Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s public health chief, taking leave of absence for medical treatment

Thestar.com
Dec. 9, 2021
David Rider, Jennifer Pagliaro and Francine Kopun

Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s public health chief and a fixture in the city’s fight against COVID-19, is stepping away from her duties until at least Dec. 20 to undergo treatment to remove precancerous cells.

De Villa revealed in a statement Tuesday that she will undergo surgery Wednesday, but plans to be back at the helm of the 2,600-member Toronto Public Health team on Dec. 20.

The bespectacled physician, known for her trademark scarves and calm, reassuring manner, had a routine screening mammogram last summer “in keeping with current recommendations,” followed by tests that identified the precancerous cells.

“These cells need to be removed through surgery, which I am scheduled to undergo tomorrow,” she said. “Any further treatment will be determined after the surgery.”

Dr. Na-Koshie Lamptey, deputy medical officer of health, will be acting medical officer of health in her absence, leading the city’s pandemic response with Mayor John Tory and Coun. Joe Cressy, chair of the Toronto Public Health board.

De Villa added that her story is “not unique.”

“Women throughout Toronto receive news like this every day,” she wrote.

“I want you to know that I am receiving great care and that Toronto Public Health is in good hands...

“My message to Torontonians is simply this: please do take the time to participate in screening programs, as recommended,” she wrote, adding: “I am grateful that I took the time to get screened as it has allowed me to have early detection and treatment.”

Cressy, the public health chair who has led the city’s pandemic response along with the mayor since March 2020, said in an interview that “it is in classic Dr. de Villa fashion that in sharing her own story she has used it as a teaching moment for Torontonians, and women in particular, to do early screening. Even undergoing her own medical procedure, she’s acting as the people’s doctor.”

Cressy paid tribute to de Villa’s huge efforts to keep Torontonians safe and healthy.

“There are more than 2,600 Toronto Public Health staff who have been working day and night under unrelenting pressure, with the emotional weight of the city on their shoulders, for nearly two straight years --and no more so than Dr. de Villa,” Cressy said.

“There is a deep, deep toll that this pandemic has taken across Toronto Public Health and Eileen has been our rock.”

Tory said in a statement he has no doubt de Villa will make “a speedy recovery and I look forward to continuing to work with her upon her return...

“Her professionalism and balance have been key to Toronto’s progress in fighting COVID-19.”

In her absence, Tory said he was looking forward to working with Lamptey, who briefed the board of health on Monday about the latest COVID-19 situation.

De Villa also attended the meeting Monday and answered questions about the city’s vaccination efforts and other aspects of the pandemic response.

Others responding to the news empathized with the challenge she was facing.

“Sending my best wishes to Dr. (Eileen de Villa) for a successful surgery tomorrow and a speedy recovery,” wrote Coun. Jaye Robinson (Ward 15 Don Valley West), who underwent treatment for breast cancer after being diagnosed in 2019.

Others stressed the importance of de Villa’s message on screening.

Dr. Aisha Lofters, a physician and researcher at Women’s College Hospital and provincial primary care lead for cancer screening at Ontario Health, said family doctors know many people have fallen behind on their cancer-screening tests, including tests for cervical cancer, breast cancer and colorectal cancers.

“Part of that is because the system did shut down --and appropriately so --last year. We’re still very much playing catch-up from that,” said Lofters, adding that it’s time to stop delaying routine testing.

“You can only put stuff on hold for so long before it becomes an issue, and there are people who are very much overdue and we know screening is an effective way of catching cancers early.

“We don’t want to create a whole other epidemic of chronic disease and cancers that are being delayed in their diagnosis.”

Kimberly Carson, CEO of the Breast Cancer Society of Canada, said there was a measurable drop in routine mammograms due to the pandemic, although the full extent of the decrease is not yet known.

“Our message to Eileen is that she did everything right,” said Carson. “She took care of her health, she caught it early; she followed her doctor’s advice. And certainly the Breast Cancer Society of Canada supports early detection. Early detection saves lives.”