Dr. Valerie Jaeger
Medical Officer of Health, Commissioner of Public Health
Niagara Region
Highlights: The relationship between disease causing organisms and humans has a long and not so distinguished history; a look at the factors that shape how society and individuals cope with new and old foes.
Dr. Valerie Jaeger, a proven community leader and dedicated physician, holds the position of Medical Officer of Health (MOH) and Commissioner of Public Health for Niagara Region.
Dr. Jaeger is known for her thoughtful, warm, and solid leadership and leads a staff of more than 700 public health professionals in Niagara with a budget of approximately $75 million, and the department serves over 430,000 residents living in rural and urban settings, across 12 municipalities.
In her capacity as MOH, her responsibilities include areas as diverse as family health, infectious disease control, health surveillance, mental health, food safety, chronic disease and injury prevention, sexual health and the Niagara Emergency Medical Services’ ambulance and dispatch division.
Prior to accepting this position, Dr. Jaeger held clinical and leadership roles across several local organizations, including Brock University Medical Services, Niagara College, and Sexual Health Physician at Niagara Region Public Health. She currently serves as Chair of the Council of Ontario Medical Officers of Health.
Dr. Jaeger was named Family Physician of the Year for Southern Ontario, 2006 and has tremendous involvement across a number of community boards and agencies. A PhD in Pharmacology, and an MD from McGill University, is complemented by a Master of Public Health through the University of Waterloo. She is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Brock University.