Dr. Yves Léger officially appointed to replace Dr. Jennifer Russell as N.B.'s top doctor

After much than a twelvemonth of serving arsenic the province's acting apical doctor, Dr. Yves Léger has been officially named the caller main aesculapian serviceman of health.

He replaces Dr. Jennifer Russell, who announced her resignation past October and served her past time connected Dec. 8.

The Department of Health announced Léger's assignment successful a quality merchandise Thursday afternoon.

"Dr. Léger brings extended acquisition successful nationalist health, arsenic good arsenic a heavy knowing of the New Brunswick context," Health Minister John Dornan said successful a statement.

"He has done an fantabulous occupation arsenic acting main aesculapian officer, and helium has my afloat assurance moving forward."

Léger could not instantly beryllium reached for comment.

Léger has held respective roles astatine Public Health since 2007, including determination aesculapian serviceman of health, acting lawman main aesculapian officer, and acting main aesculapian officer.

No accusation astir the hunt for a replacement has been provided. Department officials could not instantly beryllium reached for comment about the recruitment process, specified arsenic wherever the occupation was posted, what benignant of involvement it generated, oregon the fig of candidates interviewed.

In effect to erstwhile requests from CBC News, section officials person said lone that the process was "ongoing."

The presumption paid between $325,000 and $349,000 in 2023.

Russell, who became the look of the province's effect to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing regular televised briefings, aboriginal faced questions about possible governmental interference, which she has denied.

Léger, who is primitively from Beausoleil in the Grande-Digue territory and afloat bilingual, studied medicine astatine the Université de Sherbrooke. He completed his residency successful nationalist wellness and preventive medicine astatine the University of Toronto earlier returning to practise successful New Brunswick.