National

NCCDPHP Director Announcement - Office on Smoking and Health
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has named a new permanent Director of the Office on Smoking and Health – Dr. Matthew McKenna. Below is the announcement released by the Director of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Dr. Janet Collins. You can also click here to read a press release from the American Legacy Foundation.

September 12, 2006

Dear Colleagues,

To begin this announcement I would like to thank and recognize Dr. Corinne Husten for her outstanding service as acting OSH Director. The Division has benefited tremendously under her leadership and she has earned the deep respect of her staff and colleagues. Most importantly the nation has benefited from Corinne's expertise and commitment to tobacco prevention and control.

As would be hoped, competition for this critically important position was intense. As a result of an extensive selection process I have extended an offer to Dr. Matthew McKenna to become our next permanent director for OSH and he has enthusiastically accepted that offer. Dr. McKenna received his M.D. from Emory University and his M.P.H. as part of a post-doctoral fellowship in cardiovascular epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh. He is board certified in Family Medicine as well as General Preventive Medicine and Public Health and is a Fellow in the American College of Preventive Medicine. Dr. McKenna joined CDC in 1989 as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. He subsequently completed the CDC Preventive Medicine Residency in the DeKalb County Board of Health where he continues to provide clinical services.

Dr. McKenna is a national expert in chronic disease epidemiology and HIV surveillance. He has held senior leadership positions at CDC including Chief, Epidemiology and Health Services Branch, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, and Chief, Reporting, Analysis and Evaluation Section, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. Dr. McKenna currently serves as the Branch Chief for Incidence and Case Surveillance within the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. Dr. McKenna also served as CDC's scientific leader to assess the Burden of Disease and Injury in the United States using the Disability Adjusted Life-Year working in collaboration with the Harvard University School of Public Health.

Dr. McKenna is a commissioned officer in the United States Public Health Service with a rank of Captain. He has authored numerous publications on a wide array of topics including chronic disease epidemiology and prevention, cervical cancer, peripheral vascular disease, tuberculosis, and HIV surveillance.

Dr. McKenna will join OSH on November 1, 2006. Please join me in welcoming Matt McKenna as Director, Office on Smoking and Health.

Sincerely,
Janet Collins, Ph.D.
Director
NCCDPHP

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Weinstein Co. has decided to start placing anti-smoking messages produced by the American Legacy Foundation in DVDs. The decision comes after the attorneys general of more than 40 states placed their request to 13 major motion picture companies. The Weinstein Co. was the first to respond. Click here to read more.

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World’s 3 out of 10 cigarettes smoked in China
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