DCH announces new director of public health

Published 2:56 pm Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Today, the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) announced that Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., will serve as the department’s new director of the Division of Public Health. Dr. Fitzgerald, a board-certified Obstetrician-Gynecologist and a Fellow in Anti-Aging Medicine, has practiced medicine for three decades.

“Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald is a trusted leader on health care issues, and she has dedicated her professional life to serving her nation and her community. Dr. Fitzgerald served as the top health care adviser on my transition committee, and her work and insight will continue to benefit the people of our state,” said Governor Nathan Deal.

As the Director of Public Health, Dr. Fitzgerald will oversee Public Health’s seven main program areas:  Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Maternal and Child Health, Infectious Disease and Immunization, Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Vital Records and the State Public Health Laboratory.  Dr. Fitzgerald will also direct the state’s 18 health districts and 159 county health departments.

“Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald is a highly experienced physician who is dedicated to a healthier Georgia.  She will bring expertise, energy and commitment to addressing our state’s critical public health needs,” said David Cook, DCH Commissioner.

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 did her post-graduate training at the Emory-Grady Hospitals 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 (SAC) Base in Michigan and Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, D.C.

While devoting herself to a primary care practice, Fitzgerald has also held numerous leadership positions.  Fitzgerald served on the board and as president of the Georgia OB-GYN Society and she worked as a health care policy advisor with House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Senator Paul Coverdell. She has served as Chairman of the Board for the Georgia Public Policy Foundation and remains as a Senior Fellow.  Additionally, she served on the Military Academy Selection Boards for Senators Paul Coverdell and Saxby Chambliss, and was a founding board member for the Paul Coverdell Leadership Institute.  She also contributed to Leadership Georgia serving as a program chair.

Fitzgerald served as the 7th District Representative to the Georgia State School Board and held board posts with Voices for Georgia’s Children, the Advanced Academy of West Georgia, the University of West Georgia Foundation and the Carrollton Rotary Club.

About the Georgia Department of Community Health

DCH was created in 1999 to serve as the lead agency for health care planning and purchasing issues in Georgia.  DCH is designated as the single state agency for Medicaid and the State Health Benefit Plan, the health insurance program for Georgia’s teachers, state employees, retirees and their dependents.  In 2009, Healthcare Facility Regulation was created at DCH from sections transferred from the former Department of Human Resources, Office of Regulatory Services.  At that same time, the Divisions of Public Health and Emergency Preparedness and Response transitioned to the Department.  To learn more about DCH, visit www.dch.georgia.gov.