Dr. Scott McLeod
As Registrar and CEO of the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA), Dr. Scott McLeod has demonstrated ethical leadership in action.
During the pandemic, CPSA upheld the integrity of the profession by addressing misinformation, inappropriate patient exemptions, and the off-label prescribing of medications for COVID-19. It focused on education and support first, while relying on disciplinary action as a last resort.
Dr. McLeod also upheld the integrity of CPSA when, in 2020, he took public accountability for the organization’s failure, and his own, to appropriately address a racist incident at a Grande Prairie hospital four years earlier.
He subsequently launched initiatives to improve consultation with marginalized and underrepresented physicians and patients. And as part of the CPSA’s commitment to reconciliation, Dr. McLeod has helped create an Indigenous Health Advisory Circle.
Before joining CPSA, Dr. McLeod spent more than 27 years in the military, holding leadership roles including Deputy Surgeon General.
“Scott has found ethical alternatives when faced with seeming impossible problems and has faced with courage the consequences of his decisions and those of the organization he leads.” – Michael Gormley, Executive Director, Alberta Medical Association
Dr. Scott McLeod is receiving the Dr. William Marsden Award in recognition of his exemplary leadership, commitment and dedication to advancing and promoting excellence in medical ethics and professionalism in Canada.