Susan Kansagra, MD, MBA, Named Chief Medical Officer of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials

March 03, 2025

ARLINGTON, VA—The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) is announcing the appointment of Susan Kansagra, MD, MBA, as its new Chief Medical Officer (CMO), beginning March 17, 2025. Dr. Kansagra, a nationally recognized physician leader, brings nearly two decades of experience in public health leadership, chronic disease prevention, policy development, emergency preparedness, and cross-sector collaboration.

Kansagra’s distinguished career includes leading internationally acclaimed initiatives aimed at reduction and prevention of chronic diseases as deputy commissioner of the New York City Health Department and as director of population health at NYC Health + Hospitals, where she spearheaded quality improvement programs for the nation’s largest public healthcare system.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Kansagra to ASTHO,” says Joseph Kanter, MD, MPH, ASTHO CEO. “Her extensive experience, innovative approach to public health challenges, and proven leadership will strengthen our efforts to support health departments as they work to improve health and wellness for all.”

Kansagra served as the section chief of chronic disease and injury for the North Carolina Division of Public Health and, most recently, as the assistant secretary and state health officer for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Overseeing a $1 billion agency, she provided strategic vision for the state’s public health agenda and led critical programmatic areas including Chronic Disease Prevention; Women, Infant, and Community Health; Epidemiology and Communicable Disease; Oral Health; the State Laboratory for Public Health; Office of the Chief Medical Examiner; and Environmental Health.

She led the development of North Carolina’s Opioid Action Plan, uniting various stakeholders around a shared strategy to effectively address the opioid crisis. She also played a pivotal role in North Carolina’s COVID-19 pandemic response aligning strategic response infrastructure across numerous healthcare systems to coordinate testing, treatment, and medical surge capacity.

“I am honored to serve as CMO and support state and territorial health departments in their mission to advance the health and wellness of their communities,” says Susan Kansagra, MD, MBA. “ASTHO has always been at the forefront of strengthening public health capacity, and I look forward to joining this vital team, working with dedicated partners across the country, and advancing this important work together.”

Kansagra’s leadership has been recognized with numerous accolades including two Governor’s Awards for Excellence for her contributions to combating drug overdose and leading North Carolina’s COVID-19 response. She brings significant experience in national public health leadership, serving as an appointed member of the CDC Community Preventive Services Task Force and in various board roles including former president of the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors.

Kansagra earned her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, her Doctor of Medicine and Master of Business Administration degrees from Duke University and completed her residency in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.

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ASTHO is the national nonprofit organization representing the public health agencies of the United States, the U.S. territories and freely associated states, and Washington, D.C., as well as the more than 100,000 public health professionals these agencies employ. ASTHO members, the chief health officials of these jurisdictions, are dedicated to formulating and influencing sound public health policy and to ensuring excellence in public health practice.