Physician college appoints military doctor as registrar
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta has selected a top military administrator as its new registrar.
Dr. Scott McLeod, currently the deputy surgeon general for the Canadian Armed Forces, will step into his new role July 1.
The college announced the hiring Thursday in its monthly newsletter, describing McLeod as “the senior staff officer for the entire Canadian Armed Forces health-care system, providing strategic direction, financial and operational oversight, advice and support to all 38 primary care clinics around the world.”
McLeod’s lengthy military career also includes a recent stint as the director of mental health, a role that placed him front and centre in the forces’ response to a spate of suicides among soldiers.
The issue has continued to plague the military, which has been accused of operating a dysfunctional mental health system and failing to adequately address stigmas that have led troops to suffer in silence.
“We are investing heavily in education and trying to whittle away at that stigma,” he said in a 2013 interview with the Ottawa Citizen.
“We want to learn and improve our system so we can prevent suicide … No other organization in Canada, and probably the world, has got a program that intensive to learn from these suicides.”
McLeod began his medical career more than 26 years ago as a flight surgeon in Moose Jaw and as the team physician for the Snowbirds unit. Over the years, he has served in Haiti, Kosovo and Afghanistan, including a stint as the commanding officer of the Multinational Role 3 Hospital in Kandahar.
In recent years, he led a full governance review of the military’s health services, along with the development of a new wellness strategy. He received his medical degree at the University of Saskatchewan.
McLeod’s appointment received unanimous consent from the college’s council at a recent meeting.
He was chosen through a lengthy search triggered by the resignation announcement of current registrar Dr. Trevor Theman.