Joseph Perz, DrPH, MA

Dr. Joseph Perz is the Quality Standards and Safety Team Leader for the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Perz entered the field of public health after training as an engineer and environmental scientist. After receiving a Doctorate in Public Health from Columbia University, he served as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer with the Tennessee Department of Health.

During his 15 year tenure with the CDC, Dr. Perz has guided dozens of outbreak investigations and special studies, drawing attention to the needs for injection safety and other basic infection control practices. He has authored or co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles, MMWR articles and book chapters. His team’s activities are currently focused on interagency collaboration, support to health departments, and other partnership efforts aimed at expanding prevention and response activities across all healthcare settings.