The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
New health director previously helped helm COVID-19 response
The DeKalb County Board of Health announced Monday that Dr. Sandra Valen- ciano has been appointed as its permanent district health director.
She was chosen as the interim health director in April after longtime health director Dr. Sandra Elizabeth Ford was tapped for a job within President Joe Biden’s administration. Valenciano had to navigate DeKalb through the COVID-19 pan- demic, overseeing its test- ing and vaccination efforts.
According to a Monday news release by the DeKalb Board of Health, Valenciano was officially appointed to her new role July 1. Before
er s tint as interim director, she served as the board’s medical director for the division of community health and prevention services.
Valenciano earned a bach- elor’s degree from Brown University, a master’s degree in public health from Tulane University and a doctorate from the Boston University School of Medicine. She’s also a board certified physician in internal medicine.
She specialized in respiratory diseases and led domestic outbreak responses while with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before working with Emory Healthcare, the Atlanta Veterans Administration and the Georgia Department of Public Health. She was assigned to DeKalb in April 2020 to assist with the COVID-19 response.
DeKalb has been one of the most aggressive counties when it comes to incentivizing residents to get vaccinated for COVID-19. The county has offered $100 incentives for shots, which has drawn thousands to county-sponsored vaccination drive-thrus. According to the board of health, roughly 47% of DeKalb residents have been fully vaccinated.
For more information on the DeKalb Board of Health, visit dekalbhealth.net or call 404-294-3700.