Need for permanent chief medical officer of health 'dire,' says Alberta Medical Association

Jennifer Lee · CBC News

· Posted: May 03, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Alberta's wellness curate says the hunt for a imperishable main aesculapian medical serviceman of wellness is successful the aboriginal stages, prompting concerns astir wellness enactment arsenic the state continues to battle its worst measles outbreak successful astir 3 decades. 

The full fig of confirmed cases since the outbreaks began successful March surged to 210 connected Friday. That's the highest lawsuit number since 1997, erstwhile 242 cases were reported.

The escalating lawsuit numbers travel astatine a clip erstwhile the state is without a imperishable apical doctor.

The provincial authorities appointed an interim main aesculapian serviceman of wellness aft Dr. Mark Joffe opted not to renew his declaration successful mid-April. He had been successful the relation since November 2022.

Joffe left arsenic calls grew for him to instrumentality to the podium and talk straight to Albertans astir the measles outbreaks. At the time, doctors raised concerns astir whether helium was allowed to talk publically connected the matter.

The province has not yet recovered a imperishable replacement.

"I deliberation the request to get someone who has expertise successful the role is dire," said Dr. Shelley Duggan, president of the Alberta Medical Association.

"It could beryllium tricky. But I deliberation it's important. There's tons of radical trained successful nationalist health. We request to get idiosyncratic successful Alberta. And we request to fto them make a run and enactment with their squad to get the messaging out."

• Alberta successful the midst of worst measles outbreak since 1997 arsenic doctors telephone for action

When asked by CBC News about the hunt for a replacement, Health Minister Adriana LaGrange did not accidental however overmuch involvement determination is successful the job. Nor did she accidental however galore candidates person been interviewed.

"We're astatine the archetypal stages of the search," she said astatine a quality league connected Thursday.

"We were rather hopeful that Dr. Joffe would person extended his contract. Since that hasn't happened, we are conscionable astatine the archetypal stages of the search. And I'll support you posted arsenic we spell on this road."

When it comes to concerns astir however the state volition grip its surging measles cases without a imperishable CMOH successful place, she said she's assured successful the enactment of the nationalist wellness teams.

"It's the section [medical officers of health] that are successful the communities, that are connected the crushed moving with those communities, that are astir affected. They study up to the CMOH. So there's evidently a batch of enactment that happens."

LaGrange said measles immunizations person accrued this twelvemonth compared to past year due to the work of those teams.

• Health teams scramble to incorporate dispersed of measles successful cardinal and confederate Alberta

When asked if she ever refused to greenlight immoderate requests Joffe made astir however to grip the measles outbreak, LaGrange did not reply directly, noting alternatively that she had galore conversations with him astir however to scope impacted communities.

"There are blistery spots, but we bash not person a provincial outbreak of measles," she said erstwhile pressed further.

• Alberta wanted main aesculapian serviceman of wellness to stay successful job, premier says
• Chief aesculapian officer's declaration ends arsenic measles concerns turn successful Alberta

Recruitment successful question

"Recruitment and retention of qualified nationalist wellness leaders and wellness leaders, successful wide successful this province, has go progressively difficult," said Lorian Hardcastle, subordinate prof successful the module of instrumentality and the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary.

She said concerns astir politicization of nationalist wellness could beryllium a deterrent.

"And fixed the revolving doorway of nationalist wellness officials — of [Alberta Health Services] CEOs, of the AHS board — I deliberation it's going to beryllium hard to enlistee and clasp qualified radical to these kinds of roles successful this province."

It's problematic, she said, to beryllium facing measles outbreaks with radical moving successful and retired of the job.

"You don't privation to person those transitions successful the discourse of a nationalist wellness crisis. You privation consistent, wide messaging from the aforesaid trusted authority. And I don't deliberation they're positioned to bash that."

The Alberta NDP said it, too, is skeptical astir Alberta's quality to enlistee a caller apical doctor.

• Alberta doctors propulsion backmost connected provincial COVID-19 task unit report
• Alberta's measles lawsuit number surges supra 200

"[Premier Danielle Smith] ran a enactment run showing disrespect to science, to nationalist health, to experts, and it continues. And present she's got power implicit that bureau and it's caused a batch of chaos," said NDP wellness critic Sarah Hoffman, adding she's not amazed a imperishable replacement is not successful place.

"It is concerning due to the fact that determination should beryllium separation betwixt those who are successful complaint of gathering grounds and those who are successful controlling governmental messaging."

Changes coming astir done the UCP government's wellness strategy overall could beryllium a further deterrent, according to Hoffman.

Bill 55, the Health Statutes Amendment Act, was tabled connected Thursday. If passed, portion aesculapian officers of wellness who are present portion of Alberta Health Services will determination to Alberta Health.

The program has sparked interest astir the consolidation of decision-making power — for matters relating to the wellness of Albertans — within the ministry.

"It is truly important that we person experts that are entrusted to springiness their precise champion proposal and direction. And erstwhile you're wrong the department, you don't person that aforesaid independence," said Hoffman.