Dr. Jennifer A. Dillaha is State Epidemiologist and the medical director for Immunizations and Outbreak Response with the Arkansas Department of Health in Little Rock. She has been in practice for more than 20 years. Dillaha graduated from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine in 1994. Since joining the health department in 2001, Dillaha has played a pivotal role in health promotion efforts, using a life-stage approach that focuses on population-based interventions to reduce the burden of chronic disease among all Arkansans.Â
Under her direction, the department has made strides to improve the health literacy of Arkansans by prioritizing health education in the community. This has proven to be crucial in the agency’s prevention effects. Dillaha has specialty training in internal medicine and subspecialty training in infectious diseases and geriatric medicine. Additionally, she holds multiple academic positions, including that of assistant professor in the UAMS Colleges of Public Health and College of Medicine.Â
Dillaha continues to work with the state’s medical leaders to ensure that Arkansas is able to move past the pandemic.Â
READ MORE: 2021 Influencers of the Year: The Full List