Metro Nashville hires health department veteran to lead the agency

Nashville Metro Public Health Department has hired a new director, but he’s not new to the agency.

Sanmi Areola will be leading the department again starting in February. He served as interim director twice during his 17-year career in the department.

“Dr. Sanmi Areola knows Nashville well,” Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell said in a press release. “I am excited for his vision that is both rich in technical understanding but also in appreciation for what it means to effectively serve residents of Nashville.”

He left his Metro post in March 2020 to take over a health department in Kansas, where he oversaw the COVID-19 response in that county. Local media has reported that he hosted informal town halls to keep residents informed and offered data presentations to city and school district officials to help guide policy decisions.

He then worked as a deputy chief within Prince George’s County — a majority Black jurisdiction in Maryland. Among his focuses were racial health disparities in the county’s women. The area has a maternal mortality rate that surpasses both the national average and that of Maryland as a whole.

Now, Areola will be focusing on Davidson County.

“Every county must be intentional in its focus on the health and well-being of its residents, as health is a critical part of the success and economic development of every community,” Areola said in the press release. “I am excited at the opportunity to lead the efforts to improve, protect and sustain the physical, mental, emotional, and social wellbeing of everyone that works, visits, plays or lives in Nashville as the Director of Health.”