May 21, 2014
SOUTH ZONE — Dr. Karin Goodison joined Alberta Health Services’ public health team this week as the second Medical Officer of Health in AHS South Zone.
Originally from Calgary, Dr. Goodison received her medical training at the University of Alberta and worked as a family physician for more than a decade before earning a Master’s degree in public health in 2012 from the University of British Columbia. She recently completed her public health and preventive medicine residency, the first resident to complete this program from a rural setting.
Dr. Goodison has practised medicine in a variety of settings, including youth health clinics and schools, as well as the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Coquitlam, B.C., where she specialized in chronic care issues, such as HIV, hepatitis, obesity, diabetes and infection control.
She has also worked in numerous family practice locum positions in communities across B.C. and Alberta, including Medicine Hat. Her areas of interest include chronic disease prevention, health equity, injury prevention, aboriginal health and harm reduction.
“Dr. Goodison will bring a variety of rural and urban experiences to the South Zone population health and public health teams, to zone leadership and to the provincial programs,” says
Dr. Vivien Suttorp, lead Medical Officer of Health for South Zone.
“In the next few weeks, she will meet with public health staff and with various community groups and leaders around the zone.”
Dr. Goodison and Dr. Suttorp will divide their responsibilities by program area to cover the entire South Zone, including on-call duties. AHS is currently in the process of recruiting a third Medical Officer of Health for the South Zone.
“I am delighted to be back in southern Alberta,” says Dr. Goodison, who also has an undergraduate degree in zoology from the University of Calgary. “My goal from the outset of my training has been to work in a rural setting. I am particularly excited to be able to practise in such a culturally diverse zone.”
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.
- 30 -
