That was on top of the $363,634 salary and “non-cash benefits” of about $5,200 for Dr. Dina Hinshaw last year.
It’s the largest cash benefits payment for a provincial employee since records began in 2016.
The numbers are on the Alberta government’s salary disclosure page.
In all, 107 provincially salaried employees — most in management positions and working in the health sector — received cash payments in 2021.
Twelve people, including Hinshaw, recorded six-figure cash bonuses.
The so-called “Sunshine List” reveals the compensation of almost 2,000 people.
Health department spokesman Steve Buick confirmed the payments to CTV News, calling them standard practice in an emergency.
It says Hinshaw’s bonuses were calculated using her base hourly rate and the number of overtime hours she worked in 2021 beyond a 45-hour week.
The COVID-19 pandemic has killed 4,665 Albertans and has required frequent public health updates from Hinshaw at times over the past two years.
Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt says he understands the pandemic-related payments — but he doesn’t think every Albertan will.
“This will add to the discussions about ‘did Hinshaw provide advice to the Kenney administration?’ Was he giving advice he felt was needed? Did it work independently?” Those discussions I think will continue and it will come under an even deeper microscope,” Bratt told CTV News.
He also says he will raise some questions about a staff move in April.
“In many ways, you have to contrast Hinshaw’s bonus with, say, the firing of Verna Yiu as CEO of Alberta Health Services, or the efforts — at least in 2020 — to try to hold the line and reduce the salaries for doctors and nurses,” Bratt said.
The head of AHS, Dr. Verna Yu, said 750 health workers are seeking exemptions from the provincial vaccination mandate The province set aside a COVID-related emergency fund last year to help increase health spending during the pandemic. He tells CTV News that the $2.4 million in total reimbursement for special services for 2021 is about 0.04 percent of the province’s $10 billion total cost to respond to the pandemic. A statement also thanked all employees for their extra work over the past two years.
