Leading by example
Canada’s female medical health officers are inspiring people, young and old
Loren Falkenberg did a double take the other day when she spotted a book she had given her daughter. Titled Soap, Water and
Common Sense, the book made a perfect gift for the then-medical student, Falkenberg thought at the time.
It was only a few days ago, though, that she realized the book’s author was Dr. Bonnie Henry — the provincial health officer for British Columbia, whose efficiency and empathy leading the province’s response to the COVID-19 crisis has led to strangers serenading her on Youtube and a now sold-out pair of designer shoes made in her honour.
“She had all this expertise, an incredible career and had traveled all over the world, but it took the COVID-19 crisis to bring her to the top,” says Falkenberg, the senior associate dean of graduate and professional programs at the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business.
These days, Dr. Henry is far from being the only woman at the top in health care; in fact, half of Canada’s 14 provincial and national chief medical officers and public health officers are female.
That includes Alberta’s much-revered chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, who has a Facebook fan club with more than 10,000 members and has inspired T-shirts, works of art and even a fashion movement. Recently, a landmark at the University of Alberta was named in her honour.
Prior to the pandemic, that kind of celebrity status and recognition was reserved for movie stars, not women with a scientific background. In a world where women are still under-represented in leadership roles, it’s been a refreshing change, says Falkenberg.
“These women have become heroes to society and I think it’s because of their ability to build on their expertise and speak clearly in a language people can understand. They are showing empathy and inspiring trust while delivering difficult messages. I think there could be a ripple effect from this for young women,” says Falkenberg, whose daughter is now a physician.
“There may be a lot of young female medical students or early career physicians watching and saying, ‘I could be up there at the front of all this, too; I could make this a goal once I build up the expertise for it.’ ”
Falkenberg points out principal at Children’s Village School, where most children are fed during the school day, was contemplating how to ensure food security once schools were closed.
“My sister, Julie, is a food writer and also passionate about food security. Concurrent to our conversation about that was the visceral response we both had to Dr. Hinshaw in her daily updates — the honesty and wisdom with which she spoke to the general public was such a source of comfort,” she says.
“The day I made the T-shirts, Dr. Hinshaw was feeling unwell and she quarantined herself in a room in her house. Her update was from seclusion, and I was struck by how she doesn’t just talk the talk, she walks the walk.”
Van Rosendaal initially made 10 T-shirts with a trace outline of the doctor’s image and the words, “What would Dr. Hinshaw do?” She asked her sister to auction off a few on social media, but to their great surprise, they were inundated with thousands of responses from across the country and raised more than $20,000 for Alberta’s food banks.
While she had to take down her website as U.s.based companies had copied the image and were selling the shirts for profit — contrary to Dr. Hinshaw’s wishes — Van Rosendaal feels great about what was accomplished.
“There’s a real celebratory movement about expressing gratitude and admiration for Dr. Hinshaw. And I feel so privileged to live in a time when women can step into these roles with that kind of respect and dignity,” she says.
“My daughter has almost finished her Bachelor’s degree in health policy and is applying to medical school. She is every bit as brilliant and strong and watchful as the women leaders I admire. I know she is capable of doing this kind of work, I can see that it is possible and I think she can see that as well.” that the authenticity of the movement is key in breaking down stereotypes.
“This isn’t a publicist saying, ‘I can build your reputation by doing X, Y, and Z.’ This is a natural grassroots development, which makes it all the more impactful.”
When Alison Van Rosendaal got the idea of tracing an image of Dr. Hinshaw for a few T-shirts to raise money for the Calgary Food Bank, she never guessed she’d sell thousands of them in under a week.
The former assistant