David Williams (Canadian physician)

David Cecil Williams is a Canadian physician and public servant who served as Chief Medical Officer of Health for the province of Ontario from 2015 to 2021. He served as acting Chief Medical Officer of Health for the province from 2007 to 2009 and again from 2015 to 2016 until taking the position permanently. He previously held the role of Medical Officer of Health for the Thunder Bay District health unit.

This article is about the Canadian physician and public health officer David C. Williams. For the Canadian astronaut and physician alternately named David R. Williams, see Dafydd Williams.

David Williams
Williams in 2009
Chief Medical Officer of Health
In office
February 16, 2016[1] – June 26, 2021
Succeeded byKieran Moore
Acting
In office
July 1, 2015 – February 16, 2016[2]
Acting
In office
November 2007 – June 2009
Medical Officer of Health
for Thunder Bay
In office
October 2011 – June 30, 2015[2]
In office
1991–2005[3]
Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health
In office
2005–2011[2]
Personal details
Born
David Cecil Williams

Ontario, Canada
Residence(s)Toronto, Ontario
Alma materUniversity of Toronto (BSc, MD, MHSc)

His tenure for the Province of Ontario was most notable during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario.

Education and early career

Williams holds three degrees from University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Science (BSc), Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Master of Health Science (MHSc). He is a fellow of Royal College of Physicians of Canada in community medicine/public health and preventive medicine.[2]

Williams initially worked as a general practitioner and anesthetist in Sioux Lookout, Ontario and served on an international mission in a hospital setting to Tansen, Nepal.[2]

Public health career

Williams served as the medical officer of health for Thunder Bay, Ontario from 1991 until 2005,[2] and again in 2011 until 2015.

He served as associate chief medical officer of health for the province of Ontario from 2005 until 2011,[2] and served as acting chief medical officer of health from 2007 to 2009 and again in 2015 until he took the job permanently.[2]

Opioid epidemic

Williams has been involved in the ongoing opioid epidemic, which affects Canada and the province of Ontario. His promoted and suggested methods to health care providers in the province involve harm reduction[4] and the extended use of opioid replacement therapy with drugs such as suboxone.[5] Williams expressed concerns over an increase in carfentanil presence in street drugs.[6]

COVID-19
See also: COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario

As Ontario's chief medical officer of health during the COVID-19 pandemic, Williams led the province's response to the COVID-19 pandemic since the first case in the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada was identified in Toronto. Williams faced harsh criticism during the pandemic.[7][8] In November 2020, Williams was scheduled to retire from his position, but was convinced to stay on by Premier Doug Ford[9] until June 25, 2021 when he was succeeded by Kieran Moore.[10][11][12]

References
  1. "Chief Medical Officer - About the Ministry - MOHLTC".
  2. "Ontario Newsroom | Salle de presse de l'Ontario". news.ontario.ca.
  3. "Contributor: Dr. David Williams". Huffington Post. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  4. "Dr. David Williams leads opioid addiction strategy". TBNewsWatch.com.
  5. Leslie, Keith (October 12, 2016). "Ontario expands use of Suboxone as part of new provincial opioid strategy". CTVNews.
  6. McGillivray, Kate (July 4, 2019). "Spike in carfentanil deaths prompts warning from Ontario's chief medical officer of health". CBC News Toronto. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  7. DiMatteo, Enzo (November 25, 2020). "Calls grow for the removal of Ontario's chief medical officer of health".
  8. "Praised by Doug Ford, vilified by critics — but is Dr. David Williams misunderstood?". thestar.com. November 29, 2020.
  9. "Doug Ford wants Dr. David Williams to delay retirement and stay on to fight COVID-19". thestar.com. November 23, 2020.
  10. "Ontario To Appoint New Chief Medical Officer of Health". Government of Ontario news release. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  11. "Ontario is replacing Dr. David Williams, its chief medical officer of health. Meet Dr. Kieran Moore". thestar.com. May 29, 2021.
  12. "Ontario's top doctor set to retire, potential successor named". 680 News. May 29, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
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