John Auerbach (CDC) John Auerbach, MBA, is the Director of Intergovernmental and Strategic Affairs. In this role, Auerbach oversees a range of activities as lead strategic advisor on CDC engagement with government agencies at the federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial levels, public health partners, and other external partners. He is the main point of contact for HHS’ Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (IEA) and the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA), coordinating requests and responses across the agency. Within the agency, Auerbach helps guide the development of priority initiatives.
Auerbach most recently served as the President and CEO of Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) where he oversaw TFAH’s work to promote sound public health policy and make disease prevention a national priority. In that capacity, he worked closely with many CDC centers and divisions, frequently highlighting CDC’s programs and policies in TFAH’s reports, policy briefs, and webinars.
Over the course of a thirty-year career, Auerbach has also held senior public health positions at the federal, state, and local levels. As CDC’s Associate Director for Policy from 2014 through 2016, he oversaw the agency’s collaborative efforts with CMS, commercial payers, and large health systems. He also served as the Acting Director of the Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support in 2016.
During his six years as the Commissioner of Public Health for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Auerbach developed innovative programs to promote health equity, combat chronic and infectious disease, and support the successful implementation of the state’s health care reform initiative. He served as the President of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials in 2010-2011. Auerbach was previously the Director of the HIV/AIDS Bureau at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and a founding member of the National Association of State and Territorial AIDS Directors.
As Boston’s health commissioner for nine years, Auerbach directed homeless, substance abuse, and emergency medical services for the city as well as a wide array of public health divisions. In addition to his government service, Auerbach was a professor of practice in health sciences and director of the Institute on Urban Health Research and Practice at Northeastern University. In his early career, Auerbach served as director of the largest Women, Infants, and Children program at a community health center in Massachusetts.
Auerbach completed his Bachelor of Arts degree from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts and his Master of Business Administration degree in management from Questrom School of Business at Boston University.