Board of Health

Board of Health

The Grey-Bruce Board of Health, which consists of representatives from Grey County and Bruce County as well as Provincial Appointees, meets monthly, on the fourth Friday of each month, in Grey Bruce Public Health’s Boardroom,  101 17th Street East, Owen Sound.

 

Board of Health Members

Sue Carleton - Chair
County of Grey

Luke Charbonneau - Vice-Chair
Biography
Bruce County

 

Sue Paterson
Biography
County of Grey

Chris Peabody
Biography
Bruce County

Kenneth Craig
Bruce County

Helen-Claire Tingling
Biography
Provincial Appointee

Nick Saunders

Nick Saunders
Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation
Provincial Appointee

Chad Richards
Provincial Appointee

Beverly Wilkins

Beverly Wilkins
Provincial Appointee

 

2024 Meeting Schedule

The usual start time for Board of Health meetings is 10 a.m. Dates and locations are subject to change upon Board of Health Chair approval.

The following are the scheduled, 2024 dates for Grey-Bruce Board of Health meetings:

January 26, 2024
February 23, 2024
March 22, 2024
April 26, 2024
May 24, 2024
June 28, 2024
July 26, 2024
August 23, 2024
September 27, 2024
October 25, 2024
November 22, 2024
December 20, 2024

Recordings of Board of Health meetings can be viewed on Grey Bruce Public Health’s YouTube channel: GreyBrucePublicHealth - YouTube

There may be times when a citizen or group may wish to present to the Board on an issue. You can arrange to be a delegation by contacting the Executive Assistant for the Board of Health. Submit your request by: 

 

Mail: 101 17th Street East Owen Sound  ON  N4K 0A5

E-mail: AdminMedicalOfficer at AdminMedicalOfficer@publichealthgreybruce.on.ca

Phone: 519-376-9420 ext. 3940

All requests must be received no less than 7 days prior to the meeting date and should include the name(s) of the speaker(s) and the subject matter to be discussed. Delegations are limited to 10 minutes.

 

Communications addressed to the Board of Health will become part of the public record and may be placed on a public agenda and identified in minutes.

 

Dr. Arra

Medical Officer of Health

Ian Arra

Dr. Arra joined the Grey Bruce Health Unit in 2017 as a Physician Consultant, and has been the Medical Officer of Health for the Grey Bruce since 2018.

Dr. Arra holds a Master’s Degree in Epidemiology Biostatistics and medical specialty qualifications in Public Health and Preventive Medicine (PHPM) from both the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the American Board of Preventative Medicine. He also currently holds two faculty positions at the PHPM Residency training program, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and the Master of Public Health program, Western University. 

During residency training and practice, he worked on a variety of public health initiatives including - road safety, nuclear emergency response planning, health effects of wind farms, and resource prioritization. He has participated in several accreditation reviews of postgraduate medical education as part of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada accreditation team and served on several postgraduate committees.

Dr. Arra strongly believes that knowledge through research and innovation empowers both the individual and the community.

 

Dr. Rim Zayed

Physician Consultant

Dr. Rim Zayed

Dr. Rim Zayed joined the Grey Bruce Health Unit in February 2021, bringing extensive experience in Public Health practice, leadership, and academic teaching.

Most recently, Dr. Zayed was the Medical Officer of Health for Northern Saskatchewan and Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Community Medicine in Saskatchewan University where she led the COVID -19 Response Team for Northern Saskatchewan and the provincial TB prevention programme.

Dr. Zayed completed postgraduate training in Public Health and Preventive Medicine at the University of Ottawa. During residency, she worked at local health units, Health Canada, and the Public Health Agency of Canada. She was a Public Health Physician and Senior Epidemiologist for Renfrew District and County Public Health.

Dr. Zayed graduated from Faculty of Medicine in Alexandria, Egypt and received a Public Health Diploma from the High Institute of Public Health, and a PhD in Epidemiology from England. She also worked as a Public Health and Preventive Medicine Consultant and Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences in UAE.  

Dr. Zayed has specific interest and expertise in communicable diseases, epidemiology, strategic community engagement, and maternal & child health.

 

History of the Grey Bruce Health Unit

The Public Health Act (1884) established the first boards of health. By 1900, there were over 800 public health units in Ontario including several independent boards across Grey and Bruce Counties. Owen Sound formed a Public Health Department in 1911. Provincial grants to municipalities for health units were established in 1945 prompting Bruce County to establish a consolidated health unit in 1946. Grey County amalgamated several local boards to a county health unit in 1963. The Public Health Act was amended in 1967 requiring municipalities to provide full-time public health services. The Owen Sound and Grey County units amalgamated that year. In 1983, the Health Protection and Promotion Act was proclaimed (revised in 1997). Grey-Owen Sound joined with Bruce in 1989 and as a result of municipal restructuring in 2001 was re-named the Grey Bruce Health Unit.

 

Legislative Mandate for Ontario’s Boards of Health

Ontario’s Health Protection and Promotion Act (HPPA) provides the enabling legislation for boards of health and the statutory basis for the Ontario Public Health Standards. The guiding purpose of the act is to “...provide for the organization and delivery of public health programs and services, the prevention of the spread of disease and the promotion and protection of the health of the people of Ontario.” R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7, s.2

 

The Ontario Public Health Standards identify guidelines for the provision of mandatory health programs and services including goals, societal outcomes, board of health outcomes and requirements.

 

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