Dr. Alex Hukowich, who served as district medical officer of health in Timmins and Lindsay, Ontario before his retirement in 2004, has been selected as Algoma's top community health officer until a permanent medical officer of health/chief executive officer is retained.
Dr. Hukowich, who has also worked as a family doctor in South Porcupine and as coroner in the District of Cochrane and the County of Northumberland, was selected as associate medical officer of health at a closed meeting last night of the Algoma Public Health board.
He will run day-to-day medical operations at APH's Sault headquarters, reporting to acting Medical Officer of Health Penny Sutcliffe in Sudbury.
The hiring is subject to provincial approval and successful contract negotiations with Dr. Hukowich.
He is expected to begin his duties here in March.
He is a past president of the Association of Local Public Health Agencies and is currently secretary/treasurer of the nonprofit Campaign for Justice on Tobacco Fraud.
Board Chair Lee Mason told SooToday that the hiring buys time for APH as it continues its search for a permanent CEO/medical officer of health.
"We're still recruiting. There's still a shortage across the province of medical officers of health and CEOs," Mason said.
APH's leadership and governance have been in upheaval since former medical officer of health (MOH) Dr. Kim Barker resigned one year ago.
Some other health units are currently looking for MOHs and even the Province of Ontario is searching for a chief MOH, Mason said.
"We have something in the pipeline but nothing that's going to come to fruition over the next couple of months."
Mason and Ian Frazier were re-appointed last night as chair and vice chair of the APH board.
In other news, board members were shown photographs of renovation work at APH's new Elliot Lake offices.
The old APH office in Elliot Lake was destroyed in the Algo Centre Mall collapse.
The renovations are expected to be completed next month with staff moving into the new location by the end of February or early March, Chief Executive Officer Tony Hanlon said.