Mark Wilson

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Mark Wilson

Mark E. Wilson (born c. 1961 in Charlotte, North Carolina) is the Jefferson County Health Officer, in charge of the Jefferson County Department of Health.

Mark, the youngest son of Mercer and Elizabeth Wilson, grew up in Charlotte and graduated from East Mecklenburg High School in 1979. He earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1984 and his M.D. at the University of North Carolina in 1988. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte and at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.

Wilson moved to Birmingham in 1991 and took a job as an internist at Cooper Green Mercy Hospital and planned to work alongside Tom Siler providing medical care to low-income families in Fairfield, but that clinic was never funded. He remained at Cooper Green and was promoted to chief of staff in 2008, and thereby joined the Jefferson County Board of Health. He helped to establish the hospital's pain management clinic and also became involved in broader policy initiatives to impact overall public health.

Wilson was a prominent leader in the public health response to the COVID pandemic in Jefferson County. He worked with public school officials to issue recommendations for reopening classrooms.

Wilson announced in February 2023 that he would step down by the end of the year.

Wilson and his wife, Marian, have four children. Their oldest daughter, Laura, a nurse, died from suicide in December 2022.

Preceded by:
Michael Fleenor
Jefferson County Health Officer
October 1, 2011-September 30, 2023
Succeeded by:
David Hicks

References

  • Wolfson, Hannah (January 19, 2012) "Jefferson County's new health officer hopes to protect health department's funding." The Birmingham News
  • Johnson, Roy S. (April 2, 2020) "Jefferson County health officer Dr. Mark Wilson: ‘I’ve cried a lot’." The Birmingham News
  • Johnson, Roy S. (February 17, 2023) "Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. Mark Wilson to step down by end of 2023." AL.com
  • Johnson, Roy S. (February 18, 2023) "State health officer, mayors, school officials laud departing Jefferson County health officer Dr. Mark Wilson." AL.com