Dr. Vera Etches gives final update as Ottawa’s medical officer of health

Ottawa's medical officer of health, Dr. Vera Etches, appears in this file image.

Dr. Vera Etches has delivered her final update as medical officer of health to the City of Ottawa’s Board of Health.

The board met Monday to bid farewell to Etches and strike a hiring committee to find her replacement.

“It will be no easy feat to fill the shoes of Dr. Etches,” said Coun. Catherine Kitts, chair of the board of health.

In her final verbal report, Etches thanked her colleagues at Ottawa Public Health for their efforts over the years.

“Your work is so important, and it makes a difference in the lives of all people in Ottawa,” she said. “And I also want to let the people of Ottawa know that certainly Ottawa Public Health will be here to support you and help you.”

She said from before a baby is born until a person’s old age, Ottawa Public Health is there to offer support during all stages of life.

“I do see that the people of Ottawa Public Health are motivated to do their work not solely because of recognition or their work but because they care about this community,” Etches said.

CHEO, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, announced in December that Etches would become the new president and CEO of the hospital after former president and CEO Alex Munter’s departure earlier last year.

Etches became Ottawa’s medical officer of health in 2018 and led the city through the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to her role as the head of Ottawa Public Health, she served as deputy medical officer of health from 2014 to 2017 and as associate medical officer of health for OPH from 2009 to 2014 and also served in several roles at the Sudbury and District Health Unit.

“Despite our best efforts, there’s always more work to be done. More gaps to addressed, more lives to be positively impacted. These gaps are opportunities for growth and innovation. They remind us public health is a dynamic field requiring constant vigilance, empathy and dedication,” Etches told the Board of Health.

“What I most wish for the Ottawa Public Health team as we go forward into 2025 is joy. Joy at seeing your work make a difference for people and populations in Ottawa.”

The Board of Health voted to create a selection panel to hire Ottawa’s next medical officer of health, comprised of the chair and vice-chair of the board, one citizen member and one councillor member. The selection panel will collaborate with the City of Ottawa’s Human Resources Department to secure the services of an external executive search firm to help find Etches’s replacement.

The board also approved associate medical officer of health Dr. Trevor Arnason as Ottawa’s interim medical officer of health.