A former Nova Scotia health-care CEO admitted in court today that she failed to properly prioritize oversight of her expense claims, which led to her being convicted of fraud over $5,000 last year.
Tracy Kitch’s conviction in September marked the second time she had been convicted of illegally billing personal expenses to the Halifax-based IWK Health Centre, Atlantic Canada’s largest children’s hospital.
An earlier conviction in February 2022 was overturned by the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal, prompting the Crown to call for a retrial.
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During a sentencing hearing today, Kitch said she was ultimately responsible for decisions and practices related to her expenses, but she told the court that she “did not prioritize these appropriately.”
In a ruling delivered Sept. 5, 2025, provincial court Judge Ronda van der Hoek said Kitch had used a corporate credit card to cover personal expenses, including the cost of flights to her home in Toronto.
During Kitch’s retrial, the prosecution estimated her personal spending amounted to more than $30,000 on a corporate credit card while she was hospital CEO between 2014 and 2017.
The judge’s decision in September said Kitch’s actions were dishonest and deprived the hospital of money meant to address health-care needs for mothers and children.
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