Photo From www.albertahealthservices.ca

By Chris Brown / CHAT News Today

Provincial Politics

Mark Joffe named Alberta’s new chief medical officer of health

Nov 14, 2022 | 4:58 PM

Premier Danielle Smith has made good on her commitment to make changes to the leadership of Alberta Health Services.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw is out as Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, replaced by Dr. Mark Joffe effective today.

Joffe is currently the vice-president and medical director for Cancer Care Alberta, Clinical Support Services and Provincial Clinical Excellence for Alberta Health Services.

“I am honoured to be asked to take on the chief medical officer of health role for our province,” Joffe says in a news release. “I have always put the needs of my patients first and foremost throughout my career, which will continue as I take on this new challenge. I want to thank Minister Copping for giving me this opportunity.”

Joffe has worked with the former Capital Health and now Alberta Health Services for more than 25 years. Past leadership roles include chairing the Royal Alexandra Hospital Medical Staff Society and two terms as president of the Capital Region Medical Staff Association, as well as president of the Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases of Canada, among numerous local and national duties. Joffe is also a professor in the department of medicine at the University of Alberta.

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“Dr. Joffe has dedicated himself to improving the health of Albertans throughout his career. He brings this wealth of experience and knowledge to the role of chief medical officer of health. I look forward to working with him,” said Health Minister Jason Copping in a news release. “I also wish to thank Dr. Deena Hinshaw for her service and dedication to Albertans through the past several years.”

The province says Joffe will continue in his current contract with AHS, with no additional compensation for the chief medical officer of health role.

David Shepherd, NDP Health Critic, made the following statement in response to the replacement of the Chief Medical Officer of Health:

“While Danielle Smith has found time to promote misinformation and conspiracy theories, she has yet to offer any actual solutions to urgent health-care crises such as recurring near-20-hour wait-times in emergency rooms at children’s hospitals, unprecedented delays for ambulances, and hundreds of thousands of Albertans not being able to access a family doctor.

“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 over capacity and children miss school due to illness at significant rates.

“Danielle Smith must also commit to listening to sound scientific and medical advice, not conspiracy theorists such as Paul Alexander, who has repeatedly referred to COVID-19 vaccine as a “bio-weapon.” Albertans’ health is far too important for decisions to be made based on baseless conspiracy theories and past grievances.”

“Danielle Smith, Jason Copping, and Mark Joffe, must all agree on the need to promote vaccination and condemn misinformation including any suggestion that COVID-19 vaccines are anything other than safe and proven to be effective at helping to prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death due to COVID-19.”