National Foundation for Infectious Diseases Selects William Schaffner, M.D. as New Medical Director
Bethesda, MD (PRWEB) June 15, 2015 -- The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) has appointed William Schaffner, M.D. as its new medical director.
Schaffner will continue to serve as professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. From 2010 to 2012, Schaffner served as president of NFID. In his new role, he will succeed Susan J. Rehm, M.D. who has served as NFID medical director since 2004.
As medical director, Schaffner will help to advance NFID’s mission with a focus on education and increased awareness among both healthcare professionals and the public about the causes, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases across the lifespan. His medical and scientific expertise will be critical to the development of new NFID programs, including continuing education and public outreach. In his new position, Schaffner will help to strengthen partner collaborations and will continue to serve as NFID medical spokesperson, a role he has shared since he first joined the NFID Board of Directors in 2001. He will also continue to represent NFID as liaison to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
“We are delighted that Dr. Schaffner has agreed to formalize his role with NFID,” said Marla Dalton, CAE, NFID executive director. “He has been instrumental in educating both the public and healthcare professionals about vaccine-preventable diseases and other important infectious disease issues.”
Schaffner’s work has focused on all aspects of infectious diseases, including epidemiology, infection control and immunization. He has worked extensively on the effective use of vaccines across the lifespan. He is a strong proponent of collaboration between academic medical centers and public health institutions.
He has received many awards for his work, including several that recognized his advocacy and ability to translate science and research advances into passionate messages that help people of all ages understand the importance of public health and prevention. He is the recipient of the 2013 NFID John P. Utz Leadership Award. He was also honored as the 2014 Jeryl Lynn Hilleman Lecturer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Immunization Conference. In 2009, he received the James D. Bruce Award from the American College of Physicians for “distinguished contributions to preventive medicine.”
“During her time as medical director, Dr. Rehm has taken the organization to a new level,” noted Dr. Schaffner. “I look forward to working with the NFID staff, our Board and our many partner organizations to continue to advance our mission and expand our reach.”
NFID Leaders Join Schaffner in Paying Tribute to Dr. Susan J. Rehm
Dalton and the NFID Board of Directors expressed their gratitude for Rehm’s expertise and contributions over the years to improve public health through NFID professional and public education programs.
“NFID has benefited from a long history of dedicated experts who have guided us in tackling challenges and minimizing the impact of infectious diseases on U.S. public health,” said Dalton. “Beyond providing her medical expertise, Dr. Rehm worked closely with our staff and leadership to ensure resourceful and collaborative programming.”
Rehm is also an NFID past-president, serving for a three-year term from 2001 to 2004. She is currently vice chair, Department of Infectious Disease, and staff physician at Cleveland Clinic.
More About Dr. William Schaffner
Schaffner is professor of preventive medicine in the Department of Health Policy and professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, TN. He also serves as a hospital epidemiologist at Vanderbilt University Hospital.
He is a member of numerous professional societies, including the Infectious Diseases Society of America, American College of Physicians, Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America and the American Public Health Association. He is also a prolific writer, having authored over 400 scientific articles and textbook chapters. Additionally, he consults on public health and communicable disease control for numerous institutions, including CDC, and serves on the editorial board of several scientific journals, including Journal of Infectious Diseases, Vaccine and the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). He is a featured blog author for The Huffington Post and Infectious Disease News.
About NFID
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1973 and dedicated to educating the public and healthcare professionals about the causes, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases across the lifespan. For more information, visit http://www.nfid.org.
Joanna Colbourne, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, http://www.nfid.org, +1 (301) 656-0003 Ext: 12, [email protected]
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