Biography
Dr. Kevin Orrell was appointed Deputy Minister of Health of Wellness on March 30, 2020. He served in
this capacity until September, 2021 when he was appointed Deputy Minister and CEO of the new Office
of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment by the Nova Scotia Government.
He is originally from North Sydney, Cape Breton. He is a graduate of Dalhousie Medical School and
completed fellowship training at the University of Toronto. He received his fellowship in Orthopaedics
from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 1988. For more than 30 years he has
had a busy orthopaedic practice and has been the Chief, Division of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Cape
Breton Regional Hospital.
Dr. Orrell is Past President of the Canadian Orthopaedic Association (2017 – 2018) and the Canadian
Orthopaedic foundation (2007 -2011). He has served as a member of the Examination Board
(orthopaedics) of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (2002 -2006). He is a past
chair of Orthopaedic training for the Family Medicine Residency, Dalhousie University (Sydney site). He
has been a Board Member, Board of Governors, Cape Breton University (1995 – 2001). In 2019, Dr.
Orrell joined the Cape Breton Regional Municipality Health Care Redevelopment Team as Senior Medical
Director.
Dr. Orrell has been the Team Physician/Orthopaedic consultant for the Cape Breton Oilers, American
Hockey League (1990 – 1998) and the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, Quebec Major Junior Hockey
Leaque (1999 – 2020). He has served as Medical co-chair World Junior Hockey Tournament (Dec 2002 –
Jan 2003)
Dr. Orrell and his wife, Anne, divide their time between Halifax and Sydney. They have five adult
children.