Deena Hinshaw Hired as Deputy Provincial Health Officer in B.C.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's former chief medical officer of health, provides a COVID-19 update in Edmonton on Sept. 3, 2021. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)

Alberta’s former chief medical officer of health (CMOH) Dr. Deena Hinshaw has been hired as deputy provincial health officer in British Columbia in a temporary role.

In a statement announcing Hinshaw’s six-month contract, B.C. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Hinshaw will replace Dr. Martin Lavoie, a deputy health officer away on a temporary assignment.

“In her new role, Dr. Hinshaw will support the work of the office of the PHO [Provincial Health Officer],” said Henry, adding that Hinshaw would “help strengthen B.C.’s preparedness and response to present and future public health emergencies.”

Hinshaw was removed from her position in Alberta on Nov. 14, by Premier Danielle Smith. The move was made following a promise Smith made at her first news conference as newly elected premier on Oct. 11.

“I appreciate the work that Dr. Deena Hinshaw has done, but I think that we are in a new phase where we are now talking about treating coronavirus as endemic, as we do influenza,” Smith said at the time.

“A lot of the bad decisions were made by Alberta Health Services on the basis of bad advice from the chief medical officer of health,” Smith told reporters on Oct. 22.

B.C. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry puts on her mask following discussion of details about the province's COVID-19 vaccine card at a press conference in Victoria on Aug. 23, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Chad Hipolito)

Hinshaw was paid $363,633.92 by the Alberta government in 2021, plus cash benefits of $227,911.35 in the form of overtime pay, vacation payouts, and a vehicle allowance.

“I feel very fortunate to work alongside such talented and dedicated public health experts and I know their expertise will be a great assistance as we emerge from the pandemic and continue to address the many public health challenges facing the province,” said Henry.

In April 2022, Hinshaw appeared in court to testify on various public health orders she put in place while CMOH, as part of a constitutional legal challenge brought by churches against government restrictions. A decision is still pending in the matter.

During the trial, Alberta lawyers Leighton Grey and Jeffrey Rath questioned Hinshaw for three days on the many public health orders issued during COVID, including mandatory mask orders, school closures, and lockdowns.

B.C. has also hired Dr. Andrew Larder, previously a medical officer of health for Fraser and Interior Health, on a temporary basis to join the office of public health.