As National Post’s senior health policy reporter, Kirkey investigates:
“When I think of physician-equivalent, it’s someone who has gone to medical school... What’s where people deserve access to a doctor.” – Kirkey quoting OMA president in 2025 scope-of-practice debate
For over two decades, Sharon Kirkey has carved a niche as National Post’s foremost health and policy journalist, blending investigative rigor with human-centered storytelling. Her career evolution mirrors Canada’s shifting healthcare priorities:
“We assume this is just add-on, add-on, add-on. But if you have nurse practitioners and occupational therapists doing more things, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting more care. It means you’re going to get different care.” – From Kirkey’s 2025 analysis of healthcare workforce solutions
This 2025 investigative piece dissects Canada’s primary care shortage through the lens of scope-of-practice reforms. Kirkey interviews 14 healthcare professionals across 6 provinces, revealing how regulatory turf wars between physicians and nurse practitioners exacerbate access barriers. The article’s viral spread (shared 42K+ times) sparked parliamentary committee discussions about modernizing the Canada Health Act.
Methodologically notable for its dual approach:
Her findings exposed the financial inertia behind resistance to role expansion, estimating potential annual savings of $1.2B through optimized workforce deployment.
Kirkey’s 2024 series opener combines cultural criticism with sleep science, tracking Canada’s $3.9B sleep aid industry. Through interviews with 23 insomniacs and 9 sleep researchers, she debunks “sleep optimization” myths while exposing the dark side of wearable sleep trackers.
The article’s innovative structure:
Public health units subsequently issued guidelines about healthy sleep attitudes, crediting Kirkey’s work for highlighting iatrogenic sleep anxiety.
This 2025 bombshell analysis of SecondStreet.org data revealed systemic failures in surgical prioritization. Kirkey’s team cross-referenced FOIA requests with coroner reports, uncovering that 58% of wait-list deaths involved patients under 65. The piece forced six provinces to implement real-time wait-list mortality dashboards.
Key revelations:
Health Canada cited this investigation when announcing its 2026 Wait-Time Reduction Innovation Fund.
Why Pitch This: Kirkey consistently highlights underutilized health professionals like pharmacist-prescribers and midwives. Her 2025 series on nurse practitioner-led clinics demonstrates appetite for solutions challenging medical traditionalism. Successful pitches should include:
Why Pitch This: From wait-list tracking failures to unregulated sleep tech, Kirkey exposes oversight gaps. Her 2024 investigation into Apple Watch’s unvalidated apnea detection shows demand for regulatory critiques. Effective angles:
Why Pitch This: Kirkey’s work on complex elderly patients (2025) and chronic pain management (2023) reveals a focus on dignity-preserving care. Pitches should emphasize:
While specific awards aren’t documented in available sources, Kirkey’s career impact is evidenced through:
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Health, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
