Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Governor Culver Announces Interim Director of Public Health
Mary Jones Named as Interim Director of Public Health
(Des Moines) Today, Governor Chet Culver appointed Mary Jones, current Division Director for the Iowa Department of Public Health, as the Interim Director for the Iowa Department of Public Health. Current Interim Director of Public Health, Dr. Mary Mincer Hansen, has taken a medical leave from the Department.
“I appreciate the hard work Mary Jones has put into the agency and am confident in her ability to serve as the Interim Director,” said Governor Culver.
Mary Jones: Mary Jones is currently Division Director for the Iowa Department of Public Health’s division of Acute Disease Prevention and Emergency Response (ADPER). Jones is well known in Iowa's public health community for her efforts in emergency response and disaster preparedness. She joined the Department in 1995 to coordinate the development of the State Trauma System, an injury-classification system designed to get Iowa patients, in need, to the most appropriate care in the shortest time possible. Since October 2001, she has headed emergency preparedness efforts for IDPH, helping to ensure Department response efforts are coordinated with traditional public health partners such as hospitals and local public health agencies, as well as non-traditional partners such as agriculture, law enforcement, and education.