April 21, 2017

DOH Names Director for Division of Disease Control and Health Protection

Contact:
Communications Office
NewsMedia@flhealth.gov
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Tallahassee, Fla.—The Florida Department of Health is pleased to announce Carina Blackmore, DVM, PhD as the new Director for the Division of Disease Control and Health Protection. Dr. Blackmore will provide oversight for the Bureaus of Epidemiology, Communicable Diseases, Environmental Health and Public Health Laboratories. She will also serve as the State Epidemiologist.

“We congratulate Dr. Blackmore in her new roles as Division Director and State Epidemiologist,” said State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health Dr. Celeste Philip. “She brings to the position over 27 years of experience and a strong international background in public health to serve the people of Florida in this leadership role.”

Dr. Blackmore joined the department in 1998 in the role of regional epidemiologist where she consulted with 21 health departments on epidemiology issues and was designated as back up State Veterinarian. In 2003 she became program manager of environmental epidemiology where she coordinated on efforts of the Florida Rabies Advisory Committee and the Florida Arbovirus Taskforce. In the same year, she was appointed State Public Health Veterinarian in which she provided oversight of animal public health policies.

From 2008 through 2012, Dr. Blackmore was chief of the Bureau of Environmental Public Health Medicine where she oversaw 12 environmental epidemiology and toxicology programs within the department. She was tapped to lead the Epidemiology Capacity and Quality Control Section as administrator while also serving as acting administrator for the Infectious Disease Prevention and Investigation Section for the first half of fiscal year 2012.

She gained valuable leadership experience while she served as interim director of Disease Control and Health Protection in the winter of 2012 and 2013 where she was responsible for over 400 employees. Dr. Blackmore was also designated as interim state epidemiologist until assuming the role of deputy state epidemiologist in 2013. From winter 2013-2014, she also served as interim chief for the Bureau of Environmental Health. 

From 2014 to 2016 she served as chief of the Bureau of Public Health Laboratories where she was responsible for overseeing diagnostic screening, monitoring, and emergency public health laboratory services provided to county health departments and other partner agencies, clinicians, hospitals and private laboratories. In March of 2016 she became acting and later interim director of Disease Control and Health Protection until she was selected this month as division director and state epidemiologist.

Dr. Blackmore received her Doctor of Philosophy in Biological Sciences from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Science in Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, as well as a Certificate in Public Management from Florida State University. Dr. Blackmore is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Florida College of Public Health and College of Veterinary Medicine and has authored or co-authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

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