Dr. Thomas Piggott, Peterborough’s incoming medical officer of health and CEO of Peterborough Public Health, was formally introduced to the local media Thursday (August 19),
As confirmed via a Peterborough Public Health announcement made on August 12, Dr. Piggott will succeed retiring medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra.
With Dr. Salvaterra’s last day on the job being September 19 and Dr. Piggott not in place until December 1, operations director Larry Stinson will serve as interim Peterborough Public Health CEO, Donna Churipuy will assist as COVID incident commander, and Dr. Ian Gemmill — who most recently was acting medical officer of health for the neighbouring Kawartha, Haliburton, Pine Ridge District Health Unit — will provide medical direction.
“I’m very excited for the next chapter and very grateful for the opportunity to join the organization and the community,” said Dr. Piggott, currently the medical officer of health with Labrador-Grenfell Health as well as executive lead for executive lead for population health and rural and remote health in that region.
“I’m really looking forward to joining the team. It’s been a short series of interactions so far, but I’ve been incredibly impressed with everyone on the leadership team. I have great faith in the team I’ll be joining.”
“It’s been a trying time for public health,” he added. “It’s been a high-stakes time in the context of COVID. The response has put more pressure and difficulty on (public health) staff but I’m so impressed by all the hard work of Peterborough Public Health, and how well the city and county have done — both in keeping COVID-19 cases to a minimum and in the rollout of the vaccine.”
In her remarks, Dr. Salvaterra described Dr. Piggott as “a worthy and energetic” successor.
“I’m delighted we were able to entice him (Dr. Piggott) to leave his current posting in Labrador to come to Peterborough,” said Dr. Salvaterra. “In my opinion, he could not ask for a more supportive and engaged board of health, a more experienced and skilled leadership team, and a more dedicated team of public health professionals and community partners.”
Later, Dr. Piggott talked on his adjusting to a familiar position in a new location, particular as that pertains to the ongoing pandemic.
“We’ve had to learn a lot and a big part of that has been adapting to the science as it’s evolved,” he said.
“I’ve had lots of experience responding to the pandemic in my current setting. We have a very rural and remote geography. That’s created a lot of challenges in terms of managing and vaccine deployment. We’ve worked hard to succeed. We’ve had one of the lowest case counts in the country as a result of the same hard work that Peterborough Public Health has done here.”
“There certainly will be a learning curve in terms of procedures and the people,” Dr. Piggott added. “Fortunately, I worked in public health in Ontario prior and did my training here prior to that. The setting isn’t unfamiliar to me. The role of working in a health unit and the need to engage partners is not new, but I’ll welcome the support of my team as I adapt.”
Dr. Piggott added the “strong reputation” of Peterborough Public Health and the community itself were factors in his pursuing the opportunity to come here.
“The engagement of the two First Nations (Hiawatha and Curve Lake) on the board in the governance is really important to me. In my current role, I work with four Indigenous governments for public health programming and response. That model of leadership is really exciting for me.”
“There’s a lot of listening and learning that I’ll have to do to start. I’m really pleased that there’s a focus here on health equity. Public health organizations need to play a strong role in helping make health outcomes more fair. Peterborough Public Health has a strong track record in that area and that’s something I’ll look to grow.”
Dr. Piggott also offered comment on another public health crisis that has been overshadowed by the pandemic but remains no less a major threat — the opioid overdose crisis.
“It is one of the biggest public health issues facing this generation — in certain demographics it has surpassed motor vehicle collisions as the leading cause of death,” he said.
“There is a lot of work in public health to do. We have lots to share when you think of the health of the population, when you think of harm reduction, and when you think of support for people who are using drugs. That has been a huge priority of mine.”
As much as the media event provided an opportunity to introduce Dr. Piggott more formally, it also provided Dr. Salvaterra with the opportunity to reflect on her 13 years as Peterborough’s medical officer of health.
“I feel very proud … I’m proud to see people like Larry Stinson and Donna Churipuy taking on the roles that that board has offered them,” she said.
“I’m also grateful to the board for all the work it has done in being able to find someone like Thomas to serve the community in this important role. I have a lot of pride and confidence that Peterborough Public Health will continue to promote the health and protect the well-being of everyone here.”
As for what’s ahead for her, Dr. Salvaterra said she’s looking forward to “having more space in my day to reflect on how I want to spend the remaining years I have.”
Prior to his time with Labrador-Grenfell Health, Dr. Piggott worked as a field doctor with Médicins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is a public health and preventive medicine specialist as well as a practising family physician.
He completed his Masters in Public Health at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine with residency training at McMaster University. He is also actively involved in research and teaching in public health at McMaster University and Memorial University.
Dr. Piggott’s wife is also a family physician and they have two young daughters. They all enjoy outdoor activities including hiking, running, bicycling, swimming, gardening, and camping.
