Tampa, FL (Dec. 5, 2012) – Douglas A. Holt, MD, FACP, the Andor Szentivanyi Professor of Medicine, has been named director of the Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine. His appointment began Dec. 1.
Dr. Holt, who joined the USF medical faculty in 1989, has been the associate director of the Division he will now lead since 2006. He succeeds John T. Sinnott, MD, as Division Director. Dr. Sinnott stepped up to become the new chair of USF’s Department of Internal Medicine.
Dr. Holt will continue to serve as director of the Hillsborough County Department of Health, responsible for assessing, maintaining and improving health and safety within Florida’s fourth most populous county.
He is also vice chief of internal medicine and hospital epidemiologist at Tampa General Hospital, a major teaching affiliate of USF Health.
Dr. Douglas Holt
“We are lucky to have a leader like Dr. Holt,” said Dr. Sinnott, the James P. Cullison Professor of Medicine and chair of the Department of Internal Medicine. “He is a thoughtful, effective and learned physician who inspires all of us to excel.”
“I have been blessed with a career that I love, and am fortunate to be part of an academic community with enthusiasm for learning and an appreciation for meaningful growth,” Dr. Holt said. “As Division Director, I am committed to inspiring and supporting every member of the team as we seize the opportunities that lie ahead.”
Dr. Holt earned his medical degree from the University of South Alabama in 1984. After completing a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in infectious diseases and tropical medicine at USF, he joined the faculty of the USF College of Medicine as an assistant professor.
He was a member of the inaugural class of the USF Leadership Institute and served as secretary of the College of Medicine Faculty Council and the college’s Financial Oversight Committee.
Dr. Holt twice served as the acting deputy state health officer, from Sept. 2001 to Feb. 2002, and again from May to Sept. 2011. This fall his outstanding record of public service and leadership was recognized by Gov. Rick Scott with a Distinguished Service to the State of Florida award.
Long recognized for his teaching excellence by students, residents and fellows, Dr. Holt has been the principal or co-principal investigator for more than 60 clinical research studies and authored 21 peer-reviewed publications and several textbook chapters.
A fellow of the American College of Physicians, he is an active member of many state and local organizations. These include the Hillsborough County Medical Association, American Medical Association, Florida Public Health Association (past president), Public Health Leadership Society, Florida Medical Association, School Readiness Coalition, Hillsborough Community College Foundation Board of Directors, National Association of County & City Health Officials, Children’s Board Advocacy Committee, and the Healthy Start Coalition Board of Directors.
Dr. Holt led an initiative throughout the Hillsborough County Health Department to incorporate quality management and a co-creating philosophy that encourages more active involvement of the department’s customers in the development and improvement of its services. He recently chaired a statewide effort to redesign Florida’s system of care for tuberculosis.
-USF Health-
USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities.
Media contact:
Anne DeLotto Baier, USF Health Communications
(813) 974-3303 or abaier@health.usf.edu
