Peel’s top doctor Lawrence Loh leaving to become College of Family Physicians CEO

Peel Region’s medical officer of health, Dr. Lawrence Loh, is departing his post to join The College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC).

President and Chair of the CFPC Board, Brady Bouchard, announced Loh’s hiring on Wednesday, confirming the now-former top doctor will transition to executive director and chief executive officer in September 2022, succeeding Dr. Francine Lemire, who is retiring after ten years as CEO.

Dr. Loh was renowned for his cautious approach during the COVID-19 pandemic and quickly emerged as one of the province’s most well-known public health doctors. He was often ahead of the rest to flatten the curve in Peel Region — one of, if not the hardest hit, regions in the province.

As COVID-19 spread and cases climbed, Dr. Loh went above and beyond provincial restrictions for his region, shutting down workplaces, cancelling wedding receptions and was the first area to announce the closure of schools in Peel Region a week before all schools shut down across Ontario.

RELATED: Peel Region’s top doctor, Lawrence Loh, reflects on the highs and lows of 2021

“Dr. Loh brings with him an established track record in physician leadership, teaching, research, and administration spanning five government agencies at all three levels of government in two different provinces,” Bouchard said as part of a news release.

“He is perhaps best known for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic as the Medical Officer of Health for the Region of Peel, in the Greater Toronto Area.”

Peel Region’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Lawrence Loh reflects on the last year with CityNews’ Shauna Hunt. CITYNEWS

Bouchard praised Dr. Loh’s execution as Peel’s top doctor, saying his work with the team at Peel Public Health “received national recognition for working collaboratively with the community and taking difficult, evidence-based decisions that saved lives and limited the impacts of the pandemic in one of Canada’s hardest-hit communities.”

Loh will now help guide the CFPC, a professional organization representing more than 42,000 members in Canada, working to establish high standards and accrediting postgraduate family medicine training for Canada’s 17 medical schools.

Mississauga’s Bonnie Crombie thanks Dr. Loh for time spent with PPH

Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie thanked and praised Dr. Loh for his work ethic and professionalism as Peel Region’s medical officer of health.

“Mississauga will be forever grateful to Dr. Loh for his leadership and advice during a difficult and uncertain time in our history,” Crombie said.

“Thank you for protecting the health and safety of our residents and for setting us on the path to recovery. We wish you all the best at [the] CFPC.”

A spokesperson for Peel Region issued a statement, saying, “We want to congratulate Dr. Loh and thank him for his leadership through some of our toughest challenges,” they wrote.

“While we will miss Dr. Loh, we’re wishing him all the best as he embarks on this new chapter at the College of Family Physicians of Canada.”

With files from Meredith Bond of CityNews