Publication date: November 14, 2022 • 6 hours ago • 3 minutes read • 11 comments Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dina Hinshaw has been replaced by Dr. Mark Joffe, the province announced Monday, Nov. 14, 2022. David Bloom/Postmedia

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Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Dina Hinshaw, replaced by Dr. Mark Joffe, vice president of Alberta Health Services.

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In a press release late Monday afternoon, the government announced that Joffe had been appointed interim chief medical officer of health and would serve until Health Minister Jason Copping rescinded the appointment. Sign up to receive daily news headlines from the Edmonton Journal, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. By clicking the subscribe button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300

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Joffe has worked with the former Capital Health and now Alberta Health Services for more than 25 years. He will continue in his role as vice-president and medical director for Cancer Care Alberta, Clinical Support Services and Provincial Clinical Excellence, but without additional compensation to serve as chief medical officer, the release said. It comes nearly five weeks after Premier Danielle Smith was sworn in, who said in her first press conference in office that Hinshaw would be replaced. “I appreciate the work that Dr. Deena Hinshaw has done, but I think we’re in a new phase where we’re now talking about treating the coronavirus as endemic, just like the flu. And so I will develop a new team of public health advisors,” Smith said at the time.

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Dr. Mark Joffe, vice president and chief medical officer of Alberta Health Services, has been named the interim chief medical officer of Alberta Health. Photo by Ian Kucerak /Postmedia, file In Monday’s release, Joffe said he has always put the needs of his patients first, “which will continue as I take on this new challenge,” he said. Copping added that Joffe has been dedicated to improving the health of Albertans throughout his career, thanking Hinshaw for her service and dedication to Albertans. Hinshaw has been Alberta’s top doctor since January 28, 2019 and has guided the province through the COVID-19 pandemic. As chief medical officer of health, Hinshaw was the face of the province’s fight against COVID-19 and became popular during the early stages of the pandemic. She was widely praised for her calm demeanor during press briefings. T-shirts with her face and the clothes she wore sold out in stores, and in April 2020, a 30-foot-long plesiosaur at the University of Alberta was given the official nickname “Dr. Deeno Hinshaw.”

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However, the honeymoon period did not last forever. Hinshaw faced criticism later in the pandemic, particularly after the province fully relaxed restrictions in July 2021 in what former premier Jason Kenne called Alberta’s “best summer ever.” This plan eventually led to many filling the ICUs, putting severe pressure on hospitals, and the Canadian Armed Forces requested support. Hinshaw also faced backlash after it was revealed she received a nearly $228,000 bonus last year on top of her $363,633.92 salary.

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Joffe, a professor in the department of medicine at the University of Alberta, has also chaired the Royal Alexandra Hospital Medical Staff Society and served as president of the Capital Region Medical Staff Association and the Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases of Canada. Joffe, a resident of Calgary, earned his medical degree from the University of Calgary in 1982 and specializes in infectious diseases. In a statement responding to Monday’s appointment, NDP health critic David Shepherd called on Copping, Smith and Joffe to agree on the need to promote vaccination and condemn misinformation, including about COVID-19 vaccines. “I hope Albertans hear from Dr. Joffe as soon as possible. Albertans deserve transparency from their government on how they will address the spread of respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, while hospitals continue to operate beyond capacity and children are missing school due to illness at significant rates,” said Shepherd. [email protected] twitter.com/JunkerAnna [email protected] twitter.com/reportrix

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