A new medical officer of health (MOH) has been appointed to Public Health Sudbury & Districts (PHSD).
The Sudbury board of health announced Dec. 13 that Dr. Mustafa Hirji will be succeeding Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, the current MOH, on March 18, 2024. He will be the MOH and CEO of the Sudbury health unit.
Hirji is the former associate medical officer of health for Niagara Region Public Health.
"Consistent with provincial legislation, Dr. Hirji will be Acting Medical Officer of Health until the Minister of Health approves the Board’s appointment," said the news release from PHSD.
“We are excited to welcome Dr. Hirji and are confident that his years of senior leadership experience with Niagara Region Public Health and his professionalism will ensure that Public Health Sudbury & Districts continues as a strong, stable, and locally responsive agency,” said Board of Health Chair, René Lapierre.
The board unanimously endorsed the appointment recommendation from its Recruitment and Selection Sub-committee following a national search and thorough recruitment process, said the release.
As Public Health Sudbury’s next leader and with the direction of the Board of Health, Hirji will build on the agency’s long history as a strong, innovative, and collaborative organization, and steer the organization through changes the province has recently announced, including the voluntary merger process for public health units, the release continued.
Hirji obtained his Public Health and Preventive Medicine Fellowship from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 2015. He has education in epidemiology, political science, and engineering physics, and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact at McMaster University.
“I am excited and incredibly humbled to be joining Public Health Sudbury & Districts, an organization that has a sterling reputation for excellence and commitment to health equity,” said Hirji.
“As we head into a period of change in the public health system, I hope to build on existing strengths, and work with the remarkable team at Public Health to enable the people of Greater Sudbury, Sudbury District, and Manitoulin District to live healthier lives and enjoy more equitable opportunities for well-being.”
“On a more personal note, having lived in the Prairies and the Golden Horseshoe, I am eager to learn about and experience a new part of Canada in Northern Ontario,” said Dr. Hirji.
Details about Hirji’s medical education and training are located on the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons website.
