THUNDER BAY — The dean of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine is speaking out for the first time about concerns about the school's future, saying NOSM has no plan to leave either Thunder Bay or Sudbury.
In statements issued Tuesday, Dr. Sarita Verma reacted to criticism – most notably coming from Thunder Bay – about the potential impact of making the school fully independent, as the provincial government proposes to do.
Verma said "inaccuracy about the next steps regarding this legislation should be weighed carefully."
In a social media post, she went even further, saying "There is no uncertainty. City council has been misled by fearmongering."
Verma's comments followed Thunder Bay city council's unanimous passage Monday night of a resolution supporting Lakehead University President Moira McPherson who has said she is concerned by the lack of consultation with Lakehead about the decision to give NOSM degree-granting status.
In a letter to the government last week, McPherson said LU has received no confirmation that a NOSM campus will continue to serve Thunder Bay.
Verma, however, said the measure the province proposes in the wake of Laurentian University's insolvency is a "step towards maturity" which will allow the medical school to strengthen its ties to both Sudbury and Thunder Bay while extending its reach into every corner of the North.
The NOSM dean said in an interview that the "rumour" that NOSM is leaving Thunder Bay "is spreading fear and panic...and is hurting the perception that people have of a fantastic school."
Verma added "Dr. McPherson has written to our accreditation body, which now looks like our accreditation will be at risk. That's not good. This needs to stop."
She called city council's resolution "misinformed and misled," noting that NOSM is currently looking to build residency programs for specialists and sub-specialists with Thunder Bay Regional Sciences Health Sciences Centre, where she sits on the board.
Verma said she was taking the opportunity to rebut McPherson because of comments that she described as "destructive" to the medical school and its relationships.
Since 2009, NOSM has produced 714 MDs who currently serve an estimated 235,000 patients in Northern Ontario.
The medical school, which leases its buildings from Lakehead and Laurentian, has close to 100 employees in Thunder Bay.
