Debra Houry
{{short description|American physician}}
{{Infobox academic
| name = Debra Houry
| image = Deputy Director for Program and Science Debra Elaine Houry.jpg
| image_size = 230px
| caption =
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Virginia, USA
| occupation =
| education = BA, biology and philosophy, 1994, Emory University
MD, MPH, Tulane University
| thesis_title =
| thesis_year =
| known_for =
| spouse =
| children =
| awards =
| parents =
| workplaces = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Emory University
}}
Debra Elaine Houry is an American physician. She is the Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director for Program and Science of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, having previously served as acting principal deputy director and former Director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
Early life and education
Houry was born and raised in Virginia. She completed her undergraduate degree at Emory University in 1994 with a double major in biology and philosophy. She also volunteered at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston and worked as a house staff assistant at Grady Hospital. From Emory, Houry entered the dual medical degree and MPH program at Tulane University.{{cite web |last1=Rangus |first1=Eric |title=Emergency response |url=https://www.emory.edu/EMORY_REPORT/erarchive/2003/March/erMarch.17/3_17_03profile.html |publisher=Emory University |access-date=October 6, 2021 |date=March 17, 2003}} Following this, she trained in emergency medicine at Denver Health Medical Center and received the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors Resident Academic Achievement Award.{{cite web |title=Current & Past Award Recipients |url=https://www.cordem.org/opportunities/awards--honors/award-winners-listing/ |publisher=Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors |access-date=October 12, 2021}}
Career
Following her residency, Houry became an assistant professor of emergency medicine and of occupational and environmental health at Emory University, as well as associate director of Emory’s Center for Injury Control. While serving in this role, Houry was elected as the president of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.{{cite web |last1=Skelly |first1=Lance |title=Emory Emergency Medicine Faculty Honored By Society for Academic Emergency Medicine |url=http://shared.web.emory.edu/whsc/news/releases/2011/06/emory-emergency-medicine-faculty-honored-by-society-for-academic-emergency-medicine.html |publisher=Emory University |access-date=October 6, 2021 |date=2011}}
In May 2013, Houry was selected as a Fellow in the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine program to prepare women for senior leadership roles in academic health institutions.{{cite web |title=Emergency medicine physician joins national leadership program |url=https://news.emory.edu/stories/2013/05/houry_elam_2013/ |publisher=Emory University |access-date=October 6, 2021 |date=May 30, 2013}} The following year, she was appointed director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).{{cite web |last1=Appold |first1=Karen |title=Debra Houry, MD, MPH, Named Director of CDC's Injury Center |url=https://www.acepnow.com/article/debra-houry-md-mph-named-director-cdcs-injury-center/ |access-date=October 6, 2021 |date=December 17, 2014}} During her tenure as the Director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Houry oversaw the release of "Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain," which gives providers research and academic evidence for managing patient opioid prescriptions.{{cite web |title=Impression: Debra Houry |url=https://tulanian.tulane.edu/march-2019/debra-houry |publisher=Tulane University |access-date=October 6, 2021 |date=March 2019}}
As a result of her research, Houry was elected a member of the National Academy of Medicine in 2019.{{cite web |title=Gupta, Houry Elected to NAM |url=http://emorymedicinemagazine.emory.edu/issues/2020/winter/bare_bones/nam-apointments/index.html |publisher=Emory University |access-date=October 6, 2021 |date=2019}} She was also appointed acting principal deputy director of CDC during the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting Director Rochelle Walensky.{{cite web |last1=Boling |first1=Dee |title=For alumna Debra Houry, new role at CDC is an opportunity to make a larger impact |url=https://sph.tulane.edu/news/alumna-debra-houry-new-role-cdc-opportunity-make-larger-impact |publisher=Tulane University |access-date=October 6, 2021 |date=September 20, 2021}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Houry, Debra}}
Category:Physicians from Virginia
Category:21st-century American women physicians
Category:21st-century American physicians
Category:Members of the National Academy of Medicine
Category:Tulane University alumni
Category:Emory University alumni