INDIANAPOLIS — Dr. Kristina Box is retiring from her role as the state health commissioner with the Indiana Department of Health.
Her last day in the role will be Wednesday, May 31.
Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Dr. Lindsay Weaver, chief medical officer for IDOH, will succeed Box as the state health commissioner beginning Thursday, June 1.
"It has been the greatest honor of my professional life to serve this administration, the Indiana Department of Health and Hoosiers across the state," Box said in a news release. "The past five and a half years have been filled with challenges and opportunities unlike any that public health has ever encountered, and the public health workforce across the state has met those challenges with a heart and determination that have inspired me every day. I am incredibly proud of the work being done and will forever be grateful to those who continue to make improving the health and wellbeing of Hoosiers a priority."
Holcomb appointed Box, M.D., FACOG, as the state health commissioner in October 2017.
Under Box's leadership, IDOH achieved the following:
- Launched the Governor’s Public Health Commission, charged with taking a critical look at Indiana’s public health system and making recommendations for improvements.
- Advocated for a modernized public health system in Indiana through a sustainable funding mechanism.
- Implemented My Healthy Baby statewide to build a network of services and support to create healthier outcomes for mothers and babies.
- Conducted the state’s initiative in preventing lead poisoning in children 6 years old and younger through accessible screenings.
- Led the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Dr. Box and I began discussing this inevitability nearly a year ago, and I’m so grateful she agreed to stay on to shepherd the state Department of Health’s most ambitious legislative agenda yet. I respect no one more and am so pleased she’ll get to enjoy her next chapter, which is focusing on her family. I could not have had a better partner in this role, especially in this time," Holcomb said in the news release. "She genuinely cares about the health and well-being of every single Hoosier, and because of her dedication to the betterment of our overall public health system, the state is at the forefront of transformational change that will result in a healthier Indiana."
(NOTE: The video below is from Sept. 29, 2021, when Box and Weaver provided an update on COVID-19 in Indiana.)
As the IDOH's chief medical officer, Weaver, M.D., FACEP, has led the planning efforts to implement the legislation approved by the General Assembly.
Weaver also spearheaded the development of the statewide lab testing network and the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to ensure that testing and vaccines were accessible to all Hoosiers.
"Taking over the position of state health commissioner from Dr. Box is an enormous responsibility, and it is an honor to follow in her footsteps," Weaver said in the news release. "Dr. Box has provided exceptional leadership during the past six years, and her commitment to public health has been an inspiration to many. I look forward to building on her legacy, implementing the recommendations of the Governor’s Public Health Commission, and continuing to work toward a healthier Indiana."