On February 26, Governor Mike DeWine appointed Amy Acton, MD, as director of the Ohio Department of Health. Dr. Acton most recently served as community research and grants management officer at the Columbus Foundation. Prior to that, Dr. Acton was an assistant professor in the Ohio State University’s (OSU) College of Public Health.
The prior two directors of the Ohio Department of Health under Governor John Kasich were not physicians.
Gov. DeWine has charged the department with addressing issues such as substance abuse, youth suicide, infant mortality, and lead-paint poisoning.
Dr. Acton earned her medical degree at the Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine. She completed her residency at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City and at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She also completed a residency in preventive medicine and earned a master’s degree in public health from OSU.