Bonnie Henry is a Canadian physician and public servant. Her cooperation with leading international organizations allowed the world to significantly reduce the spread of Ebola, polio and coronavirus. During her stay in leadership positions, Bonnie managed to introduce many innovations that had a positive impact on the development of medicine in the province as well as the awareness of citizens about healthcare.
In addition, Bonnie is actively involved in scientific and educational activities, conducting unique research and improving the knowledge of medical students.
Learn more about Bonnie Henry’s life and career path at ivancouver. (Sources: gov.bc.ca, spph.ubc.ca, imdb.com)
Beginning of the story
Bonnie’s father was a military man, so the family often changed places of residence. Therefore, young Bonnie changed schools several times.
She received her bachelor’s degree in 1986 and her Doctor of Medicine degree in 1990.
From 1996 to 1999, Bonnie did a residency in preventive medicine. In 1999, she received a master’s degree in public health.
Cooperation with international organizations
When she was in her third year of study, Bonnie joined the Royal Canadian Navy and became a military doctor after graduation.
In addition, Bonnie served at CFB Esquimalt, located in Victoria, for ten years. At the beginning of the 2000s, Bonnie participated in one of the programmes by the World Health Organization and UNICEF. It was aimed at the eradication of polio in Pakistan.
In 2001, Bonnie Henry moved to Uganda, where she helped fight the Ebola disease.
In addition, Bonnie was an active participant in the process of developing Canada’s Pandemic Influenza Plan. This document contains healthcare recommendations during the spread of the virus.
Numerous positions
In September 2001, Bonnie joined Toronto Public Health, taking the associate medical officer of health position. She was offered to head the department that dealt with emergency care as well as the department responsible for infectious diseases.
From 2005 to 2007, Bonnie held the epidemiologist position at the BC Centre for Disease Control.
From 2007 to 2014, she was a medical director at the Public Health Emergency Management.
Leader
In February 2018, Bonnie Henry became a provincial health officer for British Columbia. By the way, she was the first woman to hold this position.
It’s also worth noting that Bonnie headed the pandemic influenza task group, which tried to do everything possible to minimize the number of infected people. The above-mentioned group also dealt with limiting social disruptions. As its leader, Bonnie called for the creation of more effective electronic systems for understanding vaccine uptake as well as managing the country’s inventory.
Teaching activities
It’s important to note that Bonnie Henry is a lecturer at the University of British Columbia. She is also an associate professor at the Faculty of Medicine. In 2021, she was awarded an honorary degree from the aforementioned educational institution.
Photo sources: globalnews.ca, burnabynow.com