Dr. Thomas Piggott will be the next medical officer of health for Peterborough Public Health, officials announced Wednesday night.
Piggott will assume the role on Dec. 1, replacing Dr. Rosana Salvaterra who is retiring in late September, the health unit’s board announced on Wednesday during its regular meeting. The ministry of health will be informed of the decision.
“The Board of Health was very impressed with Dr. Piggott’s extensive track record in public health and we are confident he’ll serve our community with the care, passion and scientific expertise our residents have come to expect from their Medical Officer of Health,” stated Andy Mitchell, board of health chairperson. “We look forward to his leadership at this dynamic time in public health, both locally and provincially.
Piggott has been medical officer of health and VP lead for population health and rural and remote health in the northern region of Labrador-Grenfell Health. He has experience in collaborative Indigenous public health in Canada and internationally.
Through the COVID-19 pandemic, he led a response in solidarity with Indigenous governments in Labrador for outbreak prevention and a vaccination rollout prioritizing Indigenous communities, the health unit said.
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Prior to work in Labrador, he was a field doctor with Médicins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is a public health and preventive medicine specialist, and a practising family physician who completed his Masters in Public Health at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and residency training at McMaster University.
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He is also actively involved in research and teaching in public health at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., and Memorial University in St. John’s, N.L.
The health unit says his research work has focused on guideline development and health equity. He was the co-editor of the 2018 book Under-Served: Health Determinant of Indigenous, Inner-City, and Migrant Populations in Canada. He is also a member of the GRADE Working Group and has advised in public health guideline development methodology for multiple organizations including the World Health Organization and European Commission.
In 2019, Piggott was appointed to the provincial Health Accord Newfoundland-Labrador Task Force Social Determinants of Health Committee to provide expertise on health system reform. He has previously served on the board of directors of the Public Health Physicians of Canada and the World Federation of Public Health Associations and currently sits on the board of directors of the Canadian Public Health Association.
Piggott and his wife — a family physician — have two young daughters (the second born in July). They enjoy outdoor activities including hiking, running, bicycling, swimming, gardening, and camping, the health unit says.
Piggott will be available for comment next week, the health unit says.
The Board of Health has also confirmed coverage for the period between Salvaterra’s departure in late September and Piggott’s arrival.
Dr. Ian Gemmill, former MOH for Kingston-Frontenac-Lennox-Addington Public Health, will provide medical direction to Peterborough Public Health, and Larry Stinson will serve as interim CEO. In addition, Donna Churipuy will serve as incident commander for the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure continuity in the health unit’s emergency response.
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