After eight years as regional director of public health for Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Dr. Yv Bonnier Viger will leave his position on September 3.
At 74, he believes it is now time to make way for younger people. I am a model from 1950, so as we get older we have to make room for the next generation. […] especially with the arrival of Santé Québec, where there will be changes. It is good that the new person has this in hand when taking the reins of management, he summarizes.
Far from announcing retirement, Dr. Bonnier Viger will remain active within the Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSS) of Gaspésie as a specialist physician in public health and preventive medicine in the clinical department of public health.
I am very happy to continue working with the entire population of Gaspésie and the Islands that I love. I think we will continue our journey together to try to improve our collective health and well-being.
A quote from Dr Yv Bonnier Viger
A mandate marked by the COVID-19 pandemic
The management of the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly marked his mandate as director of public health.
It was an extraordinary event that left its mark on everyone, the public health team and obviously me too. […] It was a major learning experience. We are trained for it, but living it is something else, he recalls.
The bottom line is that to deal with events like this – there will be more with climate change – we have to be ready. The best way to prepare is to create scenarios and practice them, he adds.
Dr. Bonnier Viger also notes the work done over the years in the fight against climate change and the fight against social inequalities in the health sector. He mentions in particular a pilot project for health insurance for people in financial precariousness, which has not yet been deployed.
There is a lot of work that has been started, but there is still a lot to do and all of this requires collaboration, consultation within the population with all community organizations and the different levels of government. We must continue to build all of these relationships established since 2016 and I think that the new [direction] will certainly go in that direction and me too, as a doctor […] I will continue in this direction, he says.
Appointment to come
The board of directors of the CISSS de la Gaspésie indicates that it will very soon appoint someone to ensure the interim while waiting to fill the position.
Dr. Bonnier Viger also assures that he does not leave decision-makers in the dark and that the next generation is being trained.
Yv Bonnier Viger has been active in the health sector since 1992. He has served as Director of Public Health in the Terres-cries-de-la-Baie-James region and Director of Public Health Promotion and Prevention in Chaudière-Appalaches. He also held the position of Director of the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine at Université Laval during his career.
In addition, he was a candidate in the last provincial elections in the Gaspé riding under the banner of Québec solidaire.
