Dowd named acting director of county Health Department
Allegheny County Manager William McKain announced in a news release Friday that Patrick Dowd would become the Health Department’s acting director, effective immediately. Mr. Dowd has been the Health Department’s chief operating officer since February 2021.
He will fill in for Dr. Debra Bogen, who is leaving to become state health director in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s new administration.
Mr. Dowd has previously been a Pittsburgh City Council member, as well as inaugural executive director of Allies for Children, a local nonprofit that aims to enact policies that will protect children and improve their well-being. He was also a member on the Pittsburgh Board of Education and a chair of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. He has a bachelor’s in history and a master’s and Ph.D. in European intellectual history from the University of Pittsburgh.
In 2017, Mr. Dowd was part of a lead task force centered around childhood lead exposure, responsible for reviewing relevant literature and speaking to experts about how to mitigate harm caused by lead exposure in Allegheny County. In December 2017, the task force released a report outlining their recommendations to eliminate harmful lead exposure.
Mr. Dowd will remain in the role of acting director until the Health Department finds a permanent person for the position, a transition that is typical until further steps are taken. Dr. Barbara Nightingale, the Health Department’s medical director, advises the county on medical and health-related issues.