Deena Hinshaw, BSc '97, MD '04, MPH '08.
Illustration: Amanda Schutz
Since her first live update on Feb. 26, Alberta's chief medical officer of health Deena Hinshaw, BSc '97, MD '04, MPH '08, has commanded the Alberta public's undivided attention in the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Hinshaw's daily reports have become an afternoon ritual across the province, launching countless tweets, T-shirts and even fan art from her admirers.
Though it may seem unusual for a scientist to garner such celebrity, the popularity of Hinshaw, a proud U of A alumna, comes as no surprise to her former mentors.
"Within a week or two, I could tell … that this is one of the doctors who stands out," says Mike Donoff, professor and associate chair of family medicine, who mentored Hinshaw while she was simultaneously completing her master of public health (MPH) and two-year family medicine residency. Her intelligence, compassion, ability to understand and interpret data and relatable communication style made her a patient favourite.
After completing her MPH in 2008, Hinshaw entered the Department of Family Medicine's care of the elderly diploma program, spending six months training with associate professor Jasneet Parmar, medical director for the Network of Excellence in Seniors' Health and Wellness, at WestView Health Centre in Stony Plain."Some residents stick in your mind and she was one of them," says Parmar.
While working through her diploma, Hinshaw was especially interested in influenza prevention among seniors, which seems almost prescient given the COVID-19 pandemic and the risk it presents to the elderly.
"She deserves the respect that she's getting," says Donoff. "We all benefit when we have somebody who's such a good role model."