State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health Dr. John Armstrong has appointed Dr. Patricia Ryder, MD, MPH as Interim Director of the Division for Disease Control and Health Protection. In this role, Dr. Ryder will oversee the Bureaus of Communicable Diseases, Environmental Health and Epidemiology. Dr. Kevin Sherin has served as Interim Division Director for the past three months and will return to his previous position as Director of the Florida Department of Health in Orange County.
“Dr. Ryder is a committed advocate for Florida’s public health system and her leadership in this critical role is greatly appreciated,” said Dr. Armstrong. “I want to express my thanks to Dr. Sherin for his service over the past three months. The Department is proud to have such professional and dedicated leaders as Dr. Ryder and Dr. Sherin.”
Dr. Ryder has worked as Medical Epidemiologist at the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County since 1994, and has doubled as Assistant County Health Department Director for the past two years.
