Biographical Sketch

Deborah McMahan, MD, was appointed Health Commissioner of Allen County in May 2000. In that capacity, she is charged with carrying out the department’s mission of promoting healthy lifestyles and preventing injury and disease for all of Allen County’s 340,000 citizens.

An Indiana native, Dr. McMahan has spent most of her professional life working in health and human services.

She earned her B.S. from Purdue University in 1986 and medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine in 1990.

Following residency training in internal medicine, she completed a research fellowship with the Regenstrief Institute in Indianapolis.

Prior to becoming Health Commissioner, Dr. McMahan spent a year with the Roudebush V.A. Medical Center in Indianapolis and three years in private practice as an internist with the Medical Group of Fort Wayne. 

Dr. McMahan is a state-licensed physician and a member of the American Medical Association, the Indiana State Medical Association and the American Public Health Association.

She is also a member of the Board of Trustees for the Fort Wayne Medical Society, as well as a board member for Super Shot Inc., St. Joseph Community Health Foundation and Healthier Moms and Babies.

During her career, Dr. McMahan has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including Outstanding Graduating Senior, Beta Beta Beta Honor Society Brooks Award for Research in 1986, and the Raymond Rosenberger Award in 2004.

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Duties/Responsibilities

The Health Commissioner is the executive officer of the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health.  The position is appointed by the Executive Board of Health to a 4-year term. Reappointments occur every four years, with the number of re-appointments unlimited.

As Health Commissioner, Dr. McMahan's duties include:  

• Enforcing all applicable public health laws, ordinances and regulations relating to the position
   

• Serving as the Medical Director of the Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic, the Community Health Nursing Clinic and the Infectious Disease Center
   

• Providing public health guidance to the various divisions of the department, as well as consulting with various physicians and other health professionals and agencies
   

• Assessing and developing programs to provide and promote the maximum health protection for county residents
   

• Working with the department administrator to coordinate, direct and control the operation of all divisions in the department and to establish and implement short and long-range goals
   

• Serving as official spokesperson for the department for all public health-related issues; delegating pubic and media relations duties to other department personnel as needed
   

• Serving as a member of the smallpox response team
   

• Maintaining a working relationship with the Allen County Medical Society, the Indiana State Department of Health and other government and regulating agencies
   

• Performing related duties as assigned by the board

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Accomplishments

During her tenure as Health Commissioner, Dr. McMahan has led the department in dealing with a variety of public health issues, including:

• Presiding over a department-wide reorganization in 2005 which resulted in a significant re-alignment of staff and services
   
• Managing the largest single-source Tuberculosis outbreak in Indiana in 2003
   
• Managing the largest single outbreak of West Nile virus in the United States in 2002
   
• Implementing a data–driven, performance-based management style to ensure that public health programs are effectively meeting the needs of all Allen County residents

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Speeches/Presentations

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