and government agency CEO expenses be posted online.

"I think it's very important that people know that there's absolutely relentless focus on this issue," Hanfsaid of the board's commitment to transparency and oversight.

"There has been, there will continue to be."

Kitch said during an interview on Monday that expenses go through financial checks and balances before they are publicly reported and she does review the numbers.

Travel linked to job, CEO says

She reiterated a statement from the IWK's chief financial officer that the majority of expenses left off an initial expense report were related to trips tied toher annual educational travel allowance.

One of these expenses involved a trip to a California conference that was left off theinitial expense report from the hospital but subsequently added to a revised report.

Kitch suggested that was because components of the trip were sponsored by a third-party vendor.It wasn't until the revisedexpense reportwasprepared that the trip was discovered and added as costing$3,176.55.

Kitch said the travelshe does is always "critically linked" to the healthcentre's strategic plan.However, information from the IWK released to CBC Newsshowed$4,941.49in personal travel between April 2016 to December 2016.

The hospital said those charges werereimbursed.

Incorrect charges included iTunes, Netflix

Kitch said reimbursements are made as soon as incorrect charges are identified in consultation with the hospital's finance department. Such is also the case, for example, with charges on Kitch'scorporate card related to a car service, iTunes and Netflix.

A hospital spokesperson on Monday evening clarified that a $3,200 charge made to the card at The Bay in November was made to the wrong credit card and was reversed following an investigation by RBC. The spokesperson said there was never a charge incurred by the CEO or the IWK.

Last week, Health Minister Randy Delorey said he would advise the IWK's boardof available government resources, such as the internal audit department, that could help review and assess practices at the hospital.

No financial improprieties

Kitchdid not directly explain how personal expenses found their way into the report, butsaid any personaltravel expenses are related only to her and have been reimbursed.

Hanf said the board has absolute faith in the health centre's leadership team and the systems in place to keep track of financial dealings.

"Let me assure you there has not been any financial improprieties whatsoever."