Island Health has named BC’s former deputy provincial health officer as the new top doctor for Vancouver Island.
On Tuesday, the health authority announced Dr. Réka Gustafson would become Island Health’s new top doctor, after the previous Chief Medical Doctor, Dr. Richard Stanwick retired at the end of 2021.
Stanwick held the position for more than 25 years.
Dr. Gustafson was a familiar face during the pandemic, serving as BC’s deputy provincial health officer and at times, would fill in for Dr. Bonnie Henry at live COVID-19 briefings.
Gustafson will continue to work for the BCCDC and Provincial Health Services Authority until September 2nd, as the organizations complete a national recruiting process to fill her position.
In her new role, Gustafson will oversee the Island Health’s public health teams and work with senior leaders to implement health policies which includes the ongoing response to the toxic drug supply crisis and pandemic response and recovery.
“I’m excited to welcome Dr. Gustafson to Island Health,” said Kathy MacNeil, president and CEO of Island Health in a statement Tuesday.
“We are fortunate to have such an experienced provincial health leader join our organization and provide executive leadership for our population and public health initiatives,” she said.
Dr. Stanwick moved to BC in 1995 after serving as Medical Health Officer for the City of Winnipeg for five years.
He first began to work for the Capital Regional District (CRD) and Capital Health Region (CHR) in 1995 until 1997 where he took over as Chief Medical Health Officer and Vice-President of Population Health.
Stanwick’s last day was on December 31st, 2021. Until his retirement, he was focused on both the COVID-19 pandemic and opioid crisis.
