NOSM University is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Michael Green as incoming President, Vice-Chancellor, Dean and CEO, effective November 1, 2024. The NOSM University Board of Governors unanimously approved the appointment on June 13, 2024.
Dr. Green assumes the role following the retirement of Dr. Sarita Verma. "Dr. Green is no stranger to Northern Ontario," she said. "He is a highly skilled family physician and rural generalist who spent eight years serving the communities of Moose Factory and Kashechewan. I know that NOSM University and the North will continue to be in very good hands."
During his time in Moose Factory, Dr. Green completed a master's degree in public health with a focus on health policy and management at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, MD. In 2003, Dr. Green and his family moved to Kingston, Ontario, where he began his academic career at Queen's University. He served as the Head and Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and as a Professor of Public Health Sciences and Policy Studies, among other roles. In 2023, Dr. Green was elected the 70th President of the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
"As we welcome Dr. Green to his new role, we also recognize the incredible impact Dr. Verma has made over the past five years," says Sue LeBeau, Chair of the NOSM University Board of Governors. "I cannot overstate the degree to which her accomplishments have helped to shape NOSM University and the future of health equity in Northern Ontario."
Since Dr. Verma arrived in July 2019, her tenure has been nothing short of transformative. Amidst the global turbulence of the COVID-19 pandemic, she navigated NOSM University with a steady hand and an unwavering vision. Facing the insolvency crisis at Laurentian University, Dr. Verma's strategic acumen successfully positioned NOSM University as Canada's first independent medical university. This monumental achievement not only safeguarded the future of NOSM University but also set a new precedent for medical education in the country.
Under her leadership, the MD program received full, eight-year accreditation. She established the Dr. Gilles Arcand Centre for Health Equity and was instrumental in reaching the first $50 million toward the NOSM University Student Endowment Fund. This includes the transformational $10 million investment from FDC Foundation and another $10 million from the Temerty Foundation, which will support countless students in their medical education journeys in perpetuity.
"I fully intend to build on the incredible work done by Dr. Verma and her team," says Dr. Green. "The relationships she has built and fostered across the North are my first priority, and I look forward to establishing roots of my own while we continue NOSM University's mission: to improve the health of Northern Ontarians by being socially accountable in our education and research programs and advocating for health equity."
NOSM University is Canada's first independent medical university and one of the greatest education and physician workforce strategy success stories of Northern Ontario. More than just a medical university, it was purpose-built to address the health needs of the region. While advocating for equitable access to care, the university contributes to the economic development of Northern Ontario. NOSM University relies on the commitment and expertise of the peoples of Northern Ontario to educate health-care professionals to practise in Indigenous, Francophone, rural, remote and underserved communities. With a focus on diversity, inclusion and advocacy, NOSM University is an award-winning, socially accountable organization renowned for its innovative model of distributed, community-engaged education and research.
