"Making the Malartic Clinic in Ollioules a model": the new president of the Mutuelles de France du Var develops his ambitions
On February 24, Stéphane Mantion was elected president of the Mutuelles de France du Var, which runs the Malartic clinic in Ollioules.
He intends to re-establish a bond of trust with the employees of the establishment, which has been in receivership since June 2024.
Under what conditions were you appointed president of the Mutuelles de France du Var?
This was done at the request of the new governance of the Avec group. I have known its new chairman of the board, Patrick François (1), for a long time. I also know the Mutuelles de France du Var and the Malartic clinic well from my past as head of the French Red Cross. The latter took an interest in the establishment in 2017 when it was in serious difficulty.
You arrive while the Malartic clinic is in the middle of a receivership procedure...
The justice system will allow the establishment to have a future and ensure continuity. I approach it with serenity. However, I still haven't been able to meet with the judicial administrators despite several requests. And at the end of March, the court approved the request to move management to level 3. We have appealed this decision.
What does this mean in concrete terms?
In short, this takes away virtually all of my rights in favor of the administrators.
The reason given is the loss of confidence in the group With…
I contested the grounds before the judge. Loss of confidence? But in whom? I've only just arrived! As for the Avec group, it has also changed its governance… I'm asking for time. For me, dialogue is a priority and I'm working towards that. I've already met with the Malartic management, the teams, the staff representatives, and the president of the establishment's medical committee. All that's missing are the judicial administrators…
What are you working on in particular?
To restore this trust, of course. People must stop confusing me with Bernard Bensaïd, the former head of Avec (see below). I'm also working on renewing the clinic's board of directors. This must be done quickly; it must be much more representative of the profession and the region.
Offers to take over Malartic have already been made. Doesn't that stop you from looking to the future?
No. I'm campaigning for a continuation and development plan. I have great faith in this facility, which has many strengths. My ambition is to make Malartic a model for multidisciplinary care in the region. It has the capacity and already offers a substantial range of services. We could expand it further, extending it from maternity to a retirement home.
1. He replaces Bernard Bensaïd, who has been under legal scrutiny since January.
Stéphane Mantion has spent almost his entire career in the field of public health. He notably developed the health policy for the city of Paris in the early 1990s.
He also held positions in ministerial cabinet. He was also, twice, Director General of the Red Cross, as well as of the Regional Hospital Agency of Guadeloupe (ARH) for 5 years.
The Malartic staff representatives don't care about Stéphane Mantion and the Avec group's intentions. "Trust has been broken for a long time ," insists union representative Joëlle Arnal. "These changes in management come far too late. We've moved on."
Complaint and judicial recovery
The story begins in 2017. At that time, the struggling medical facility was bought by Doctegestio (later Avec). The outlook brightened, but the peace was short-lived, according to the unions. So much so that in the spring of 2024, the CGT (General Confederation of Labour) and Joëlle Arnal, as an employee of the facility, decided to file a complaint for "misappropriation of public funds, illegal taking of interests, breach of trust, and misuse of corporate assets." They targeted Bernard Bensaïd, the boss, as well as the companies Avec and Avec.fr.
"The group's management is clearly responsible for Malartic's difficulties. We are short of cash even though our business is growing," the delegate maintained, pointing to expensive and unnecessary agreements made to benefit the businessman.
The Malartic Clinic (along with four other associated establishments) is being placed in receivership in June 2024. The court's observation period has been renewed. "Today, to our great relief, it is the receivers who are running us," comments Joëlle Arnal.
Last week, in a motion, the clinic's Social and Economic Committee reiterated its intention to sever all ties with Avec. Three takeover bids are on the table.
Var-Matin
