Dr. Puthiery Va, who played a pivotal role in directing the successful COVID-19 response within the Navajo Nation in Arizona, is set to return to Maine. She will assume the position of director for the state's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Va obtained her medical degree from the University of New England in Maine and possesses a wealth of experience in primary clinical care, epidemiology, and public health emergency response. Maine Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew emphasized that Dr. Va's expertise makes her ideally suited to address Maine's public health challenges.

Commissioner Lambrew highlighted Dr. Va's frontline leadership during a global health crisis, noting her combined experience as a clinician and epidemiologist following her prior work as a disease investigator at the U.S. CDC. Currently serving as the director of public health at the Indian Health Service's Chinle Comprehensive Health Care Facility in Arizona, Dr. Va demonstrated exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment while working with the Navajo community throughout the pandemic, offering hope and support during a challenging time, according to Indian Health Service Director Roselyn Tso. Dr. Va is stepping into the role previously held by Dr. Nirav Shah, whose prominent role during the pandemic led to his appointment as principal deputy director of the national Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.