Alton Hart, Jr., MD, MPH, MDiv
Dr. Alton Hart, Jr. has served as the District Health Director for the Crater District Health Departments/Virginia Department of Health since July 1, 2012. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Medical College of Georgia and his Master of Public Health degree from the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, WA. While at the UW, he also completed the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, a research fellowship for physicians. Dr. Hart is a board-certified internist by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Prior to working for the Virginia Department of Health, Dr. Hart served as the Associate Scientific Director for the Center on Health Disparities at Virginia Commonwealth University for over 4 years. He also served as the Medical Director for Massey Cancer Center’s Adult Cancer Survivorship Clinic and held an appointment in the School of Medicine as an Associate Professor of Medicine.
While at VCU, Dr. Hart’s research focused on working with African-American men in 30 barbershops in the Richmond area. He served as principal investigator on a National Cancer Institute (NCI) funded project titled, “Exploring Cigarette Dependence among African-American Males in Barbershops.” He also served as a mentor in the National Cancer Institute’s Research to Reality Mentoring Program, a program focused on evidence-based public health practice.
Currently, Dr. Hart serves on the Board of Directors for the Cameron Foundation and Thrive Birth to Five. He also serves on the Community Policy and Management Team for the Petersburg Office of Children’s Services.