COLUMBIA, S.C. — The director of public health at South Carolina's health agency is leaving the state for a new job in Ohio.
On Tuesday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that Dr. Joan Duwve has agreed to take over as the state's new Department of Health Director. Dr. Duwve is expected to begin the job on Oct. 1.
Duwve had been serving as the South Carolina Director of Public Health for just five months, after coming to the state in late April. She'd been one of the state's key experts and communicators on the coronavirus, testifying to the state legislature and appearing in news conferences alongside Gov. Henry McMaster.
The decision is a homecoming of sorts for Duwve, who went to high school in suburban Cleveland and is an Ohio State graduate.
She also previously worked in Indiana, serving as the Chief Medical Officer with the Indiana Department of Health and as the Medical Director for the Department’s Division of Public Health and Preparedness
Dr. Duwve earned her a Medical Doctor degree from Johns Hopkins University and a Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan. She completed her residency in family medicine at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, Ind.
