Matthew Case, DO, MPH, MMCi, has been selected as the new Medical Director of Duke Occupational Medicine - RTPand Program Director of the Occupational & Environmental Medicine Residency program, effective August 7. Case also serves as principal investigator for The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Education and Training Grant.
As medical director, Case is responsible for the health and well-being of both employees and many organizations based in the Research Triangle Park and surrounding areas. He oversees exposure assessments, identifies workplace hazards, and assists with risk management strategies to ensure safe work environments.
As residency program director, Case leads curriculum development, manages program logistics, coordinates clinical training, delivers educational sessions, mentors residents, supports research efforts, and forges collaborations. He replaces OEM Division Chief Dennis Darcey, MD, MSPH, who served in the role for 25 years. “The OEM faculty and residents are very excited to have Case back to lead both programs,” Darcey said.
Case has demonstrated exceptional leadership capabilities throughout his educational journey and in the US Navy. “During his residency at Duke OEM, Matt played a key role in the institutional response to the COVID pandemic. His organizational leadership experience in the Navy, clinical acumen, and intellectual curiosity will serve the residents and division well,” Darcy continued.
In 2018 Case was awarded a Full-time Out-service scholarship from the Navy, allowing him join Duke as an OEM resident. Following graduation in 2020, Case returned to full-time service with the Navy and served as the medical director and officer in charge of Branch Health Clinic at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, the largest occupational health clinic in the Department of Defense.
He was the regional public health emergency officer during the COVID-19 pandemic and helped coordinate the distribution and administration of 59,000 vaccines to active duty Department of Defense employees and beneficiaries. During that same time, Case remained an adjunct faculty member and consulting associate at Duke University Medical Center.
Case is a 2020 alumnus of Duke’s Master of Management in Clinical Informatics program. Prior to that, he earned his Master of Public Health degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, completed his residency training at Duke’s Occupational and Environmental Medicine residency program, received his doctorate from the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wyoming.