Wanda K. Jones, Dr.P.H.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health (Women's Health) (former)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(from 2/5/1998 - 11/30/2009)

Phone: (202) 690-7650
Email: wanda.jones@hhs.gov

Dr. Wanda Jones is Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health (Women's Health) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the (former) Director of the Office on Women's Health (OWH). Since her selection in February 1998, Dr. Jones has focused her efforts on eliminating health disparities for women through a variety of programs and initiatives. OWH's mission is to provide leadership to promote health equity for women and girls through sex-specific and gender-specific approaches. Dr. Jones also serves as the U.S. Principal Delegate to the Inter-American Commission of Women, operating under the Organization of American States.

Signature web sites run by the Office are http://www.womenshealth.gov and http://www.girlshealth.gov. The Office also sponsors a telephone information referral center associated with these web sites. Individuals who do not have access to the Internet or who would prefer speaking to Information Specialists in either English or Spanish can call 1-800-994-9662, or TDD: 1-888-220-5446, toll free. Trained breastfeeding peer counselors are also available to help with basic questions and concerns about breastfeeding.

Dr. Jones actively participates in the Department's efforts concerning violence against women, disabilities, HIV/AIDS, mental health systems transformation, and global health. She supports women's health activities outside Washington, DC, through women's health coordinators assigned to each of the ten regions of the U.S. Public Health Service. Programs administered by OWH cover areas such as HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, violence against women, diabetes and obesity, lupus, breastfeeding, and mental health.

Dr. Jones has long been recognized for her leadership in the federal and state public health communities. Prior to her current position, Dr. Jones was the Associate Director for Women's Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. From 1990 to 1994, she served as CDC's Assistant Director for Science in the Office of the Associate Director for HIV/AIDS, where she was active in policy issues related to HIV laboratory testing, women and AIDS, HIV vaccine development, and health care workers. Dr. Jones joined CDC in 1987 as an HIV laboratory trainer.

A Penn State graduate in medical technology, she has worked in an inner-city blood bank and its hematology laboratory; in a small-town hospital as its night-shift technologist and then as its microbiologist; and for a State public health laboratory as a laboratory improvement consultant. She obtained her doctorate in Public Health Laboratory Practice from the University of North Carolina.

Invitations

Invitations requesting a personal appearance at an event or a speech must be made by regular mail only. Invitations need to be received at least 3-4 months prior to the event for timely consideration. Please send a formal invitation with the exact date and time of her remarks, length of presentation, topic, and location to:

Office on Women's Health
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW, Room 712E
Washington, DC 20201
Attn: Wanda K. Jones, Dr.P.H.

Content last updated November 30, 2009.