In an interview with Richard Vogt, MD, EIS ’77, we dive into the fascinating journey of a public health professional who has made remarkable contributions to the world of public health through his service as a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) field officer, state Epidemiologist, consultant, clinical professor and founding board member for both the Foundation for the Public’s Health and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists Foundation (CSTE Foundation).
Dr. Vogt is additionally distinguished by his profound commitment to positive change through philanthropy, exemplified by his generous support for the CDC Foundation. In the interview, we learn more about the experiences and philosophies that shaped Dr. Vogt’s extraordinary dedication to supporting public health.
What is your educational background?
I attended grades K-12 in New Mexico and graduated from the Colorado College in Colorado Springs. Afterwards, I attended the University of Colorado Medical School and continued my education with a residency in family medicine at Mercy Medical Center in Denver, Colorado.
Is there someone who prompted your interest in public health?
I had two rotations with Dr. Tom Vernon at the time he was State Epidemiologist at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, one during medical school and one during my residency. Both experiences opened my eyes to the need for support of public health in the community. Both experiences solidified my choice to pursue a career as a public health professional. After my residency, I applied and was selected to be a 1977 EIS Officer with the CDC, where I was assigned for two years as a Field Officer for Vermont.
Rick Vogt
A poster campaigning the need to use condoms that Rick Vogt helped develop while he was in Vermont during the peak of the AIDS epidemic
Rick and Suzanne Vogt at Kuliouou Ridge in Hawaii
What positions have you held during your public health career?
I have served as the State Epidemiologist in Vermont, Hawaii and as a CDC field officer working with the World Health Organization to help address polio eradication in Egypt. After our return to the U.S., I became the Executive Director of the Tri-County Health Department that was, at the time, the largest local health department in the state of Colorado.
You have lived in several localities, so what have you learned during this time?
Interestingly, I have spent almost 20 years working with diverse populations in the places I lived in New Mexico, Hawaii and Egypt. I have learned to appreciate the needs of those in the minority to understand their health cultures and help solve their public health problems.
Are there any experiences or projects during your public health career that had a significant impact on you and shaped your philanthropic interests?
While professionally working in public health I heard many calls for additional resources to respond to public health problems or epidemics. During times of budgetary austerity, library services were the first to be eliminated, and I knew that these services were really necessary to properly address public health problems. That’s why my wife, Suzanne (a librarian), and I donated funds for public health agencies to receive these necessary resources that are oftentimes unfunded. The CDC Foundation and CDC agreed with this approach and the Delivering Access to Resources Today (DART) pilot program was established in 2023.
Can you describe a memorable moment or achievement from your career that reinforced your commitment to public health?
I have had many such memorable moments. Along with mentoring several EIS officers, preventive medicine residents and staff, I was able to be the first researcher to demonstrate that untreated water can cause campylobacteriosis, a gastrointestinal illness. Likewise, I led a team that was the first to establish that whirlpool spas can be a source of Legionnaires’ disease. Both of these outbreaks occurred during my Vermont assignment.
Rick and Suzanne Vogt
Rick Vogt
Rick and Suzanne Vogt
How have your background and experiences uniquely positioned you to make an impact in public health?
I have always been fascinated with the use of health data to help solve public health problems. I have used statistical methods and laboratory techniques to prove or disprove public health scientific hypotheses. Being a physician has been most helpful in addressing public health problems, as well.
When you think about the future of public health, what role do you see philanthropy playing?
Individuals who have made prevention a lifelong passion should continue to support the efforts to address the many public health problems that we are encountering. I believe that this includes providing expertise and resources during and after employment in the field.
Oftentimes, we are more effective as a group than as individuals.
Can you describe any collaborations or partnerships you have been a part of that have advanced public health goals?
Certainly, CDC has always played a key role in advancing public health goals and I saw that firsthand in their support of the positions I was assigned. CSTE was helpful, with engaged members and position statements that provided a more uniform approach to addressing public health problems. In addition, the CDC Foundation has been most helpful to me by supporting public health prevention projects addressing COVID-19 and arranging for unique projects such as DART.
What advice would you give to future generations of public health advocates?
State and local health departments and CDC have helpful advice that can address the many public health problems that we all encounter. Having a “champion,” such as staff in the CDC Foundation, provides similar support. I hope that current and future public health professionals take the opportunity to obtain free peer-reviewed publications through our DART program if they cannot currently access them.
- Apply for the DART pilot project: State and local health departments who do not otherwise have access to journal articles are eligible for consideration.
- Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library: As a part of the DART pilot project, the Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library developed a resource list summarizing existing options for health departments to access library resources.
How do you envision your CDC Foundation support making a difference in the field of public health?
I am going to continue to identify projects that I can support that will help make a difference going forward. I hope to add my expertise and financial support to the overall worldwide efforts that are being undertaken to address the many challenges facing public health.
Our interview with Dr. Vogt highlights both his impressive career in public health and his remarkable commitment to directing his generosity toward meaningful causes. His journey teaches us that teamwork and philanthropy are vital in the world of public health—and that a determined individual can make a significant impact where it means the most to them.
If you wish to leave the impact of a lifetime and become a member of the Healthy Futures Society, the CDC Foundation has resources for you to explore. You can always reach out to Helene Erenberg, associate vice president for advancement via phone at 404.443.1139 or by email with any additional questions about supporting the CDC Foundation.
