Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich Nominates Dr. Kisha Davis to Become the New County Health Officer; County Council to Vote on Her Nomination in November

Per Montgomery County:
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, October 26, 2022
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich today announced the nomination of Dr. Kisha Davis to serve as the County Health Officer.  The County Council is scheduled to vote on her nomination on Tuesday, Nov. 15. “Montgomery County has led the nation in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic thanks in large part to the leadership at our Department of Health and Human Services,” said County Executive Elrich. “With the nomination of Dr. Kisha Davis as our County’s next health officer, we have found a health expert and leader committed to innovation, equity, and access to healthcare. I want to thank Dr. Davis for accepting this position and I look forward to working with her, listening to her advice and following her guidance regarding the health issues and challenges facing Montgomery County.”

Davis is a compassionate family physician and community health advocate.  She was most recently the vice president for health equity at Bethesda-based Aledale, an organization that works with independent medical practices, health centers and clinics to support the delivery of high quality, equitable patient care.  She served as a project  manager on the Family Medicine for America’s Health project focusing on payment reform, practice transformation, technology and health equity.  Previously she served as the medical director for CHI Healthcare, a primary care center in Gaithersburg.

“We are very happy to welcome Dr. Davis to this important position,” said Raymond Crowel, director of the County’s Department of Health and Human Services.  “Her experience in clinical care and population health is an important combination as we continue our work to address health disparities in our community.”

A Montgomery County native, Dr. Davis earned her BS in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy from Duke University, her MPH degree from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and her MD from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.  She was a White House Fellow at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, working to strengthen the connections between the food and medical safety net.  She was co-host of The Sisters Will See You Now podcast and co-producer of Finding Fellowship, a documentary on preserving the unique heritage of the Quince Orchard community.

“The Council is thrilled to have received the nomination from County Executive Marc Elrich of Dr. Kisha Davis to serve as Montgomery County’s Health Officer,” said Council President Gabe Albornoz, who chairs the Council’s Health and Human Services Committee. “We are fortunate to have an accomplished public health professional with her caliber of experience and expertise poised to lead Montgomery County’s health strategies and ensure the health of our community.

“I’d like to sincerely thank Dr. James Bridgers, Dr. Raymond Crowel, Dr. Earl Stoddard, and the outstanding team in the Department of Health and Human Services, who have worked overtime to provide state-of-the-art health services and lead the County’s COVID-19 response and recovery efforts during the vacancy of this leadership position. The Council will move with deliberate speed to review and take action on this important nomination.”

As health officer, Dr. Davis will be responsible for continuing the County’s efforts on disease control and prevention, eliminating health inequities, promoting county-wide inclusion of health in all policies and working with the Maryland Department of Health coordinating disease control and the development and implementation of State health policies.

Dr. Bridgers, currently the County’s acting chief of Public Health Services and County health officer, will be responsible for ongoing service implementation, operations, fiscal oversight and the administration of public health programs.