Detroit’s Health Department has a new “top doc.”
Taking over the helm is Dr. Joneigh S. Khaldun, a board certified practicing emergency physician and public health leader who has served as the Medical Director of the Detroit Health Department since July of 2016.
Khaldun replaces former Executive Director and Health Officer Dr. Abdul-Sayed, who announced his departure from the Detroit Health Department and his intended bid for the governor’s seat this month.
In her role at the Detroit Health Department, Dr. Khaldun supervised the Communicable Disease Program, all direct clinical services, and was the lead on special projects including development of the city’s strategy to address unintended teen pregnancy.
“Dr. Khaldun is an extraordinarily experienced medical professional and a talented administrator. Her passion for public health makes her the right person for this job. I’m confident that under her leadership we will take on some of Detroit’s most pressing health challenges and improve public health outcomes across our city.” said Mayor Duggan.
In her new role, Dr. Khaldun will oversee the Health Department and lead the city’s efforts to decrease the infant mortality rate and improve maternal health outcomes. She will also focus on building collaborations with health systems, and continue to build the department’s infrastructure.
Prior to returning to Detroit, Dr. Khaldun was the Chief Medical Officer and Assistant Commissioner for Clinical Services for the Baltimore City Health Department. In that role, she served as a Senior Advisor to the Baltimore City Health Commissioner, implementing key strategies around preventing opioid overdose, violence prevention, youth wellness, and improving care coordination. She also oversaw seven health department clinics, a complex laboratory, and the Office of Epidemiology.
“It is such an honor to have been chosen by Mayor Duggan to lead this Department and serve a City that I credit for shaping who I am today,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Executive Director and Health Officer of the Detroit Health Department. “I look forward to changing the way health systems and public health work together, and listening to the community’s needs. I also would like to thank Dr. Abdul El-Sayed for building a strong foundation that will help this department grow for years to come.”
Dr. Khaldun has held several local and national leadership roles, including Director of the Center for Injury Prevention and Control at George Washington University, Fellow in the Office of Health Reform at the US Department of Health and Human Services, and Director of the Fellowship in Health Policy and Leadership in the University of Maryland’s Department of Emergency Medicine.
She is a former Board Member of Break the Cycle, a national organization that addresses teen dating violence, and was previously appointed to the Commission on Health in Montgomery County, Maryland. In addition to her policy and public health roles, Dr. Khaldun is an accomplished academic professor who has published and lectured widely on the impact of health reform on the health care system.
Dr. Khaldun obtained her undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Michigan, her MD from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and completed her emergency medicine residency at Kings County Hospital Center/SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, New York, where she was also a chief resident. Her MPH and fellowship in health policy were completed at George Washington University. She also practices clinically part-time in the Emergency Department at Henry Ford Hospital.
Lead photo Dr. Joneigh S. Khaldun (left) celebrates the opening of a new dental center. Photos courtesy of Detroit Health Department.
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