John E.F. Hastings

John E.F. Hastings

A Profound Impact on the Development of Community Health Services

Dr. John E.F. Hastings has had a distinguished career as an advocate for community health services and as a leading educator in community health. He was appointed as a lecturer in the School of Hygiene at the University of Toronto in 1956, where he remained for the next 36 years and served as Associate Dean of Community Health. In 1965, he completed a report for the Hall Royal Commission on Health Services with recommendations about the organization of community health services in Canada. Building on this work and a detailed evaluation of Community Health Centres in Sault Ste. Marie, he produced a seminal report in 1971-72, commissioned by the Conference of Health Ministers. Dr. Hastings worked on national and international projects, including the Canadian Health Administrator Study and as a consultant to the World Health Organization (WHO). He served on CPHA’s International Health Review and Evaluation Committee and on the Archives Committee. He was the founding Associate Dean of the Division of Community Health within the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Dr. Hastings was instrumental in replacing the diploma programs in community health areas with master’s degrees (MHSc). Dr. Hastings has received a number of awards, including CPHA’s Ortho Award (1975), the Canada-Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal (1977) and the WHO/PAHO Fellowship for Administration (1987). Dr. Hastings made a profound impact on both the Canadian health care system and on practitioners of community health through his work on community health policy alternatives and a commitment to furthering the education of public health professionals. Dr. John E.F. Hastings was given CPHA’s highest honour, the R.D. Defries Award, in 1992.

(CPHA Health Digest, Vol. 16, No. 3, Autumn 1992)