Dept. of Health Services: Bureau of Communicable Diseases: Newly appointed chief medical officer and state epidemiologist for communicable diseases

I am pleased to announce that effective immediately Ryan P. Westergaard, MD, PhD, MPH is the new Chief Medical Officer and State Epidemiologist for Communicable Diseases at the Department of Health Services (DHS), Division of Public Health (DPH), Bureau of Communicable Diseases (BCD).

Dr. Westergaard attended medical school at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He then completed a primary care internal medicine residency at the University of Colorado at Denver, where he was also a staff physician at Denver Health Medical Center. He received fellowship training in infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Johns Hopkins AIDS Service, and completed clinical research training at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Westergaard also holds a bachelor of Science with Honors in Bioethics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dr. Westergaard continues to hold a faculty appointment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research projects at the University of Wisconsin have involved interventions to improve quality and continuity of care for individuals living with HIV and/or Hepatitis C, with special emphasis on people who also have mental illness, people who use drugs and people who are incarcerated.

While DHS has worked with Dr. Westergaard extensively on many of the aforementioned research projects, we are excited that he has joined our team to help us grow in the Division of Public Health. Not only will Dr. Westergaard provide medical expertise that will guide us in responding to communicable disease outbreaks and emerging infectious disease threats, but his strategic visioning prowess, strong leadership and advocacy in public policy work will continue to serve the public health system well. We are thrilled he has joined our team!

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Westergaard to the Division of Public Health!

Best regards,

Stephanie Smiley Director, Bureau of Communicable Diseases, Division of Public Health