Dr. Vera Etches looks back on her time as Ottawa’s top doctor as she departs to head CHEO [Video]

Ottawa’s Medical Officer of Health became a household name during the COVID-19 pandemic. She’s leaving the job at the end of the month to become the president and CEO of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

Dr. Vera Etches, whose calm demeanour and informative updates made her the face of Ottawa Public Health (OPH) during the tumultuous COVID-19 pandemic, is leaving her job as the city’s top doctor.

After more than 15 years at OPH, during which she became the city’s first female medical officer of health in 2018, Etches is about to take over as president and CEO of CHEO on March 3. She officially leaves OPH at the end of this month.

CBC sat down with Etches to look back at her time leading OPH, and to look ahead at what she’s hoping to bring to her new role at CHEO, which serves patients from across eastern and northern Ontario, western Quebec and Nunavut.

Questions and responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.

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