Meet the Team
Chief and Deputy Chief Provincial Public Health Officers
The Office of the Chief Provincial Public Health Officer (CPPHO) is led by the chief provincial public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, and the deputy chief provincial public health officer, Dr. Jazz Atwal.
Dr. Brent Roussin
Dr. Brent Roussin has served has Manitoba's chief provincial public health officer since June 2019.
After starting his medical career as a family physician, Roussin pursued his interests in the social determinants of health, the legal aspects of medicine and the law itself by earning a law degree and completing his speciality training in public health and preventive medicine.
Prior to his role as chief provincial public health officer, Dr. Roussin worked as a medical officer of health for the federal First Nations and Inuit Health Branch.
Born and raised in Manitoba, Dr. Roussin holds medical and law degrees from the University of Manitoba and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada.
Dr. Jazz Atwal
Dr. Jazz Atwal has served has Manitoba's deputy chief provincial public health officer since March 2021.
After starting his medical career as a family physician, Dr. Atwal became the medical consultant for the Headingley Correctional Centre and later, the Women's Correctional Centre, where he oversees general medical care of inmates, provides on-call services to assist inmate care after hours and provides public health care related to infectious disease, immunizations, health promotion and health protection.
Dr. Atwal has previously served as a medical officer of health for the Prairie Mountain Health region as well as the director of care and treatment with the federal First Nations and Inuit Health Branch.
Born and raised in Manitoba, Dr. Atwal holds a medical degree, a master's degree in public health and a certificate in public health and preventative medicine, all from the University of Manitoba. Dr. Atwal is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada.
Medical Officers of Health
Medical officers of health (MOHs) are specialists that support other health-care providers to manage public health responses to certain diseases and programs. Manitoba has a team of MOHs located throughout the province.
MOHs are responsible for:
- contributing to policy, strategy and program development,
- providing expert public health consultation and leadership,
- providing mentorship through medical education and training, and
- advocating for, and communicating about, the public's health and perform their legislated requirements for investigating and mitigating health hazards.
Medical officers of health are specialists that support other health-care providers to manage public health responses to certain diseases and programs, including sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) and vaccinations.
Manitoba's medical officers of health are:
Dr. Joshua Aquin is a medical officer of health currently serving the Winnipeg region.
Dr. Aquin holds a medical degree and masters degree in public health from the University of Manitoba. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, with a specialist certificate in public health and preventive medicine. Dr. Aquin also holds certification with the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
Passionate about medical education, Dr. Aquin teaches both medical students and resident physicians at the University of Manitoba, where he is an assistant professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences.
Dr. Peter Benoit has served as a medical officer of health since October 2022.
Initially interested in clinical medicine, Dr. Benoit expanded that scope to include broader population health work and chose to complete specialty training in public health and preventive medicine.
Prior to his role as a medical officer of health, Dr. Benoit worked in specialized vaccine clinics. In his current role, Dr. Benoit now works on broad population health issues.
Having always lived in Manitoba, Dr. Benoit holds a medical degree, a master's degree in public health, has received Certification in the College of Family Physicians and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada.
Dr. Eileen Burnett has been a medical officer of health for the province of Manitoba since January 2024.
Dr. Burnett, born and raised in southern Manitoba, holds a nursing degree, a medical degree, and a masters of public health from the University of Manitoba. She is a member of the Canadian College of Family Physicians and a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada, having completed residency training in both family medicine and public health and preventive medicine. In addition to her work as a medical officer of health, she works part time as a family physician in Southern Health - Santé Sud.
Dr. Natalie Casaclang has served as a medical officer of health since April 2020.
After completing her public health and preventive medicine residency in January 2020, she started working as a medical officer of health to support the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She is currently one of the medical officers of health providing clinical leadership on vaccine policy and programs, injury prevention and healthy parenting and early childhood development. She is also a breastfeeding medicine physician and sees parent-infant dyads who are experiencing breastfeeding difficulties.
Dr. Casaclang is an international medical graduate from the Philippines and arrived in Manitoba in 2012. She holds a medical degree from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine, a masters degree in public health from the University of Manitoba and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada.
Dr. Heejune Chang has been a medical officer of health since July 2014, primarily at the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.
Originally from British Columbia, she came to Manitoba for her medical degree and has been here ever since except during her family medicine residency which she completed in Ontario. Dr. Chang completed her public health residency in Manitoba and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada.
Dr. Bunmi Fatoye has served as a medical officer of health in Manitoba since 2006.
Dr. Fatoye has been the Communicable Disease and Immunization lead at the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority since 2012. Prior to this, she was a rural medical officer of health and the provincial lead for communicable diseases and immunization.
In addition, Dr. Fatoye has an interest in addressing racism.
Dr. Fatoye holds a medical degree from Nigeria and a certificate in public health and preventative medicine from the University of Manitoba. Dr. Fatoye is a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians and the Royal College of Physicians of Canada.
Dr. Amy Frykoda, MD, CCFP, FCFP, MSc
Dr. Amy Frykoda has served as a Medical Officer of Health since 2008 (originally with Brandon and Assiniboine Regional Health Authorities, and then with Prairie Mountain Health Authority from 2012 onward).
After starting her medical career as a rural family physician and providing care in various facets of rural medicine (clinic, hospitalist, emergency room, obstetrics, and operating room assistant), Dr. Frykoda desired to provide care and support to the overall health of the population and to the health system; and, she completed her training in public health and preventive medicine. In addition to her current work as a Medical Officer of Health, Dr Frykoda also works as an Addiction Medicine physician.
Dr Frykoda spent her childhood throughout the western provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Dr Frykoda holds a medical degree from the University of Manitoba, a rural & remote Family Medicine Residency from Memorial University (Newfoundland), and a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health and a Master of Science in Public Health from the University of London (London, United Kingdom). Dr Frykoda is a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
Dr. Tim Hilderman has been in medical practice since 1992 when he began his career as a family physician in rural Manitoba.
After completing his specialty training in public health and preventive medicine in 2002, he became a medical officer of health in Manitoba. Dr. Hilderman has been responsible for many key programs across vastly different areas of public health practice over the last 20+ years, including the medical director of communicable disease control, medical lead for vaccines, medical lead for drinking water and medical officer of health, Interlake Eastern Regional Health Authority. In addition to current MOH duties, he is an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba in the department of Community Health Sciences teaching both medical students and residents.
Dr. Anna Johnston has served as medical officer of health for the Prairie Mountain Health region since July 2022.
After starting her medical career as a family physician in Brandon and then Dauphin, Dr. Johnston transitioned to public health practice in 1999 and has served as a medical officer of health in Prairie Mountain Health and Southern Health-Santé Sud health regions.
Born and raised in Manitoba, Dr. Johnston holds a medical degree, completed the Family Medicine Program and obtained a master's degree in public health, all from the University of Manitoba.
Dr. Mahmoud Khodaveisi has been a medical officer of health since 2017. He was served as a medical officer of health for the Prairie Mountain Health region until 2022. He was then reassigned to Southern Health-Santé Sud.
He holds a medical degree from Iran University of Medical Sciences, a master's degree in public health and a certificate in public health and preventative medicine from the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec.
Dr. Khodaveisi is certified in the specialty of public health and general preventive medicine by the American Board of Preventive Medicine.
Dr. Carol Kurbis has served as a provincial medical officer of health in communicable disease control since 2019.
After starting her medical career as a family physician, Dr. Kurbis pursued her interest in public health as a medical officer of health in the former Norman health region of Manitoba and completed her speciality training in public health and preventive medicine.
Prior to her role in communicable disease control, Dr. Kurbis also worked as a medical officer of health in the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, and as a provincial lead in public health information systems (immunization and communicable disease).
Born and raised in Manitoba, Dr. Kurbis completed her medical degree and residency training in family medicine and public health and preventative medicine at the University of Manitoba and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Dr. Santina Lee has served as a medical officer of health since April 2020 in a provincial role with the Communicable Disease Control Unit.
Raised in Manitoba, Dr. Lee holds a medical degree from the University of Manitoba and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada in both Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases.
In addition to her role as a medical officer of health, she also works as a pediatric infectious diseases specialist. Her different roles are very complementary and allow her to not only provide direct care to children and their families, but also work towards broader system changes. She is also an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health at the University of Manitoba where she teaches medical students and resident physicians.
Dr. William Libich has served as a Manitoba medical officer of health since October 2020.
Dr. Libich has previously served as a medical officer of health for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and as director of immunization for the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba. He has also practiced as a family physician.
Born and raised in Manitoba, Dr. Libich holds a medical degree and a master's degree in public health, both from the University of Manitoba, and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada.
Dr. Sarah Lesperance has served as a medical officer of health in Manitoba since April 2020.
Born, raised and educated in Manitoba, Dr. Lesperance started her career in commerce and social sciences. A keen interest in health equity and the social determinants of health propelled her to pursue medicine and specialty training in public health and preventive medicine.
Dr. Lesperance holds commerce, social work and medical degrees, as well as master's degrees in both social work and health sciences. She is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and a certified member of the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
Dr. Lisa Richards has served has as a medical officer of health since July 2008.
Dr. Richards started her career as a medical officer of health for the Burntwood and Churchill health regions (northern Manitoba) prior to taking a position based in the Winnipeg health region. Her areas of interest and practice are environmental health, health promotion and healthy built environments.
Born and raised in Manitoba, Dr. Richards originally pursued education in the environmental sciences at McGill University, and then completed a master's degree in natural resources management before pursuing training in medicine. Dr. Richards obtained her medical degree, specialty certification in public health and preventive medicine, and a master's of science degree (community health sciences) from the University of Manitoba, and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada.
Dr. Karen Robinson, MD, MPH, FRCPC
Dr. Davinder Singh has served has a medical officer of health for Southern Health-Santé Sud since March 2020.
Born and raised in Manitoba, Dr. Singh holds a medical degree, a master of science degree in epidemiology, a law degree and a specialist certificate in public health and preventative medicine, all from the University of Manitoba. Dr. Singh is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada.
Dr. Singh is an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba in the department of Community Health Sciences and previously served there as the program director for the public health and preventive medicine residency program and the co-director for the undergraduate medical education population and public health course.
