After 30 years in public health, N.C. State Health Director Leah Devlin has announced her retirement, effective Jan. 31. Devlin has been a vocal and visible advocate for public health during almost eight years at the helm of one of the state's most visible departments.

Devlin came to the post in 1991, succeeding Dr. Ron Levine, the state's longest-serving health director, and wasted no time in establishing priorities. In the wake of 9/11, one of her first tasks was to establish a first-of-its-kind emergency surveillance network across the state to respond to acts of terrorism.

"Clearly we had to step up to the plate in2001 and strengthen our infrastructure around out ability to detect an event early and respond rapidly to save lives," said Devlin. "We've been about that business for 100 years in public health, that's what we were born and bred to do."

Devlin calls the development of the surveillance system a "signature event" for the state. It also represents partnership, a hallmark of her administration. North Carolina Hospital Association President Bill Pully says the surveillance system won 100 percent participation among hospitals in the state.

"Patients in North Carolina are safer than any other state because we decided to build this system," he said. "It's been an incredible example of public health and hospitals working together to protect the public."

Devlin's experience as health director for Wake County for 10 years laid the foundation for her work at the state level. She said it was critical for her to understand the culture of the state and the way things got done as she and her staff set their agenda:

Among the priorities she cited during a recent interview:

*Chronic disease prevention, particularly tobacco use and obesity
*Women and children's health
*Emergency preparedness
*Reducing healthcare disparities
*Strengthening local public health departments

Devlin has been a visible advocate for health issues, most notably, a campaign to encourage HIV/AIDS awareness called "Get Real, Get Tested" launched in 2007. In its first year, testing was increased by 18 percent with 7,000 rapid HIV tests performed at non-traditional sites.

"We've been well supported by the department, by our partners, by the legislature," Devlin said. "It's been great to see how many people have gotten involved in public health issues."
Smoke-free policies for local and state government buildings, schools and colleges also have been enacted during Devlin's tenure.

"The people in public health today are as strong as any division of public health that I've worked with," said Pully. "They are all about finding the truth. The facts and the truth will generally suggest the right policy choices."

On many fronts, the work is far from over. Smoking, obesity and infant mortality are still the top challenges facing the health of North Carolinians. The latest release of America's Health Rankings puts North Carolina at 36 in the nation, behind Delaware and just ahead of Kentucky. Teen pregnancy numbers are up after a 15-year decline, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We are still a big, poor, growing state with a lot of diversity," said Devlin. "Our challenges are perhaps greater than some other states may be facing, but we can do this in North Carolina because we have such great partnerships and such a strong tradition of working together and of investing in public health."

Devlin has not announced future career plans, but says she plans to take time to "rebalance" her personal life. It will be up to Lanier Cansler, the incoming N.C. Secretary of Health and Human Services, to name her replacement.