Perry Kendall
| Dr. Perry Kendall | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Perry Robert William Kendall 1943 United Kingdom |
| Citizenship | Canadian |
| Occupation | Public health |
| Years active | 1987-2015 |
| Known for | harm reduction |
|
Medical career | |
| Institutions |
Ministry of Health (British Columbia) |
| Notable prizes | Order of British Columbia |
Dr. Perry Kendall, OBC, MD, FRCPC (born 1943) is a Public health physician who is the first Provincial Health Officer (PHO) for the Canadian province of British Columbia's health ministry and was awarded the Order of British Columbia for contributions to Public health field and to harm reduction policy and practice.
Early career
Born in the United Kingdom in 1943, Dr. Kendall completed his undergraduate medical training at University College Hospital Medical School in 1968 before spending a year as Senior House Officer at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica.
In 1972 he moved to Toronto, Canada working in general practice at the Hassle Free Clinic. Over the next two decades, Kendall moved back and forth between the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. He moved to Vancouver in 1974 to work for the Vancouver Health Department's Pine Free Clinic and East Health Unit while acquiring a Master's Degree in Health Care Planning and Epidemiology and a Fellowship in Community Medicine. He then returned to Ontario in 1984 to work as a manager with the Ontario Ministry of Health until 1987, when he returned to British Columbia as Medical Officer of Health for the Capital Regional District, in which capacity he opened one of Canada's first needle exchange programs.
In 1989 he started a six-year career as Medical Officer of Health for the City of Toronto where he pioneered programs for HIV/AIDS and drug abuse prevention, established Harm Reduction as the official City policy for substance abuse, and city tobacco control by-laws. In 1995, Kendall was appointed President of the Addiction Research Foundation of Ontario, one of six academic health science centres in Toronto and a WHO Collaborating Centre, until consolidation with other organizations occurred in 1998.
Provincial Health Officer
The provincial government of Premier Glen Clark created the position of Provincial Health Officer (PHO) as an independent officer for the Ministry of Health through the Public Health Act
After a year serving as Vice-President, Seniors' Health, with the Capital Health Region in Victoria, British Columbia, Dr. Kendall was appointed as the first Provincial Health Officer for the province of British Columbia in May 3, 1999.
The Health Act outlines the role of the (PHO). As senior medical health officer for British Columbia, the PHO's responsibilities include:
- advising the Minister and senior members of the ministry on health issues in BC and on the need for legislation, policies and practices concerning those issues;
- monitoring the health of the people of BC;
- providing information and analyses on health issues;
- reporting to the public on health issues, the need for legislation, a change of policy, or practice respecting health in BC.
Dr. Kendall also participates on a number of provincial and national committees and co-chairs the Pan-Canadian Public Health Network Council. As PHO, he worked with the Chief Medical Health Officers of the regional health authorities (e.g. Dr. John Blatherwick of Vancouver Coastal Health). Kendall appointed Evan Adams and Bonnie Henry as Deputy Provincial Health Officers.
In late 2014, Kendall announced he would retire as PHO in early 2015 but later rescinded his decision to retire for approximately a year.[1]
Public health topics during PHO tenure
- 2014 - role changes by federal government for national Chief Public Health Officer[2]
- 2011 - British Columbia exposure to radiation from Japan nuclear reactor disaster[3]
- 2010 Winter Olympics emergency preparedness[4]
- 2009 - H1N1 influenza pandemic
- 2003 - establishment of Insite, first legal supervised drug injection site in North America,
- 2002-03 SARS outbreak
- Heroin-assisted treatment[5]
- proposed legalization of marijuana[6][7]
Recognition
- 1991 - Addiction Research Foundation Community Achievement Award for leadership in substance abuse prevention
- 1992 - Non Smokers Rights Association Award of Merit
- 2005 - Order of British Columbia (OBC)
References
- ↑ Hol, Darryl. "B.C.'s top doctor puts retirement off for a year". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ↑ Grant, Kelly (Nov 13, 2014). "Top doctor's reduced role would weaken post, warns B.C. health officer". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ↑ Tromp, Stanley (April 27, 2013). "Fukushima's Radiation: BC Health Risk, or Fish Tale?". The Tyee. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
- ↑ Amiri, Neda; Chami, Goldis (March 23, 2010). "Medical services at the Olympics: a monumental challenge". Canadian Medical Association Journal (182(5): E229–E230). Retrieved 7 April 2015.
- ↑ Wherry, Aaron (Oct 3, 2013). "Dr. Perry Kendall on Heroin-Assisted Treatment". Maclean's Magazine. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ↑ Mackie, John (Nov 11, 2014). "Dr. Perry Kendall reflects on 15 years as British Columbia's Provincial Health Officer". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ↑ Pemberton, Kim (March 28, 2012). "B.C.'s chief medical officer joins call to legalize pot". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
External links
- 2005 Recipient: Dr. Perry Robert William Kendall - Order of BC Recipient Profile
- Officer of the Provincial Health Officer website