Robert Strang (physician)

Robert Strang ONS[1](born 1959) is a Canadian physician and the chief medical officer for the province of Nova Scotia. Before becoming a doctor, Strang played rugby union for the Canada men's national rugby union team until retiring in 1991.

Dr. Robert Strang
Born1959
Southern Rhodesia
NationalityCanadian
EducationUniversity of British Columbia
Occupation(s)Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMO), Nova Scotia
Known forCMO during COVID-19 pandemic in Nova Scotia

Early life, rugby union career, and education

Born in Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, Strang and his family moved to Fredericton, New Brunswick when he was five years old.[2][3] Strang began playing rugby union in high school and played for the University of British Columbia's rugby team. He later played in New Zealand, but returned to Canada in the early 1980s to play for the Canada men's national rugby union team. While on the team, he played against the England national rugby union team at Twickenham Stadium. Strang retired as a player in 1991.[2]

He received a medical degree from University of British Columbia (UBC) in 1990 and completed family practice residency in 1992 and community medicine residency in 1997 at UBC.[4] He also received from UBC a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Physical Education.[5]

Medical career

In 1994, Strang became a team doctor for the Canada men's national rugby union team.[2] From 1997 to 1999, Strang was an Associate Medical Officer of Health in the Canadian province of British Columbia.[4] In 1999, Strang moved to Nova Scotia,[2] and continued his career in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he became the Medical Officer of Health of Capital District Health Authority,[4] the largest health authority of the province, later merged into the new Nova Scotia Health Authority. He held the position until 2007.[5]

Chief Medical Officer of Health of Nova Scotia

In 2007, Strang was appointed Chief Public Health Official of Nova Scotia. He was announced in that newly created role on 23 August 2007.[5] The position was renamed Chief medical officer of Health by the province in late 2016.In that role, Strang has been an anti-smoking advocate and an outspoken critic of pseudoscience[6] and misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7] In 2018, he was with Theresa Tam the co-chair of the special advisory committee on the epidemic of opioid overdoses in Canada.[8]

COVID-19 pandemic

Since 15 March 2020, Strang has provided daily updates on the COVID-19 pandemic in Nova Scotia. He became Nova Scotia's public health lead communicator on matters related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nova Scotia. In daily press conferences, he provides updates on the COVID-19 pandemic and the public health effort to respond to it.[9]

In December 2020, Strang was awarded the Lieutenant-Governor's Award for Excellence in Public Administration for his work during the pandemic.[2]

In November 2020, The Rotary Club of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia presented Dr. Robert Strang with the coveted Paul Harris Fellowship Award. Two years later in March 2022, the Rotary Club of Middleton, Nova Scotia awarded Strang a second Paul Harris award and also honoured his fellow Pandemic leader, the former Premier of Nova Scotia, Stephen McNeil.[10]

Personal life

A married father of three, Strang has been living in Nova Scotia since 1999 and is a resident of the Halifax Regional Municipality.[11] Strang was born with a cleft lip and cleft palate. Despite being retired from playing rugby union, Strang still referees matches. Strang became known for his tie collection during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nova Scotia, wearing a different tie to every briefing; a tree decorated with some of his ties raised $8250 at a charity auction for the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia in December 2020.[2]

See also

References
  1. "| novascotia.ca". novascotia.ca. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
  2. Ray, Bryan (January 1, 2021). "How rugby prepared Dr. Strang for Nova Scotia's COVID-19 pandemic". CBC News. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  3. JOHN DeMONT: The immense pressures and new-found fame of Dr. Strang The Guardian]
  4. "Dr. Robert Strang". Pan-Canadian Public Health Network. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  5. "Chief Public Health Officer Announced" (Press release). Government of Nova Scotia. Health Promotion and Protection. 2007-08-23. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
  6. Valiante, Giuseppe (2020-03-23). "A new star is born: Canada's chief medical officers offer clarity in age of coronavirus". The Canadian Press. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
  7. "N.S. government warns of 'unscrupulous people' providing misinformation amid COVID-19". CBC.ca. CBC. 31 March 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  8. Strang, Robert (September 2018). "Commentary - Broadening our understanding of Canada's epidemics of pharmaceutical and contaminated street drug opioid-related overdoses". Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada: Research, Policy and Practice. 38 (9): 309–310. doi:10.24095/hpcdp.38.9.01. PMC 6169702. PMID 30226723.
  9. Vibert, Jim (20 March 2020). "McNeil, Strang providing Nova Scotians with needed leadership". The Chronicle Herald. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  10. "2020 Paul Harris Awards".
  11. Palmeter, Paul (30 March 2020). "Fall River neighbours honour Robert Strang for leading the charge against COVID-19". CBC.ca. CBC. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
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