Staff Bio
Matt Ritchey, PT, DPT, MPH (CAPT, USPHS) is the acting director of the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology (OPHDST) at CDC.
Role at CDC
As acting director for OPHDST, CAPT Ritchey is responsible for leading, coordinating, and executing a comprehensive public health data strategy and improving the availability and use of public health data to inform decision-making and action.
Previous experience
Previously, CAPT Ritchey was OPHDST's acting deputy director for Technology and Products and director of the Inform and Disseminate Division. He has held multiple emergency response roles, including serving as lead of the COVID-19 Response's Data, Analytics, and Visualization Task Force. He also led the Health Services and Systems Research Section within CDC's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, overseeing various surveillance and research activities in support of the national Million Hearts® initiative.
CAPT Ritchey began his federal service as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer and CDC Chronic Disease Epidemiology Advisor at the Indiana State Department of Health.
Education
Prior to joining CDC, CAPT Ritchey served as a physical therapist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, specializing in pediatric orthopedic care.
He received his Master of Public Health degree from Ohio State University, Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Duke University, and Bachelor of Science degree from Xavier University.