University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health: Temte named Associate Dean for public health and community engagement

Contact: Toni Morrissey Date: May 22, 2019 tmorrissey@uwhealth.org (608) 263-3233

MADISON, Wis. – A key player in nationwide vaccine policy with a passion for connecting medical research with community needs, Dr. Jonathan L. Temte will serve as the next associate dean for public health and community engagement at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. At the nation’s first school of medicine and public health, Temte will continue the advancement of the school’s pioneering vision. “This is a crucial time to build a better bridge between the historically separated visions of public health and individual health,” Temte said, adding that he sees significant need and opportunity for today’s medical students to gain hands-on knowledge of public health practice. “In creating these opportunities, we are uniquely situated to create a new generation of physicians that is highly in tune with the needs of our communities,” Temte said. Temte has dedicated his career to creating connections between primary care medicine and public health practice. A professor in the department of family medicine and community health and a family medicine physician at the Access Community Health Centers, Temte has served as a clinician, teacher and researcher for 25 years. With PhD training in zoology, evolutionary physiology and marine mammal biology, Temte brings a unique perspective to public health. His extensive body of research includes investigation of the relationships between communities, primary care and respiratory viruses. An expert in vaccines and immunization policy, Temte has served on the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), also acting as chair of its Evidence-Based Recommendation Work Group. Temte was the first family physician to chair ACIP, from 2012 to 2015. Temte is currently chair of the Wisconsin Council on Immunization Practices and serves as medical director for Public Health Madison & Dane County. On the national level, Temte is currently serving an appointment to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Board of Scientific Counselors. In addition to helping craft national vaccine recommendations, Temte has also led extensive public-health research and policy at the community level in Wisconsin. Temte and his team have earned multiple CDC grants for an ongoing study tracking absenteeism in the Oregon School District as a warning system for influenza outbreaks in the broader community. In 2018, Temte received the American Academy of Family Physicians Public Health Award for his career commitment to the enhancement of public health in the United States and beyond. “It is a thrilling prospect to bring an experienced physician, prolific researcher and public health visionary into this critical leadership role,” said Robert Golden, dean of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. “Dr. Temte has a compelling vision to inextricably weave together public health and medicine in our research, education and service missions.” In addition to leading efforts to integrate public health into all of the school’s portfolios, Temte will oversee the Office of Rural Health and the Area Health Education Center, as well as the Center for Urban Population Health, which is a partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Aurora Health Care and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.