THUNDER BAY – Dr. Sarita Verma will not continue as the head of NOSM University after her first term as president expires next year.
The medical school quietly announced Verma’s upcoming departure in a statement posted to its website on Monday, acknowledging her "five years of dedicated leadership."
The statement indicated Verma had "declined the offer of reappointment" with NOSM.
She will continue to serve as the university's president, vice-chancellor, dean and CEO through the end of her first term in June 2024.
NOSM’s board of governors will launch a search committee to identify a replacement, the school said.
Verma joined NOSM in 2019, succeeding the medical school's founding dean, Dr. Roger Strasser.
During her tenure, she oversaw the Northern Ontario School of Medicine’s controversial move toward independence, severing ties with Lakehead and Laurentian universities and rebranding as NOSM University.
In addition to practicing family medicine, Verma previously held senior roles with the University of Toronto's faculty of medicine and the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada.
Verma’s departure was first reported by CTV News.
NOSM University also announced turnover on its board of governors.
West Nipissing General Hospital CEO Sue LeBeau will succeed Joy Warkentin as chair when the board's new term begins in January, while Mae Katt will follow Mark Hurst as vice-chair.
LeBeau previously served as CEO of the Margaret Cochenour Memorial Hospital in Red Lake for several years.
Katt, a Thunder Bay-based Nurse Practitioner originally from Temagami First Nation, was a senior administrator with Health Canada’s First Nations and Inuit Health and Nishnawbe Aski Nation.
Both women have several years' experience on the board.
