Latest news with #CMOH
Edmonton Journal
26-06-2025
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
Lawyer seeks to add Alberta corporations to list of plaintiffs in COVID-related class-action lawsuit
Article content 'They're still suffering from these orders. They're still suffering from a massive debt burden,' the lawyer said. But Dube said the group would not be limited to just small corporations. 'The proposed class of all corporations in Alberta run the whole gamut,' he said. Last Oct. 30, the Calgary Court of King's Bench judge ruled the class action could proceed on behalf of individual business owners who may have suffered losses due to unauthorized restrictions imposed by the Jason Kenney government. Feasby said the case can proceed on six common issues impacting all business owners affected by measures imposed by provincial cabinet and issued in the name of Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw. In 2023, Justice Barb Romaine ruled the measures ordered were unlawfully imposed under the Public Health Act because the decisions to issue the CMOH orders were made by cabinet and not Hinshaw. The province has appealed Feasby's certification of the class action, but did not challenge Romaine's earlier ruling the government acted illegally. Feasby said he will try to hand down a decision by next month.
CBC
03-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Need for permanent chief medical officer of health 'dire,' says Alberta Medical Association
Alberta's health minister says the search for a permanent chief medical medical officer of health is in the early stages, prompting concerns about health leadership as the province continues to battle its worst measles outbreak in nearly three decades. The total number of confirmed cases since the outbreaks began in March surged to 210 on Friday. That's the highest case count since 1997, when 242 cases were reported. The escalating case numbers come at a time when the province is without a permanent top doctor. The provincial government appointed an interim chief medical officer of health after Dr. Mark Joffe opted not to renew his contract in mid-April. He had been in the role since November 2022. Joffe left as calls grew for him to take to the podium and speak directly to Albertans about the measles outbreaks. At the time, doctors raised concerns about whether he was allowed to speak publicly on the matter. The province has not yet found a permanent replacement. "I think the need to get someone who has expertise in the role is dire," said Dr. Shelley Duggan, president of the Alberta Medical Association. "It could be tricky. But I think it's important. There's lots of people trained in public health. We need to get somebody in Alberta. And we need to let them develop a campaign and work with their team to get the messaging out." When asked by CBC News about the search for a replacement, Health Minister Adriana LaGrange did not say how much interest there is in the job. Nor did she say how many candidates have been interviewed. "We're at the initial stages of the search," she said at a news conference on Thursday. "We were quite hopeful that Dr. Joffe would have extended his contract. Since that hasn't happened, we are just at the initial stages of the search. And I'll keep you posted as we go along this road." When it comes to concerns about how the province will handle its surging measles cases without a permanent CMOH in place, she said she's confident in the work of the public health teams. "It's the local [medical officers of health] that are in the communities, that are on the ground working with those communities, that are most affected. They report up to the CMOH. So there's obviously a lot of interaction that happens." LaGrange said measles immunizations have increased this year compared to last year due to the work of those teams. When asked if she ever refused to greenlight any requests Joffe made about how to handle the measles outbreak, LaGrange did not answer directly, noting instead that she had many conversations with him about how to reach impacted communities. "There are hot spots, but we do not have a provincial outbreak of measles," she said when pressed further. Recruitment in question "Recruitment and retention of qualified public health leaders and health leaders, in general in this province, has become increasingly difficult," said Lorian Hardcastle, associate professor in the faculty of law and the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. She said concerns about politicization of public health could be a deterrent. "And given the revolving door of public health officials — of [Alberta Health Services] CEOs, of the AHS board — I think it's going to be difficult to recruit and retain qualified people to these kinds of roles in this province." It's problematic, she said, to be facing measles outbreaks with people moving in and out of the job. "You don't want to have those transitions in the context of a public health crisis. You want consistent, clear messaging from the same trusted authority. And I don't think they're positioned to do that." The Alberta NDP said it, too, is skeptical about Alberta's ability to recruit a new top doctor. "[Premier Danielle Smith] ran a leadership campaign showing disrespect to science, to public health, to experts, and it continues. And now she's got control over that office and it's caused a lot of chaos," said NDP health critic Sarah Hoffman, adding she's not surprised a permanent replacement is not in place. "It is concerning because there should be separation between those who are in charge of gathering evidence and those who are in controlling political messaging." Changes coming about through the UCP government's health system overall could be a further deterrent, according to Hoffman. Bill 55, the Health Statutes Amendment Act, was tabled on Thursday. If passed, zone medical officers of health who are now part of Alberta Health Services will move to Alberta Health. The plan has sparked concern about the consolidation of decision-making power — for matters relating to the health of Albertans — within the ministry. "It is really important that we have experts that are entrusted to give their very best advice and direction. And when you're within the department, you don't have that same independence," said Hoffman.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Need for permanent chief medical officer of health 'dire,' says Alberta Medical Association
Alberta's health minister says the search for a permanent chief medical medical officer of health is in the early stages, prompting concerns about health leadership as the province continues to battle its worst measles outbreak in nearly three decades. The total number of confirmed cases since the outbreaks began in March surged to 210 on Friday. That's the highest case count since 1997, when 242 cases were reported. The escalating case numbers come at a time when the province is without a permanent top doctor. The provincial government appointed an interim chief medical officer of health after Dr. Mark Joffe opted not to renew his contract in mid-April. He had been in the role since November 2022. Joffe left as calls grew for him to take to the podium and speak directly to Albertans about the measles outbreaks. At the time, doctors raised concerns about whether he was allowed to speak publicly on the matter. The province has not yet found a permanent replacement. "I think the need to get someone who has expertise in the role is dire," said Dr. Shelley Duggan, president of the Alberta Medical Association. "It could be tricky. But I think it's important. There's lots of people trained in public health. We need to get somebody in Alberta. And we need to let them develop a campaign and work with their team to get the messaging out." When asked by CBC News about the search for a replacement, Health Minister Adriana LaGrange did not say how much interest there is in the job. Nor did she say how many candidates have been interviewed. "We're at the initial stages of the search," she said at a news conference on Thursday. "We were quite hopeful that Dr. Joffe would have extended his contract. Since that hasn't happened, we are just at the initial stages of the search. And I'll keep you posted as we go along this road." When it comes to concerns about how the province will handle its surging measles cases without a permanent CMOH in place, she said she's confident in the work of the public health teams. "It's the local [medical officers of health] that are in the communities, that are on the ground working with those communities, that are most affected. They report up to the CMOH. So there's obviously a lot of interaction that happens." LaGrange said measles immunizations have increased this year compared to last year due to the work of those teams. When asked if she ever refused to greenlight any requests Joffe made about how to handle the measles outbreak, LaGrange did not answer directly, noting instead that she had many conversations with him about how to reach impacted communities. "There are hot spots, but we do not have a provincial outbreak of measles," she said when pressed further. "Recruitment and retention of qualified public health leaders and health leaders, in general in this province, has become increasingly difficult," said Lorian Hardcastle, associate professor in the faculty of law and the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. She said concerns about politicization of public health could be a deterrent. "And given the revolving door of public health officials — of [Alberta Health Services] CEOs, of the AHS board — I think it's going to be difficult to recruit and retain qualified people to these kinds of roles in this province." It's problematic, she said, to be facing measles outbreaks with people moving in and out of the job. "You don't want to have those transitions in the context of a public health crisis. You want consistent, clear messaging from the same trusted authority. And I don't think they're positioned to do that." The Alberta NDP said it, too, is skeptical about Alberta's ability to recruit a new top doctor. "[Premier Danielle Smith] ran a leadership campaign showing disrespect to science, to public health, to experts, and it continues. And now she's got control over that office and it's caused a lot of chaos," said NDP health critic Sarah Hoffman, adding she's not surprised a permanent replacement is not in place. "It is concerning because there should be separation between those who are in charge of gathering evidence and those who are in controlling political messaging." Changes coming about through the UCP government's health system overall could be a further deterrent, according to Hoffman. Bill 55, the Health Statutes Amendment Act, was tabled on Thursday. If passed, zone medical officers of health who are now part of Alberta Health Services will move to Alberta Health. The plan has sparked concern about the consolidation of decision-making power — for matters relating to the health of Albertans — within the ministry. "It is really important that we have experts that are entrusted to give their very best advice and direction. And when you're within the department, you don't have that same independence," said Hoffman.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Breakenridge: Why has province been so unwilling to talk about measles vaccines?
Before 2020, there were likely few Albertans who could name Alberta's chief medical officer of health (CMOH). That's likely the case once again. In between, of course, Deena Hinshaw — much like her provincial and federal counterparts — became a household name. That's not the norm, nor should we want it to be. But our level of familiarity with top health officials should be a byproduct of circumstances, not political preference. It was very much a matter of political preference when Premier Danielle Smith fired Hinshaw as CMOH as one of her first acts as premier. Dr. Mark Joffe was subsequently appointed interim CMOH, a position he held for more than two years before finally bowing out earlier this month. We've gone from one interim CMOH to another. Dr. Sunil Sookram has been temporarily appointed, while the province has begun the process of finding a permanent replacement. It remains to be seen whether the new interim CMOH will be any more visible or vocal than his predecessor. Based on Joffe's tenure, that seems unlikely. With a worsening measles outbreak in the province, though, that is less than ideal. Barely a day goes by now that we aren't hearing about new measles cases and potential public exposures to the virus. Alberta's outbreak isn't the worst in North America, or even Canada, but it's highly concerning. As the measles case count has continued to climb — now well over 100 — Alberta's CMOH has been conspicuously absent. There were no public news conferences and no interview requests granted. The province maintained that Joffe was closely monitoring the situation and it was being largely handled by local health officials in affected areas. It's reminiscent of the E. coli outbreak that occurred in Calgary in 2023. It wasn't until we had well over 200 cases linked to that outbreak — including more than two dozen hospitalized children — that the CMOH was finally allowed to appear at a news conference. It was 10 months into his appointment as CMOH and his first public appearance. Was it Joffe's decision to maintain a low profile through this measles outbreak? That should be a decision that falls to the CMOH based on an assessment of the situation. How to find out if you need the measles vaccine What to know about measles outbreaks and why they're happening It is both revealing and troubling that one of the first acts from Joffe as a now-former CMOH was to write an op-ed for the Calgary Herald laying out the reasons Albertans should be alarmed by this measles outbreak, and how crucial it is for us to increase vaccination rates. Later in the week, he gave a lengthy presentation at the University of Alberta emphasizing the same points. It is commendable that he would lend his expertise and whatever profile he still has to raise awareness about this rather important matter, but regrettable that he wasn't able to convey this message only days earlier, while still CMOH. It's fair to note here that Alberta Health Services has been diligent and transparent in publishing the measles case count and details around potential public exposures to the virus. Statements from AHS and Alberta Health have extolled the benefits and safety profile of the measles vaccine. This isn't the COVID pandemic and we certainly don't need daily televised news conferences from the CMOH. However, it's not a binary choice between a saturation of daily briefings and no appearances whatsoever. There is more than enough room in between for some meaningful and deliberate public communications. It's unclear why the province has been so unwilling to allow the CMOH to speak publicly. It could just be a lingering distaste of the CMOH's pandemic profile. Or, perhaps it's a reluctance to concede the seriousness of the outbreak. Hopefully, this has nothing to do with the politicization of vaccines. If we're going to still have a CMOH, this is precisely the sort of situation they need to be at the forefront of. The province shouldn't stand in the way of that. Rob Breakenridge is a Calgary-based broadcaster and writer. He can be found at and reached at
CBC
25-04-2025
- Health
- CBC
Alberta in the midst of worst measles outbreak since 1997 as doctors call for action
Alberta's measles outbreak is now the worst recorded in nearly three decades and that has health experts raising the alarm and renewing calls for stronger messaging from the provincial government. The surge is so concerning, Alberta's former chief medical officer of health, Dr. Mark Joffe, who left his post less than two weeks ago, is speaking out and describing measles as a "horrid illness." With 129 cases confirmed as of midday Thursday, the case counts so far this year have already surpassed the most recent high in the year 2000, when 123 cases were reported. The previous major peak was in 1997, when there were 242 cases. In most other years, in the decades after widespread measles vaccination was introduced, only a handful of cases have been reported. "Working in a hospital and seeing sick kids — when you see something that is preventable — it's just a shame to have a child come in and suffer from that," said Dr. Sidd Thakore, a pediatrician working at Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary. "We're seeing the end result of vaccination rates dropping." In Edmonton, Dr. Joan Robinson calls Alberta's measles situation "alarming." "We have failed in our mission to get this outbreak under control," said Robinson, the director of the pediatric infectious diseases division at the University of Alberta. "With that many cases it is, I think, impossible that we can shut this all down without there being significant further spread." In an opinion piece, published Thursday in the Calgary Herald, Joffe wrote at length about the dangers of measles. "Alberta's current outbreak of measles, affecting mostly children, should concern us all," he said, noting that between 10 and 20 per cent of people infected will require hospital admission. "Measles is a horrid illness. It is much more severe than most childhood infections. While most people recover, some don't." Measles can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia, brain swelling and even death. This marks the first time Albertans have heard from Joffe since he left the interim CMOH position earlier this month when his contract ended. The Premier noted at the time that the government wanted him to stay on as chief medical officer of health. His departure came on the heels of growing calls for him to take to the podium and speak directly to Albertans about outbreaks. And doctors raised questions about whether he was allowed to do so. The provincial government has since appointed a temporary replacement. CBC News asked this week for an interview with the interim CMOH, Dr. Sunil Sookram, but was told he is unavailable. Health Minister Adriana LaGrange shared Joffe's opinion piece on X, formerly known as Twitter, and thanked him for highlighting the importance of measles vaccination. "Alberta's government takes public health seriously, and if you want more information on measles or check your immunization record, please contact your local public health centre, call 811, or text 'measles'/'vaccine record' to 88111," LaGrange said in the social media post. Outbreaks will continue doctors warn The Alberta government website states two doses of the measles vaccines offer nearly 100 per cent protection. "There's so many areas with very low levels of immunization so you know that the risk in that population is not small," said Dr. Jim Kellner, a pediatrician and infectious diseases specialist at Alberta Children's Hospital. "Without being overly dramatic, you can anticipate that we're going to see hundreds of more cases this year. And that's a pretty dramatic change from almost no cases." Measles is a highly contagious airborne virus and people can be infectious before they show symptoms, making it extremely difficult to contain without adequate population level protection through vaccination, said Kellner. The latest publicly available data shows that, as of April 19, nine Albertans had been hospitalized since the outbreaks began. "If you have enough cases, you're going to see these rare, severe complications including death," said Kellner, noting there is no effective anti-viral drug to treat measles. Measles vaccine uptake started dropping before the pandemic and continued to decline in the years following, he said. Some parts of Alberta now have very low rates. Calls for messaging, mass immunization clinics What's missing, he argues, is strong messaging from public health officials encouraging vaccination and sharing key information about measles and its risks. "They've been silent on that. There have not been any kind of efforts to provide increased accessibility to vaccine or even recommendations for it," said Kellner, who's also a professor of pediatrics at the University of Calgary. "It's worrisome because then if there's nothing that happens officially, that doesn't lead to confidence by the general public." Kellner noted approximately 100,000 children die every year globally due to measles. "It's still a major affliction in childhood especially — but even in older persons — around the world. And the No. 1 thing to do is get vaccine rates up." Thakore echoes Kellner's concerns. "We need leadership. We need the public to be able to hear from someone in a leadership position, which is the medical officer of health," he said. Robinson is calling on the province to set up widespread drop-in immunization clinics. "So that people can show up without appointments and get themselves or their children's [immunizations] updated," she said. "We do not have the resources for that in public health right now. But if the government made that a priority, we could make that happen over the next week, even." Meanwhile, in his opinion piece, Joffe said the measles vaccine, which has been used for more than five decades, has a well-established safety record. And he had a stark warning for Albertans. Up to two people in every 1,000 measles patients will develop a brain infection, which often leads to chronic disability or death, he said. A similar number, according to Joffe, will develop long-term brain inflammation, known as subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, which can happen years later and lead to behaviour and cognitive changes and "inevitable death." "In Alberta in the pre-vaccine 1950s, around 10 people (almost always children) died each year from measles. With our current population, and without immunization, measles would cause 45 to 50 deaths each year in Alberta, mainly in young children." According to the provincial government's website, between one and three out of every 1,000 people with measles will die. Measles symptoms include: High fever. Cough. Runny nose. Red eyes. Blotchy, red rash that appears three to seven days after the fever starts. Information about measles, including case counts, can be found on the Alberta government's measles web page, which includes a link to a list of exposure location alerts.
