Dr. Reimer’s First Shift: Canada’s New Chief Public Health Officer

How do you safeguard Canada’s public health in an era of unprecedented upheaval — from the growth of health misinformation and conspiracy theories to advice from Dr. Google and looming pandemics? That is the role of Canada’s new chief public health officer, Dr. Joss Reimer — a physician from Manitoba and former president of the Canadian Medical Association — who began her new job on April 1, 2026.

In this wide-ranging interview, host Avis Favaro talks with Dr. Reimer about the origins of her commitment to public service, how sleep deprivation and burnout were turning points in her career, what her work in Nairobi taught her about looking beyond our borders and how leading Manitoba’s COVID-19 Vaccine Taskforce shifted how she communicates. 

This episode is available in English.

Episode transcripts can be found on our podcast web page.

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