Lisa F. Waddell, MD, MPH

Deputy Commissioner for Health Services
Department of Health and Environmental Control
Columbia, South Carolina

Lisa F. Waddell is the Deputy State Director for Health Services with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. She leads, manages and overseas a central office of ten divisions and numerous branches in Columbia and thirteen health districts that provide public health services throughout the state. Dr. Waddell works closely with the Commissioner on other issues of agency importance, such as policy development, legislative and organizational issues. Some of Dr. Waddell's goals include fostering public/private partnerships to achieve improved health for all South Carolinians particularly children; building partnerships and implementing initiatives to eliminate health disparities; enhancing community -based prevention programs and ensuring that the public health workforce is prepared to meet the future public health challenges.

Some of her leadership accomplishments include enhancing the department's leadership and management development opportunities for employees including participation in the Southeast Regional Public Health Leadership Institute and the Management Academy for Public Health; establishing the Deputy Commissioner's Minority Health Internship; strengthening health service's capacity to address the oral health needs of children; strengthening children's injury prevention programs; and ensuring a strengthened and focused effort to address health disparities.

Prior to her current position, Dr. Waddell was Assistant Commissioner for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Before coming to Columbia, Dr. Waddell was the District Health Director for the Wateree Health District. She also served as the Deputy Director for the Richmond City Health Department in Richmond, Virginia where she was instrumental in the development of the Richmond Urban Primary Care Initiative.

Dr. Waddell completed her undergraduate work at the University of Virginia. She obtained her medical degree from and completed a residency in Preventative Medicine and Public Health at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia. She has a Masters of Public Health in Health Policy and Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dr. Waddell is the first woman and the first African American Deputy Commissioner for SC DHEC Health Services. She received the Governor's "Woman of Achievement Award" in 200 and was recognized as A Phenomenal Woman at the 1999 Women's Conference "Preparing for the Challenges of the New Millennium."