William L. Atkinson, MD, MPH - Infectious Disease and Medical Epidemiology

Dr. William Atkinson reviews medical content for Healthwise, a nonprofit organization with a mission to help people make better health decisions. He has worked in public health his entire professional career, first with the Louisiana State Health Department in New Orleans, and since 1989 with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Atkinson is on the Medical Advisory Board for the Centers for Disease Control; serves as Liaison Member for the Immunization Action Coalition, St. Paul; and is a Commissioned Officer of the United States Public Health Service. Dr. Atkinson is the head of the National Immunization Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Education and Training

MD: University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 1977

Resident in Internal Medicine: Kern Medical Center, Bakersfield, CA, 1978–1981

Chief Medical Resident: Kern Medical Center, Bakersfield, CA, 1980–1981

Fellowship in Infectious Disease: University of California Irvine Medical Center, Irvine, CA, 1981–1983

Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer: Centers for Disease Control Division of Field Services, New Orleans, LA, 1983–1985

General Preventive Medicine Residency: School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 1983–1986

Masters of Public Health: Epidemiology School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 1986

Certifications

American Board of Internal Medicine

American Board of General Preventive Medicine

Academic Appointments

Tulane University, New Orleans, LA:

  • Adjunct Assistant Professor, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Department of Epidemiology, 1989–present
  • Graduate school faculty, 1988–1989
  • Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, 1986–1989

Financial Disclosure

The final approval of Healthwise content is always made by a clinician with no financial conflicts.

No financial report received from reviewer.