Dear Colleagues, Community Partners, and Friends, After much reflection, I have decided to resign as Director of Health for the City of St. Louis. I will remain on during a transition period to support the department’s continued progress. It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve this city, especially through leading St. Louis through the largest COVID surge, Omicron, with our response personally recognized by President Biden. That experience defined the resilience of this department and the spirit of public service. Throughout my tenure, we prioritized health equity, created the city’s first Community Outreach and Communications and Behavioral Health Bureaus, we grew the Department of Health by over 36% and removed it from all high risk audit designations, we advocated for more than 60 local and state health bills, and we earned reaccreditation from the Public Health Accreditation Board. I remain most proud of the title “Community Doctor,” a reflection of the deep connections built with this city and its people. This is a bittersweet moment, but I leave knowing the department is in capable hands, with the tools and talent to thrive. Thank you for your trust, collaboration, and unwavering commitment to public health. With heartfelt appreciation, Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Daveis, MD, MPH, FIDSA

Please see heartfelt remarks from our Director, Dr. @matih-id.bsky.social, along with ‘A Tenure of Transformation – Public Health Success under Dr. Hlatshwayo Davis’: bit.ly/4cNwN5f

#WomenInLeadership #CommunityDoctor #PublicHealthAdvocate