For the first time since opening its doors in 2002, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine has a new leader.
Dr. Sarita Verma has officially taken over from Founding Dean Dr. Roger Strasser as Dean, President and Chief Executive Officer.
She says she wants to immediately address the current challenges they face.
The first, she explains, is to ensure NOSM gets full approval on its inspection for accreditation next year. “The second is really to actually ensure that we can address the needs for Northern Ontario, especially meeting the health human resources needs.”
As the first female Dean of the School, and only the second in the history of the school, Dr. Verma says her first priority is to engage with the more than 90 communities they serve.
“Many of our rural and remote communities don’t have physicians nor accessible healthcare. In particular, our Indigenous communities are really suffering. Food security, water security, personal security are all part of health.”
She says the school will also have to look at launching a fundraising campaign because the medical school is suffering from government cutbacks and the freezing of tuition.
