December 10, 2021
Media Contact: Beth Boutot beth.boutot@vdh.virginia.gov
THE VIRGINIA BEACH DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH WELCOMES NEW DISTRICT DIRECTOR
(Virginia Beach, VA.) The Virginia Beach Department of Public Health welcomes Caitlin Pedati, MD, MPH to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to serve as the Virginia Beach Health District Director, effective, December 10, 2021.
Dr. Parham Jaberi, Chief Deputy Commissioner, Community Health Services Virginia Department of Health says “We are truly fortunate to have Dr. Pedati join our team at VDH. With her background in infectious disease control and epidemiology at the state and national level, Dr. Pedati is joining our health department at an opportune time as we continue our COVID-19 pandemic response and efforts.”
Dr. Pedati, a board-certified pediatrician, comes to VDH from the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) where she has served as the Medical Director and State Epidemiologist. Her career however began in public health with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention where she was one of the agency’s disease detectives in the Epidemic Intelligence Service. She subsequently served as a field officer with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services prior to joining IDPH.
Dr. Pedati graduated cum laude from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Science in Human Sciences and a Certificate in Population Health. She earned her Medical Doctorate and Master of Public Health with a focus on epidemiology from The George Washington University. There she received recognition in both public health and clinical medicine as a member of the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health as well as the Gold Humanism Honor Society. She then completed a pediatric residency with a Certificate in Global Child Health at Children’s National Hospital in Washington D.C.
As both a public health and clinical professional, Dr. Pedati has engaged with several national organizations including the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists as the former Co-chair of the Healthcare Associated Infections Committee, as well as the American Academy of Pediatrics as a member of the executive committee for the Section on Epidemiology, Public Health and Evidence.
Dr. Pedati is excited to return to her home state and notes, “I look forward to joining the wonderful team in Virginia Beach in supporting a healthy community during a time of great growth and opportunity for public health”.
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