The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) has named Dr. Alex Summers as the region’s next medical officer of health, taking over the role from Dr. Chris Mackie, who resigned from the position on Friday after nine years following a leave of absence.
The Middlesex-London Board of Health voted unanimously on Monday to recommend that Summers be the new medical officer of health — a decision that must still be approved by the province’s top doctor and its minister of health, the health unit said.
The news was unveiled during an in-person news conference held Wednesday afternoon at the health unit’s Citi Plaza headquarters.
“Dr. Summers is someone that has the vision, expertise and commitment to our community and the health unit,” Matt Reid, chair of the Middlesex-London Board of Health, told reporters.
“The Board of Health has full confidence in Dr. Summers and our CEO, Ms. Emily Williams. We are confident that under their leadership, the health unit will be guided through the pandemic and beyond it.”
Williams offered similar praise for Summers, saying she has “full confidence in his leadership,” adding that during her time at the health unit, she has found him to be a “passionate, driven, knowledgeable and enthusiastic public health leader” for the community.
“Although I have worked in the health system for my entire career, in my time at Middlesex-London Health Unit, I have come to gain a true appreciation for the unique role that public health plays in all our lives,” said Williams, who took over the CEO role in January after nearly a year as interim CEO.
Summers has been with the health unit since July 2018 after being brought on as its associate medical officer of health. In November 2021, he was named acting medical officer of health after it was announced that Mackie would take a leave of absence from the role for unspecified reasons.
The search will begin immediately for a new associate medical officer of health, the health unit said.
Speaking with Global News, Summers said the news felt like “an absolute privilege,” adding that among his goals in the new role would be to transition the organization back toward some of the health challenges put on the backburner during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We continue to have an opioid crisis in our province and in our region. We continue to see the impacts of other substance use throughout our region. We need to continue to address health inequities,” he said.
“These are important things that we haven’t been able to focus on over the last number of years, and I look forward to being able to return to those as the pandemic, hopefully, settles for us.”
Another goal, Summers said, would be to help support MLHU staff as they “unpack” their experiences dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years.
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“Certainly the two years of the pandemic have been very exhausting for everyone, and for our staff in particular. They have delayed milestones. They’ve put life on pause to do the work of public health,” he said.
The health unit, he continued, would seek to understand “how we as an organization can support them as they try and find whatever their new normal is, both in their personal lives, but certainly as a public health professional, and try and find some stability.”
The health unit had initially planned to unveil the news during a virtual Q&A similar to the twice-weekly COVID-19 media briefings it holds with reporters, but after receiving pushback from some members of the media, officials chose to hold the announcement in person.
Summers’ promotion comes nearly four months after he was named acting medical officer of health the same day it was made public that Mackie would go on leave of absence.
The health unit has refused to divulge the nature of Mackie’s absence, and has declined to answer questions about it.
Roughly a week after his leave was made public, London News Today reported that Mackie had been the subject of several workplace conduct complaints — claims Global News has not independently verified.
Allegations of long-standing workplace culture issues were also shared with Global News at the time by Steve Holland, the president of CUPE Local 101. The union represents around 300 staff members at the health unit.
Mackie officially resigned as medical officer of health on Friday, a day after a special confidential meeting of the board of health that Mackie attended. His resignation was made public Monday.
In a statement to Global News on Monday, Mackie said that although he had enjoyed the role, it was time to move on.
“Suffice it to say, it was a time of much positive change that culminated in the global pandemic and a number of personal changes for me at home,” he said.
“All of these changes were necessary, but I have to admit that I started the pandemic with less energy than I would have liked. By the time I went on leave, nearly two years into the pandemic, I needed a break.”
The time since his leave gave him time “to recover, and to consider my future,” Mackie said, adding that he would soon announce the next steps of his career.
“After speaking with my family and a number of close friends and advisors, as well as with the Board of Health, it was clear that the time was right for a new chapter in my career,” he said.
“I regret not being available to help during most of the Omicron wave. However, I also knew that the Health Unit was in great hands with the leadership of Dr. Alex Summers.”
— with files from Jacquelyn LeBel and Andrew Graham
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