• shannon.mcdonald@fnha.ca

Biography

Dr. Shannon McDonald, Senior Medical Officer (Vancouver Island) First Nations Health Authority, works with the regional health authority, the Chief Medical Health Officer and MHOs, and health directors on Vancouver Island to ensure that high quality, coordinated and complementary health services are being offered by their organizations and the FNHA. Dr. McDonald reports on population and public health issues that require a collaborative and coordinated response, and leads communications on any that require immediate action. She also leads FNHA participation in local, provincial or national committees on public health, mental wellness and substance misuse, as well as population and public health surveillance, among other responsibilities.

Prior to joining the FNHA, Dr. McDonald served for five years as Executive Director of the Aboriginal Health Directorate, BC Ministry of Health. There, she was a close partner in the evolution of the FNHA’s work, including the implementation of the Tripartite First Nations Health Plan and the development of the Tripartite Framework Agreement on First Nations Health Governance. She also served as a Regional Medical Officer with FNIHB Health Canada, both in Manitoba and nationally, and worked for several years in Winnipeg on community health programs, especially mental health and chronic disease programs. Dr. McDonald completed her medical training at the University of Manitoba in 1998, and went on to do post-graduate training in psychiatry and in community health sciences. She isa proud member of one of the founding families of Manitoba’s Métis Nation.