Dr.
Joann Schaefer – Director
Department of Health and Human Services Regulation and Licensure
Governor Dave Heineman appointed Dr. Joann Schaefer as Director of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Regulation and Licensure and the state’s Chief Medical Officer in September 2005.
As director of R&L, she oversees regulatory programs involving health care and environmental issues that impact public health. As Nebraska's Chief Medical Officer, she oversees public health programs including disease prevention and health promotion.
Dr. Schaefer was Deputy Chief Medical Officer of the Nebraska Health and Human Services System from July 2002 to September 2005, coordinating the state’s bioterrorism preparedness planning efforts and chairing the Child Death Review Team. She has also been involved in the state’s pandemic flu planning effort.
Dr. Schaefer helped develop Nebraska’s nationally recognized smallpox vaccination plan. She also developed an accountability plan for the state’s Child Protective Services, which includes a performance review to evaluate how well caseworkers meet federal goals.
She practiced family medicine in Omaha since her graduation from Creighton University Medical School in 1995 and was an associate professor there in the Department of Family Medicine.
Board-certified in family practice, she has been honored by the American Medical Women’s Association as a Local Legend for her contributions to medicine and has served as an advocate on domestic violence prevention issues. She was honored by the Nebraska Medical Association as Physician of the Year in 2004.
She is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association, the Metro Omaha Medical Society and the Nebraska Medical Association.
