State and Territorial Health Leaders Commend Selection of Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald for CDC Director
ARLINGTON, VA (July 7, 2017)—The
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) commends
the Administration for nominating Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald to serve as
director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fitzgerald has
served as commissioner and state health officer of the Georgia Department of Public Health since
2011, directing the state’s 18 public health districts and 159 county
health departments and overseeing various state public health programs.
“Brenda
comes to the job with experiences as a successful leader in public
health and healthcare” says Dr. Jay Butler, ASTHO president and chief
medical officer for the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.
“Her accomplishments in Georgia and her many contributions to ASTHO are
a testament to her commitment to promote, protect, and improve the
health of all Americans. Her perspectives gained from clinical practice
as well as serving as chief of a state public health agency will be
crucial to her success as director of our nation’s premiere public
health agency.”
Fitzgerald currently
serves as president-elect of ASTHO, is a board-certified
Obstetrician-Gynecologist, and has practiced medicine for more than
three decades. She was in private practice before being tapped by Gov.
Nathan Deal in 2010 to be part of his transition team, and then was
ultimately selected to lead the Georgia Department of Public Health in
2011. As state health official, Fitzgerald has undertaken many state
public health initiatives including launching the “Talk with me Baby”
initiative to encourage increased language development among Georgia
babies; leading a statewide, multi-faceted childhood obesity initiative,
called the Georgia Student Health and Physical Education (SHAPE)
Initiative, which took Georgia’s childhood obesity rate from second
highest in the nation to 17th in just five years; and coordinating
efforts across the state during the Ebola virus disease epidemic and
protecting Georgia residents from the Zika virus through a Zika
Awareness Campaign.
“Dr. Fitzgerald’s
first-hand experience working at the frontlines of public health and
dealing with real-time health emergencies make her an ideal leader for
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” says Dr. Michael
Fraser, executive director of ASTHO. “Her collaborative approach to
addressing both infectious disease and chronic health issues will serve
the CDC well. We look forward to supporting her in this new role and
working with CDC leadership well into the future to protect all
Americans from health threats and promote optimal health for all.”
Fitzgerald
holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology from Georgia State
University and a Doctor of Medicine degree from Emory University School
of Medicine. She completed post-graduate training at the Emory-Grady
Hospital in Atlanta and held an assistant clinical professorship at
Emory Medical Center. As a Major in the U.S. Air Force, Fitzgerald
served at the Wurtsmith Air Force Strategic Air Command Base in Michigan
and at the Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, D.C.
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ASTHO
is the national nonprofit organization representing the public health
agencies of the United States, the U.S. territories, and the District of
Columbia, as well as the more than 100,000 public health professionals
these agencies employ. ASTHO members, the chief health officials of
these jurisdictions, are dedicated to formulating and influencing sound
public health policy and to ensuring excellence in state-based public
health practice.