Chief Public Health Officer Announced

The province is taking another critical step towards renewing Nova Scotia's public health system today, Aug. 23, announcing Dr. Robert Strang as Nova Scotia's first chief public health officer.

Creating the position was one of the fundamental recommendations in the 2006 report called The Renewal of Public Health in Nova Scotia: Building a Public Health System to Meet the Needs of Nova Scotians. The province has already implemented one of the main recommendations in the report by establishing the Department of Health Promotion and Protection in February 2006.

"Dr. Strang is the right person to lead the renewal of the public health system," said Barry Barnet, Minister of Health Promotion and Protection. "He has the passion, skills and leadership necessary to take on this exciting opportunity."

The chief public health officer will provide leadership in the planning, design, development, co-ordination and ongoing management of Nova Scotia's public health system. This includes health promotion, health protection, surveillance, population health assessment and disease and injury prevention.

Mr. Barnet also regrets to announce that Dr. Jeff Scott has decided to leave, effective Sept. 4, as chief medical officer of health. Dr. Strang will then be acting chief medical officer of health in the interim.

"I would like to thank Dr. Scott for his years of dedicated service to the people of Nova Scotia and to our province's public health system," Mr. Barnet said.

Dr. Strang, a community medicine specialist, received his medical training at the University of British Columbia, where he also received a bachelor of science and bachelor of physical education.

From 1999 to 2007, Dr. Strang was the medical officer of health for Capital Health in Halifax. Since January, he has been the acting deputy chief medical officer of health for Nova Scotia.