Virginia A. Caine, MD
Virginia A. Caine, M.D. is director of the Marion County Public Health Department and associate professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Division. She previously served as past president for the American Public Health Association, the nation’s oldest and largest public health organization. She received the BioCrossroads “2017 August M. Watanabe Life Sciences Champion of the Year” Award.
Dr. Caine set up the first nationwide physician educational program regarding AIDS for the National Medical Association, which was later duplicated by the American Medical Association. She led a process to create the city’s first integrated HIV health care delivery system and was principal investigator for the Ryan White Title III funds, which established the first HIV/AIDS clinics in the major city hospitals, ten community health centers, and the resource for community-based HIV/AIDS prevention programs.
She was also instrumental with community leaders in reducing the Black infant mortality rate to its lowest level ever in the history of Indianapolis.
She is the Chair of the I.U. Simon Cancer Center Community Advisory Committee. She is also Immediate Past Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the National Medical Association and current Chair of the Infectious Diseases Section. She is a board member for the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Editorial Board. She is also Chair of the Managed Emergency Surge for Healthcare (MESH) Coalition, a nonprofit public-private partnership addressing emergency preparedness in Marion County, Indiana. She is a member of the National Biodefense Science Board and Co-chair, Jump In for Healthy Kids Advisory Committee; Founding member, Indiana Health Information Exchange; and Board member, Indiana Latino Institute.
Dr. Caine has earned a national reputation and received many awards for her dedication to improving public health. She was named the National Medical Association’s 2010 Practitioner of the Year, and has received the prestigious Sagamore of the Wabash award from two Indiana Governors.
Dr. Caine earned her medical degree at New York Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She received her Infectious Diseases fellowship training at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.