The province has announced that Dr. David Matear, CEO of Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority (IERHA), is joining the health incident command team as health system co-lead.
“Dr. Matear brings a wealth of incident command structure and operational knowledge to this role as Manitoba works to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 and address the ongoing capacity needs of our health-care system,” said Health Minister Audrey Gordon. “Previously Dr. Matear served as the senior operating director in Fort McMurray, Alta. and as the incident commander for Alberta Health Services during the Fort McMurray fires that swept through that community in 2016. He successfully led hospital and health services care provision during the four-month period of those devastating fires and will no doubt be an incredible asset to Manitoba.”
In addition to his work in Alberta, Dr. Matear led the California Department of Public Health technical assistance teams in support of health-care systems and served on the state health and human services COVID-19 planning team, two major initiatives in the COVID-19 response for the state of California.
Dr. Matear will join Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer, as the co-incident commander of Manitoba’s health-sector response to the COVID-19 pandemic where he will be assuming responsibility for the health system response. The Unified Health Sector Incident Command comprises both the public health response and the health system response efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Matear is replacing Lanette Siragusa, who accepted a position as vice-dean of education and associate director of Ongomiizwin Health Services at the University of Manitoba Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.
Gordon thanked Siragusa for her unwavering and dedicated work as the health system co-lead since the COVID-19 pandemic began and noted the incredible skills she brought to this important co-incident command role will be missed.
