Staff Bio
Sara Patterson, MA, is the Deputy Director for Management, Operations, Communications, And Policy for the Public Health Infrastructure Center at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Role at ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø
Ms. Patterson oversees the health equity, policy, communications, and management and operations functions of the center. She leads the programmatic and partnership strategy for the center, working closely with the scientific functions to advance the center's priorities and mission. The center is focused on building the foundational capabilities and workforce of the public health system. Ms. Patterson led similar functions in ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø's former Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services.
Previous experience
Prior to joining the former Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, Sara served as the director of ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø's Program Performance and Evaluation Office, helping ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø programs and external partners achieve the greatest possible health impact by supporting programs with strategy, development of funding announcements, performance improvement, and program evaluation.
Ms. Patterson also served as Deputy Chief of Staff for ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø on an interim basis, where she provided strategic advice to the director and ensured proactive coordination of agency-wide priorities and policies in support of ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø's mission.
Ms. Patterson served as the Associate Director for Policy at ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø's Injury Center where she oversaw policy and partnership activities to increase the visibility of injury as a critical public health issue and to reduce the burden of injuries and violence. She was with the Injury Center from 2007 to 2018, having originally joined the organization as the Deputy Director of the Office of Policy and Partnerships. Her primary roles included overseeing congressional relations, managing cross cutting and strategic partnerships, and leading health policy efforts for the center.
Ms. Patterson began her career at ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø in 2002 as a Presidential Management Fellow in the Financial Management Office, focusing on congressional relations, budget and policy development, and performance management.
Prior to her arrival at ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø, she worked at Kids Public Education and Policy Project within the Ounce of Prevention Fund in Chicago, a state-level organization specializing in legislative and policy issues related to children ages 0-3. Sara also worked for the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees, providing trauma counseling and case management services for refugees in Amman, Jordan.