Confusion surrounds the end of CEO Michael Aeberhardt's tenure at the Whitehorse General Hospital.

The termination of Aeberhardt's contract at the publicly-owned institution was announced this morning via a press release from the Whitehorse General Hospital, but no reasons were given.

'The Board of Trustees of the Yukon Hospital Corporation has today announced that the contract with Michael Aeberhardt, CEO of the Whitehorse General Hospital has ended.'

Aeberhardt had been chief executive officer of the hospital since October 31, 2006 and had a three-year contract.

Craig Tuton, chair of the hospital board, said this morning that the board had decided to move in a different direction after 'issues' at the hospital Aeberhardt had been brought in to deal with had been resolved.

'The contract just ended,' he said.

Tuton would not state whether Aeberhardt was fired or resigned.

He said there may or may not be a severance package involved with Aeberhardt's departure, but that he could not comment on the matter.

'There could be a severance package, but I can't talk about that, that's a personnel issue,' he said.

'Mr. Aeberhardt has moved on,' he said.

Liberal Leader Arthur Mitchell said he'd like some answers as to why Aeberhardt is gone and what, if anything, his departure will cost Yukon taxpayers.

Mitchell said he finds it difficult to understand how questions about Aeberhardt in the legislative assembly could have been called unfair and unjustified in June, only to have the CEO's contract 'ended' two months later.

'In the legislative assembly they kept saying there's nothing wrong and the Opposition is being unfair.

'Now, Mr. Aeberhardt is no longer employed there.

'The minister (Brad Cathers) has to get his head out of his state of denial and address the serious ongoing problems at the hospital,' he said.

Mitchell said he's not satisfied with Tuton's explanation that Aeberhardt's contract has ended.

'That's like saying the Space Shuttle Columbia has returned to earth, without saying it came back in 240 million pieces.'

The departure of Aeberhardt follows intense debate over his management style at the hospital in which doctors at the hospital called for the CEO's removal.

In June, doctors delivered a letter to Aeberhardt asking him to resign.

Dr. Rao Tadepalli, president of the Yukon Medical Association, said the letter was sent to Aeberhardt because doctors had concerns with his management style.

'We have had some patient care concerns and we have had issues regarding patient care delivery and style of management of the CEO.

'We have let the hospital know of the reservations that the doctors have had with regard to his style of functioning,' Tadepalli said in June.

'There's a perception out there that he does not understand a community like Yukon and hasn't helped with the staff morale. It continues to go low.'

The situation at the hospital was also discussed in the legislative assembly with members of the opposition calling for action on the doctor's concerns.

Tuton said in June that a hospital task force would be set up to examine concerns at the hospital, but called controversy surrounding Aeberhardt regrettable.

'I think what happened in the house over the last two weeks was terrible. It will be very difficult for somebody in Mr. Aeberhardt's position or like that to sit down and really, seriously consider about accepting a job in a government when they get criticized by the politicians that know nothing about what is happening over here,' Tuton said in June.

'The board is supportive of the CEO and the direction we are taking to move forward.'

Former hospital chair Marny Ryder said in June that operations at the hospital were crumbling.

She said the controversy surrounding Aeberhardt was just the latest in a long line of problems at the institution.

'It has been the tip of the iceberg for two or three years,' said Ryder, who served as the chair for four years.

'(There's) not sufficient funding, poor communication, the whole thing. It's just bubbled up.'

Ryder said in June she became increasingly distressed about the hospital after former Health minister Peter Jenkins left the Yukon Party in November 2005 and Brad Cathers was named to the portfolio.