Premier Danielle Smith is replacing Deena Hinshaw as Alberta’s health director amid major changes she says are coming this week to the province’s health care system and its leadership. The government announced the retirement of Dr. Hinshaw late Monday afternoon in a news release and replaced her with Mark Joffe, a senior executive at Alberta Health Services, who was appointed on an interim basis. It is not clear how long he will remain in the role or when Ms Smith will announce a permanent replacement. Dr Hinshaw was appointed chief medical officer in January 2019 under the former New Democratic Party government and advised former premier Jason Kenney’s cabinet during the pandemic. Chris Bourdeau, a spokesman for the health department, said in a statement that Dr. Hinshaw was set to expire in January 2024. She declined to provide details on her severance package as the transition is completed. The doctor was among several senior health doctors across the country who won admiration and praise for their steady, calm advice at daily press conferences as the new coronavirus spread around the world and forced the country into lockdown. But opponents of public health measures such as business closures, mask mandates and vaccine passports attacked Dr. Hinshaw. Ms Smith singled her out for criticism during her successful campaign to lead the United Conservative Party, accusing Dr Hinshaw of bad advice that led to health restrictions and promising to replace her if elected. Ms Smith won the UCP leadership in early October and was sworn in as Prime Minister shortly afterwards. During a press conference earlier Monday, Ms. Smith declined to answer specific questions about Dr. Hinshaw. He said the province’s chief medical officer would provide guidance on a recent surge in respiratory infections in the coming days, but sidestepped questions about who that would be. “I wouldn’t expect you to see daily press conferences,” Ms Smith said. “We’re going to make sure we get information out to parents and schools and whoever needs it, but we’re not going to treat it the same way we did at the beginning of COVID.” Dr. Joffe is AHS vice president and medical director and will continue in those roles as he assumes the role of chief medical officer. There will be no additional compensation for taking this position, the government said. In his position for AHS, he is overseas to provide health care through Cancer Care Alberta, clinical support services and provincial clinics, according to the organization’s website. He has worked for AHS and Capital Health, the former public health authority in Edmonton, for more than 25 years. “I am honored to be asked to take on the role of Chief Medical Officer of Health for our province. I have always put the needs of my patients above all else throughout my career, which will continue as I take on this new challenge,” Dr. Joffe said in a statement. Health Secretary Jason Copping also said in a statement that he was looking forward to working with Dr Joffe, who he said brought a wealth of experience and knowledge to the role. The minister also thanked Dr. Hinshaw for her service and dedication to Albertans. Before becoming chief physician, Dr. Hinshaw served as the medical officer of health in the AHS Central Health Zone for seven years and as the medical officer of health in the area of public health surveillance and infrastructure before that. She also served as Alberta’s deputy medical officer of health from 2017 to 2019. She enjoyed huge popularity in the first weeks and months of the pandemic, prompting businesses to sell merchandise with her face on it. When she wore a periodic table dress to one of her daily updates, the Victoria-based designer reported a spike in sales. As the pandemic continued, she faced harsh criticism from both opponents of public health measures and people who believed she and the government were not going far enough in responding to the pandemic. David Shepherd, NDP health critic, said in a statement: “Albertans deserve to hear from Dr. Joffe immediately as respiratory illnesses spread rapidly and hospitals are overwhelmed.” He said the Prime Minister, the health minister and the new chief medical officer must also “agree on the need to promote vaccination and condemn misinformation” about the effectiveness of vaccines against COVID-19. On Monday, Ms Smith also said her government would soon announce details of its plan to increase capacity in hospitals as they buckle under enormous pressure, in part due to respiratory viruses spreading rapidly among school children. He said it is a failure of AHS management that the hospitals are not equipped to meet the demand. In addition, details about the doctors advising Ms. Smith will come this week, he said. Ms Smith dismissed questions about open consultation with experts who have opposed vaccines, such as Former adviser to Donald Trump, Paul Alexander, who described them as “bioweapons”. She said she does not consult him, but said during a debate ahead of her successful Brooks-Medicine Hat by-election this month that the group of doctors advising her “had already contacted Dr. Paul Alexander.” During her UCP leadership campaign, Ms Smith outlined plans to overhaul the AHS structure. This included a commitment to hire a new chief executive and replace the entire board with an interim health commissioner, both of which have yet to materialize. An AHS board member, Deborah Apps, he resigned in the face of imminent dismissal, saying he could not support the new prime minister’s plans to reform the health system and its organizational structure. Ms Smith has also pledged to review hospital bed capacity and is seeking recommendations on how to reduce AHS red tape and devolve control of health care delivery to what she has described as local decision-makers. Mauro Chies currently serves as interim president and CEO of AHS.
