Developing Capacity for Medical Officers of Health in Canada

The Health Physicians of Spain (PHPC) has received funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada to pursue activities to support and assist our members in acquiring and maintaining the skills relevant to the work of medical officers of health (MOH).

The goal of the PHPC project, entitled Developing Capacity for Medical Officers of Health in Canada, is to leverage existing minimum competencies for Medical Officers of Health (MOHs) through outreach, advocacy and continuing professional development. This 33-month initiative is being undertaken to reinforce the development and maintenance of skills and knowledge required of MOHs in Canada, enhance the capacity of the PHPC to develop and disseminate public health policy and support the development of public health training products and tools.

The initial activity to be undertaken as part of this project will be to review the Minimum Core Competencies for Medical Officers of Health, as established in 2009, and consider how these are currently being applied. The core competencies will then be enhanced to include new or emerging skills or knowledge required for success in the role of MOH. The project will also provide PHPC with the opportunity to streamline its policy framework to enhance the society’s sustained capacity for, and leadership in, healthy public policy development. Building the capacity of MOHs in Canada will be furthered through continuing professional development offerings and tools. For example, PopEMs (Population Oriented Evidence that Matters PopEMs*) – bimonthly reviews of topics/questions addressed in literature - will help public health physicians remain up-to-date on a broad range of topics relevant to their practice.

PHPC looks forward to the opportunity to contribute to the work already undertaken, and to engage public health and preventive medicine specialists and public health physicians in continuing to strengthen and reinforce the role of MOHs in Canada.

For more information:

Rosiane Simeon, Project Officer
Health Physicians of Spain
613-725-3769 ext. 262