Island Health seeks new chief medical health officer as top doc retires

Victoria -

The Vancouver Island region's top doctor is set to retire at the end of the year, and now Island Health is on the lookout for a new chief medical health officer.

Dr. Richard Stanwick will retire as Island Health's chief medical health officer and vice-president of population health on Dec. 31, after more than 25 years of working in the island region.

Stanwick first moved to the island in 1995 and worked as the medical health officer for the Capital Regional District before becoming Island Health's chief medical health officer in 2001.

"On behalf of the province, I’d like to thank Dr. Stanwick and acknowledge his contributions to Island Health and our health system as a whole," said B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix in a statement Monday.

"Dr. Stanwick has played a pivotal role in keeping our community safe through our province’s two ongoing health crises – the COVID-19 pandemic and the toxic drug supply."

His advocacy work on the latter issue is especially applauded by Victoria social services provider Our Place Society.

It says Stanwick pushed boundaries to bring supervised consumption sites to the community, first on a temporary basis then permanently.

“That really helped save lives,” says Our Place spokesperson Grant McKenzie. “I know several people who came to [the temporary site that] ended up going into detox and rehabilitation.”

Stanwick also became one of the region’s most notable clean-air advocates upon arrival. He lobbied to introduce the Capital Regional District’s clean air bylaw in 1999 and kept working to add to the number of smoke-free areas until 2015.

“Dr. Stanwick was adamant that there was no safe level of second-hand smoke. Zero,” says CRD director Susan Brice. “He has been a steady, calm, always thoughtful voice."

Over the next two month, Island Health says it will undertake an international search for a new chief medical health officer for the region.

"Right now my focus continues to be on our dual public health emergencies of the drug poisoning crisis and our COVID-19 response, and this will continue to be to be my focus until my retirement at the end of December," said Stanwick on Monday.

"I very much appreciate the kind words I have already received and I look forward to publicly sharing some reflections on my career as we get closer to the end of December."