Dr. Robert Cushman came out of retirement in May 2017 to serve as the acting Medical Officer of Health for the Renfrew County and District Health Unit. Little did he know what he was getting into when the pandemic arrived. Dr. Cushman’s vision to support children at an early age by building lifelong skills and resiliency, led to work combating addictions in youth with harm reduction strategies and the eventual formation of the United Way-led project step. Dr. Cushman’s work throughout the pandemic has focused on ensuring services are readily accessible to the most vulnerable. Equally he has called attention to the pandemic’s enormous collateral damage to schooling and community mental health, and the need to rebuild services with this top of mind. By building networks of community service providers, Dr. Cushman has fostered a collaborative cross sectoral partnership in Renfrew County and District to fight the pandemic. Learn more about Dr. Robert Cushman.