1. Kristina "Kris" McKee Box is an obstetrician-gynecologist who served as the State Health Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Health from 2017 to 2023.
15 Facts About Kristina Box
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Kristina Box was noted for leading Indiana's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a focus on maternal health, infant mortality, and combatting opioid addiction.
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Kristina Box explained that she was inspired to become a doctor during a sixth-grade health project on anatomy.
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Kristina Box received her bachelor's degree in biology from Indiana University Bloomington.
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Kristina Box received her medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine.
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Kristina Box began her career at Clearvista Women's Care in northeast Indianapolis in 1987.
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Kristina Box served at Community Hospital East on team treating substance use disorder in pregnant people.
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Kristina Box was a member of the Indiana Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative, which advises the Indiana State Department of Health, and served on the neonatal abstinence syndrome task force, studying the exposure of newborns to drugs in Indiana.
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Kristina Box regularly joined the governor in high-profile press conferences, during the announcement of state policies such as a mask mandate and lockdowns.
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Kristina Box was a strong public advocate for vaccines, and led the state's distribution efforts, including state-sponsored mass vaccine clinics at locations such as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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Kristina Box first tested positive in October 2020, before the availability of a vaccine, and then in January 2022, while vaccinated, during the outbreak of the COVID-19 omicron variant.
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Outside of her COVID-19 response, Kristina Box's tenure was noted for her successful advocacy, with Holcomb's administration, for a huge increase of public health funding in a conservative state.
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In November 2020, Kristina Box was named the Indiana Chamber's Birch Bayh-Richard Lugar Government Leader of the Year.
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Kristina Box reported the heavy demands of the job, sometimes working 12-hour days for 7-day weeks, in resigning in May 2023.
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Kristina Box announced her resignation on May 12,2023, effective May 31,2023; she was replaced by Dr Lindsay Weaver.