Closer Look: Dr. Vera Etches departs Ottawa Public Health

CTV’s Patricia Boal speaks with Dr. Vera Etches, Ottawa’s medical officer of health, who officially steps down from her role this week.

Dr. Vera Etches, the city of Ottawa’s medical officer of health throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, officially steps down from her role this week.

Etches has been hired as the new president and CEO of CHEO, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Friday is her last day at Ottawa Public Health before she takes over at CHEO in March.

Ottawa Public Health has appointed Dr. Trevor Arnason as interim medical officer of health while the city searches for a full-time replacement for Etches.

Etches spoke with CTV News Ottawa’s Patricia Boal about her time as the city’s top doctor.

The interview below has been lightly edited for clarity.

Patricia Boal: We talked to you in early days about flu shots and some of the basics that you expect to deal with when you’re in charge at public health and then COVID hit, and we have had a lot of conversations that were far more serious. What did COVID change about your work and what did you learn from that time?

Vera Etches: I will certainly remember, as a highlight, just how much different organizations pulled together to make sure that we protected people’s lives. The early days were frightening, the death rates were high, and that relief that came when we had vaccines that could protect people — it took the city, it took hospitals, it took businesses; everybody was really focused on what we could do to protect our population.

What we found was our partnerships and the work we did in the community were deepened. We moved our services more into neighbourhoods where people might have more barriers. That’s continued. Now, we have neighbourhood health and wellness hubs that not only provide vaccines, but also dental services, mental health supports, and supports for new parents.

Boal: Intimidating, overwhelming, probably, at times, but also it must have left you with a real sense of adding value to the people that you work with.

Etches: Absolutely. We used the basic public health skills of measuring the health of the population. We were able to use that information about who is most affected — certainly, seeing older adults needed to be protected the most — and then orienting our interventions to those populations.

Boal: This next challenge is maybe even bigger. Heading up CHEO, it’s a huge project and a wonderful institution in our city. What are you most looking forward to and what would you like to accomplish there?

Etches: I think wherever you work, one of the most important things is the people and all the reports are that CHEO is a place with very dedicated people who are really focused on making a difference for children and youth in our community. So, I look forward to meeting people and hearing about how I can support them in that mission.