A physician with public health experience in rural communities will serve as medical officer of health for Haldimand and Norfolk for the next six months.
Dr. Joyce Lock will serve as the top public health official in the two communities to give the health board more time to find a permanent medical officer of health. Her tenure could, by mutual agreement, be extended if more time is needed to fill the position.
Lock replaces Dr. Matt Strauss, who is leaving as of April 1 after 18 months in the role.
Lock was introduced to the community following an in-camera meeting of the Haldimand-Norfolk Board of Health on Tuesday by Heidy VanDyk, the county’s manager of corporate services.
VanDyk said Lock has been practicing medicine for about 40 years with 25 of those being in emergency medicine.
A graduate of the University of Toronto, Lock received her Doctor of Medicine in 1983, and gained her Fellowship in Public Health and Preventive Medicine from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2014, qualifying her to be a medical officer of health.
Lock served as the medical officer of health for Southwestern Public Health from 2014 to March of 2022 when she retired. Southwestern Public Health is the health unit that serves Oxford and Elgin counties and the City of St. Thomas.
VanDyk said Oxford and Elgin are similar to Haldimand and Norfolk in that there are small urban areas as well as rural settings and a large agricultural community.
“I look forward to serving the community, the board and the staff in promoting health and making Haldimand and Norfolk the best place to live from a health point of view,” Lock, who attended the meeting virtually, said.
Lock was welcomed by Haldimand County Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley and Norfolk County Mayor Amy Martin.
Bentley said she appreciates Lock “jumping on board,” to serve Haldimand and Norfolk.
Martin said Haldimand and Norfolk are lucky to be in a position to provide continuous service to residents in the post-COVID era.
“There are a lot of programs and services that our health unit focuses on and we’re pleased to have your expertise to serve our community,” Martin said.
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