Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches to receive Honorary Degree from Algonquin College
Posted on Monday, May 17th, 2021
OTTAWA (May 17, 2021) – Algonquin College will present Dr. Vera Etches, Medical Officer of Health for Ottawa Public Health, with an Honorary Degree at its virtual convocation ceremony on June 23, 2021.
Throughout the pandemic, Dr. Etches has worked to protect and promote the health of people who live and work in Ottawa. She has led Ottawa Public Health’s COVID-19 work on health promotion, public information, prevention, testing, case management and contact tracing, supporting high-risk communities, and vaccination, while ensuring core programs continue including mental health, harm reduction, dental health, healthy communities by design, and public health policy to name a few.
“Our College Community, and the broader community we serve, are indebted to Dr. Etches and the team she leads at Ottawa Public Health. Her wisdom, strength and compassion have helped guide our path forward through these challenging months,” said Claude Brulé, Algonquin College President and CEO. “Her leadership has helped to save lives and is providing us the most effective route back to life as we knew it before COVID-19.”
The cohort of learners currently at Algonquin College will move from the classroom into the healthcare system in the coming months. Dr. Etches recognizes the skills, knowledge, and expertise they are developing at Algonquin will help guide them toward what is best for the individuals, communities, and populations they will help care for. Their unique experience of learning amid a pandemic is likely to positively effect change and inform their practice.
“I want learners to remember that while they are presently learning to navigate the system, we will also need them to work to inform, innovate, challenge and change the system over time,” said Dr. Etches. “To continue improving healthcare, we have to remain responsive to the dynamic needs of the community. We all must be adaptable, and the academic and real-life education we receive is a good foundation to make a difference to improve the health and wellbeing of people in our community.”
Dr. Etches’ work in Ottawa has involved managing clinical services focused on the prevention and treatment of dental health issues, sexually transmitted infections and blood-borne illnesses. Dr. Etches played a critical role in outbreak management – H1N1 was declared a pandemic just months after she was hired – and managing the opioid crisis. She was appointed Medical Officer for Health for OPH in 2018, becoming the first woman to hold this title.
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For more information:
Bruce Hickey
Communications Officer
Algonquin College
Chris Lackner
Communications Manager
Algonquin College
Office: 613-727-4723 ext. 2091
Mobile: 613-220-3479
About Algonquin College:
The mission of Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology is to transform hopes and dreams into lifelong success. Algonquin College, an Ontario public sector community college, does this by offering hands-on, digitally connected, experiential learning in more than 185 programs. Based in the Ottawa Valley, Algonquin College is the largest polytechnic institute in Eastern Ontario.
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