“Public health fits who I am: we’re all about relationships. In my field, we diagnose the community, then work with municipalities, non-profits, schools and others to nudge people to be healthy.”
"I grew up in Mandeville in rural francophone Québec. We had horses, I enjoyed horseback riding and spent summers floating down the river. I still miss it. In college I discovered a passion for health sciences, enrolled in medical school, worked with an amazing public health physician and did my residency at L’Université de Montréal. Preventing disease was appealing, so I became a specialist in public health.
I started as a regional medical health officer in Québec, then later became Alberta’s deputy chief medical officer of health for eight years before joining Fraser Health in 2017. Public health fits who I am: we’re all about relationships. In my field, we diagnose the community, then work with municipalities, non-profits, schools and others to nudge people to be healthy by changing their environment. We’re working upstream on what determines health: the air we breathe, what we eat, sidewalks, bike lanes, schools, social issues, legislation.
I live in Langley with my partner and our 18-year-old cat, Whippet, named after a cookie. I like spending time with my friends, good wine, dark chocolate, baking berry and apple pies. I also enjoy walking, biking (Next ride: Fort-to-Fort Trail), and hiking (Lighthouse Park – what a view!). I watch stand-up comedy and science fiction. I used to be a Trekkie – I’ve got an autograph from Deanna Troi!"
-- Dr. Martin Lavoie, Acting Interim Vice President, Population and Public Health, Chief Medical Officer
Read more Humans of Fraser Health stories: http://fraserhealth.ca/HumansofFraserHealth