Staff Bio
Sara Patterson is the acting director of the National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce (NCSTLTPHIW), also known as the Public Health Infrastructure Center (PHIC).
Role at CDC
PHIC serves as the connection point between the agency and state, local, and territorial jurisdictions; Tribes; and CDC's public health partners. As acting director, Patterson leads a team of experts that sets the strategic direction for PHIC to ensure that our country's public health infrastructure has the people, services, and systems needed to promote and protect health in every US community (all 50 states, the US Territories, tribes, and freely associated states).
Previous experience
Patterson previously served as the deputy director for Management, Operations, Communications, and Policy in PHIC, where she oversaw policy, communications, and management and operations functions of the center. She also led the programmatic and partnership strategy for the center, and worked closely with the scientific functions to advance the center's priorities and mission. Patterson led similar functions in CDC's former Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (CSELS).
Prior to joining CSELS, Patterson served as the director of CDC's Program Performance and Evaluation Office, helping CDC programs and external partners achieve the greatest possible health impact by supporting programs with strategy, development of funding announcements, performance improvement, and program evaluation.
Patterson also served as CDC's deputy chief of staff on an interim basis, where she provided strategic advice to the CDC director and ensured proactive coordination of agency-wide priorities and policies in support of CDC's mission.
In addition, Patterson served as associate director for Policy at CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control where she oversaw policy and partnership activities. Prior to this role, she was the deputy director of the Office of Policy and Partnerships and oversaw congressional relations, managed cross cutting and strategic partnerships, and led health policy efforts for the center.
Patterson began her career at CDC in 2002 as a Presidential Management Fellow in the Financial Management Office, focusing on congressional relations, budget and policy development, and performance management.