Caymanian public health professional Halle Miller has been appointed the Ministry of Health, Environment and Sustainability’s first deputy national epidemiologist.
The newly created role aims to strengthen the ministry’s ability to monitor population health trends, analyse disease patterns and use data to inform public health policy and planning.
Miller will work alongside national epidemiologist Rachel Corbett to strengthen disease surveillance and reporting, analyse population health data and help develop national surveillance systems.
She will also provide technical and policy advice to the ministry, Public Health, the Health Services Authority and other stakeholders.
Chief officer Tamara Ebanks said the appointment wills help build specialist expertise among Caymanians and create opportunities for them to progress into senior positions.
“Creating deputy positions gives Caymanians a route to develop the specialist experience needed for senior roles,” Ebanks said.
“Working alongside experienced professionals allows them to build their expertise and take on greater responsibility while contributing to the health system.”
Corbett said the additional capacity will support the monitoring of both communicable and non-communicable diseases.
“Good public health decision-making depends on our ability to identify trends, understand what is driving changes in population health and translate that evidence into timely action,” she said.
Miller holds a bachelor’s degree in health science from the University of Miami and a master’s degree in public health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
She began her career as an intern with the ministry before joining the chief medical officer’s team as a policy support officer.
Her work included supporting national health priorities and contributing to the 2023 STEPS national health survey, which gathered population-level data to assess disease patterns and public health risk factors.
The experience helped develop her interest in epidemiology, which examines patterns of disease and other health conditions across populations to guide prevention and public health interventions.
“It is an honour to be appointed as the Ministry’s first deputy national epidemiologist and to have the opportunity to use the skills I have developed to serve the community I call home,” Miller said in a government press release.
“Epidemiology helps us understand the health of our population, identify where needs are changing and turn evidence into action.”
Health minister Katherine Ebanks-Wilks congratulated Miller, saying the appointment reflects efforts to strengthen the use of data in health policy and programmes.
Miller said she hopes to continue developing her expertise and leadership skills while supporting and mentoring other Caymanians interested in careers in public health and epidemiology.
