Osler Health CEO in Brampton departs amid COVID-19 challenges

Dr. Naveed Mohammad is out as the head of William Osler Health System, which oversees Brampton’s lone full-service hospital.

Staff were informed Monday that Dr. Mohammad, who became Osler’s president and chief executive officer in April 2020 and has spent 25 years with the hospital network, was moving aside. the change is “effective immediately,” according to a statement from Osler.

Dr. Frank Martino, Osler’s chief of staff, has been appointed interim president and CEO. He previously served in that capacity before Dr. Mohammad assumed the role.

“While this comes at a challenging time for Osler, Dr. Martino and Osler’s Leadership Team will continue to focus on the future – most notably on efforts to recover from the pandemic,” the statement read in part.

“Osler is grateful for the dedication and support of its staff, physicians and volunteers, and for their commitment to continuing to meet the health care needs of the community.”

Before becoming CEO, Mohammad was Osler’s executive vice-president of quality, medical and academic affairs

Osler oversees the Brampton Civic Hospital, whose capacity to serve a city of 700,000 people was stretched thin well before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Just last month in Brampton, as Omicron-variant cases of COVID-19 surged, Osler had to declare a “Code Orange,” when demand for care surpassed its ability to provide it. Staffing shortages have also been a challenge recently.

Last spring, Brampton was also one of the hardest-hit areas of Ontario during the third wave COVID-19.

Mohammad’s tenure also included an allegation of political influence affecting a hiring decision.

In early 2021, Dr. Brooks Fallis, a critical care physician, told CBC Toronto and The Globe & Mail that he was not offered Osler’s position as director of critical care, due to comments he had made on his Twitter account that criticized the Ontario government’s pandemic response.

Both Osler and a spokeswoman for Premier Doug Ford denied the allegations.

Along with Civic Hospital, William Osler Health System also oversees the Peel Memorial Centre for Integrated Health and Wellness in Brampton, and Toronto’s Etobicoke General Hospital.