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Cindy E. Harnett

Cindy E. Harnett

Cindy Harnett is a Times Colonist reporter focused on health.

Cindy is originally from Toronto, where she attended York University and Ryerson University before taking her first newspaper job in northern Ontario, where she learned about forestry, wildlife, block heaters, and snowstorms in May. She has worked as a reporter in Quesnel and a managing editor at Black Press, and has contributed to publications including Maclean’s magazine.

In 2008, Cindy and her Times Colonist colleagues picked up a Jack Webster Best News Reporting of the Year award for coverage of the 2007 Lee family murder-suicide, which highlighted gross inadequacies in domestic violence and child protection services and police co-ordination.

Over the years, Cindy has gravitated to issues of justice, including the 1997 swarming and murder of teenager Reena Virk, the 2012 botched firing of eight B.C. Health Ministry researchers during which one committed suicide, the 2018 toxic drug poisoning death of Elliot Eurchuk, and the 2019 William Head jailbreak that saw two prisoners charged with murder.

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Recent Work by Cindy E.

Managing withdrawal in hospital harder as street drugs get more potent: doctor

Managing withdrawal in hospital harder as street drugs get more potent: doctor

Use of highly concentrated illicit fentanyl in the community has made it tougher to find effective withdrawal medications for patients
Island Health memo instructs nurses not to stop illicit drug use in hospitals

Island Health memo instructs nurses not to stop illicit drug use in hospitals

The memo dated March 12, which was raised in the legislature on Tuesday, provides a guide for staff interactions with people who use illicit drugs
No plans for overdose-prevention sites at all B.C. hospitals, Dix says

No plans for overdose-prevention sites at all B.C. hospitals, Dix says

Health authorities have differing approaches on how to deal with drug use in hospitals, but task force will standardize rules, minister says.
Trudeau visits UVic to tout funding for science, supports for students

Trudeau visits UVic to tout funding for science, supports for students

The prime minister toured the University of Victoria’s CanAssist wing of the CARSA building to hear from science and engineering students and faculty about their research.
Family calls for changes after Victoria man dies hours after being discharged from Royal Jubilee

Family calls for changes after Victoria man dies hours after being discharged from Royal Jubilee

James Zimmer’s family was at the legislature to support proposed changes to improve communication with families of patients in a mental-health crisis
BC United leader says solution to illicit drugs in hospitals is 'just say no'

BC United leader says solution to illicit drugs in hospitals is 'just say no'

Kevin Falcon says he would ban open drug use in hospitals
New streamlined registry aims to speed up attaching patients to family doctors

New streamlined registry aims to speed up attaching patients to family doctors

Health Minister Adrian Dix says the goal is to reach out to everyone on the Health Connect registry at least every three months
Nurses say rules for illicit-drug use in hospitals won't work without enforcement

Nurses say rules for illicit-drug use in hospitals won't work without enforcement

While standardized rules form a task force are welcome, the rules in place now are not being enforced, says the president of the B.C. Nurses Union
Detox and treatment beds to be available to Indigenous youth in Lantzville

Detox and treatment beds to be available to Indigenous youth in Lantzville

Twenty substance-use treatment beds will be available to Indigenous youth age 12 to 18 in renovated space at the Orca Lelum Youth Wellness Centre
Mask mandate in hospitals dropped as vaccine booster program ramps up

Mask mandate in hospitals dropped as vaccine booster program ramps up

The goal of the spring booster campaign is to strengthen waning protection for the most vulnerable
More work by Cindy E. >