Lakelands Public Health has appointed Dr. Maxwell Tran as its new associate medical officer of health, bringing a physician with experience in both urban and remote Ontario communities to the regional health unit.
Dr. Tran’s appointment, which was officially announced Thursday (September 17), will see him work alongside medical officer of health Dr. Thomas Piggott, with a background that combines family medicine, hospital care, and specialized public health training.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Dr. Tran to Lakelands Public Health,” Dr. Piggott says in a media release. “His outstanding academic background, paired with his extensive hands-on residency experience and deep clinical understanding of both urban and remote communities, makes him an exceptional asset to our team. I look forward to working closely alongside him to protect and promote the health of everyone in our region.”
Dr. Tran completed his medical degree and a combined residency in family medicine and public health and preventive medicine at the University of Toronto, serving as chief resident for both programs.
During his residency, he also earned a master of public health degree from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, where he was a Sommer Scholar.
Dr. Tran’s leadership during his family medicine training was also recognized by the University of Toronto’s Department of Family and Community Medicine in its 2023 program awards. As a resident co-lead at Women’s College Hospital, he helped support fellow residents through administrative changes and contributed to changes in call scheduling.
As a senior public health and preventive medicine resident, Dr. Tran completed rotations with Halton Region, Peel Public Health, Toronto Public Health, and York Region Public Health. His provincial experience included training with Public Health Ontario and the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health.
Alongside his public health work, Dr. Tran maintains an active clinical practice in family medicine and hospitalist medicine (caring for patients in hospital). His clinical work has taken him to North York, Parry Sound, Sioux Lookout, and Sandy Lake First Nation.
According to Lakelands Public Health, that combination of frontline patient care and population-level health training will inform his work across the region.
“I am thrilled to join the Lakelands Public Health team,” Dr. Tran says. “I look forward to working closely with our amazing staff and with the Board of Health, municipalities, First Nations, and partners to improve the health of our communities.”
Lakelands Public Health was formed through the January 1, 2025 merger of Peterborough Public Health and the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, bringing together public health services for Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, and Haliburton County as well as the Curve Lake, Hiawatha, and Alderville First Nations.
Dr. Tran’s appointment comes six months following the resignation of Dr. Natalie Bocking as deputy medical officer of health at Lakelands Public Health. The health unit’s announcement does not specify whether Dr. Tran’s associate position directly replaces Dr. Bocking’s former role.
Dr. Bocking had led the former Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit as medical officer of health since April 2021, before being appointed deputy medical officer of health for the merged organization in February 2025.
At the same time, Dr. Piggott was appointed as Lakelands Public Health’s medical officer of health. He had previously served as medical officer of health for Peterborough Public Health.
For more information about Lakelands Public Health, visit www.lakelandsph.ca.
