August 2012 VSTH Meeting Speakers

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Speakers' Biographies

Dianna Carroll, PhD

Epidemiologist, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Dr. Dianna Carroll is an epidemiologist with CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and a commissioned officer in the US Public Health Service.

Dr. Carroll’s current work is focused primarily on using national-level datasets to study physical activity in general and active transportation (i.e., walking and biking for transportation purposes) specifically. Dr. Carroll facilitated the development of a research focus on active transportation for CDC and established collaborations with national partners to highlight walking and cycling for transportation purposes as a public health issue, including leading an expert panel to improve surveillance efforts in this area.

Dr. Carroll graduated from the University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center School of Public Health, where she completed a degree in behavioral sciences, before completing an epidemiology fellowship at CDC. Dr. Carroll has worked at CDC since 2006.

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Charmaine Lindblad, MHA

Executive Director, New Mexico Health Care Takes On Diabetes

Charmaine (Charm) Lindblad has been the executive director for New Mexico Health Care Takes On Diabetes (NMHCTOD) since March 2002. As executive director, she is responsible for identifying key stakeholders in the coalition, assessing local health services and the health plan market, and communicating goals and achievements of the coalition to its members and to external organizations. She is also responsible for organizing work groups to produce quarterly Diabetes Resource publications, collecting HEDISÒ health plan data, providing data analysis, and working with professional health care organizations and societies. Lindblad coordinates the New Mexico Prescription Trails Program and has helped to implement the program in Alamogordo, Las Cruces, Roswell, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque.

Lindblad received her master’s degree in health care administration from the Texas Woman’s University in Dallas, Texas, and a certificate in aging and senior issues from the University of Washington.

Lindblad participates on several community health councils and committees, including the Chronic Disease Prevention Council, Diabetes Advisory Council, and New Mexico Aligning Forces for Quality.

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Hillary Hanson, MS, MPH

Director of Population Health Services and Deputy Health Officer for RiverStone Health in Yellowstone County

Hillary Hanson is the director of Population Health Services and the deputy health officer for RiverStone Health, the local health department in Yellowstone County. In these roles, Hanson oversees various health promotion, disease prevention, and emergency preparedness programs.

Hanson also serves on committees such as the National Association for County and City Health Officials Infectious Disease Workgroup, City of Billings Safe Routes to School Steering Committee, and St. Vincent Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety Committee. In addition, she currently serves as president of the Montana Public Health Association. Prior to working at RiverStone Health, Hanson worked as a research statistician on the Global Network for Women’s and Children’s Health Research.

Hanson received her master of science degree in applied statistics from the Purdue University and master of public health degree in public health leadership from the University of North Carolina.

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