News Release - County Hires New Health Services Director

News Release - County Hires New Health Services Director

Deschutes County has hired Dr. George A. Conway as the new director for its Health Services department. Dr. Conway, who will assume his post on Oct. 3, replaces Jane Smilie, who left County employment earlier this year.

“We’re extremely excited to bring George on board,” said Deschutes County Administrator Tom Anderson. “He has a breadth of international public health experience and a proven track record of designing, implementing and managing successful health programs.”

In his role, Dr. Conway will lead the day-to-day operations of the County’s Health Services department, which employs more than 250 people and provides both public health and behavioral health services. The department offers services in each city and throughout Deschutes County.

Dr. Conway has worked for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the past 28 years. Most recently, he served as a Senior Medical Officer and Epidemiologist. He previously has held posts as the Resident Advisor to the CDC’s China Field Epidemiology Training Program and as the Public Health Attaché for the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. From 1992-2011, Dr. Conway served as the Director for the CDC’s Pacific Regional Office in Anchorage, Alaska.

Dr. Conway holds an M.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, a Masters of Public Health from the University of South Carolina School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Sciences from Antioch College in Ohio.

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