Commissioner Darlene A. Carty, MA Ed, RTT
October 2003-December 2006
Darlene A. Carty, MA Ed., R.T.T. was nominated by Gov. Charles W. Turnbull to be the 13th U.S. Virgin Islands Health Commissioner on October 22, 2003, and the nomination was confirmed by the V.I. Senate on March 10, 2004.
Her appointment as Health Commissioner marked two firsts: She became the youngest female native and the first non-physician ever to hold this position. As the Territory’s lead health official, Carty advised the Governor and the public on health matters, such as smoking, AIDS, diet and nutrition, environmental health hazards, and the importance of immunization and disease prevention.
With her appointment, Carty also became the first full-time Commissioner to lead the Department of Health (DOH), one of the largest agencies in the VI Government with a $56 million budget. The DOH facilities included three health care clinics, two district offices, and field offices territory-wide.
Carty was born in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. She graduated from Howard University in Washington, DC with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1992; Radiologic Medicine with a minor in Business Administration, where she was a Board of Trustees Scholarship recipient. She received subsequent training at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill in Infectious and Chronic Disease Epidemiology. Carty was awarded a Masters of Art in Education with a concentration in guidance and counseling from the University of the Virgin Islands in 1998. She was accepted to the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health Graduate Certificate Program and has applied this coursework towards a Doctor of Public Health. In the summer of 2004, she was selected to attend the Program for Senior Managers in Government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Carty entered the V.I. The government in 1993 after working at the Duke University Medical Center’s Department of Radiation Technology. She completed her clinical work in simulation, treatment and treatment planning at some five hospital facilities throughout the DC metro area (1988 -90), to include Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Georgetown University Medical Center Washington Adventist Hospital, Howard University Hospital and Washington Hospital Center. Her entire career was spent in many facets of health where she served in various capacities. Upon her return home in 1994, her VI government begun with the then St. Thomas Hospital as the Hospital Financial Accounts Manager. Her tenure with the Department of Health began in 1995 hold a variety of positions: Executive Director, Charlotte Kimelman Comprehensive Cancer Care Center Project (1995-98); Project Manager, Breast & Cervical Cancer Initiative (1995-97); Project Director, Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (1997-2000); Project Coordinator, National Caucus on Black and the Aging ~ Circle of Friends State Expansion Program (1999-2000) and Program Advisor, National Cancer Institute ~ Cancer Information Service (1999-2000).
Prior to being appointed as the Virgin Island Health Commissioner, Carty previously served as the Technical Training Manager at Northrop Grumman IT Health Solutions and Services in October 2000. In this capacity, Ms. Carty conducted training and participated in peer reviews that address priority populations including African Americans, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, Hispanics/Latinos, Native Americans/Alaska Natives, lesbians/gay/bisexual/transgender populations, and those of low socioeconomic status. She served as Conference Secretariat for the 2001 National Conference on Tobacco or Health and as moderator for both the opening and closing plenary sessions. During this time, she worked with and in several local and state U.S. governments, other territories in the South Pacific and over 174 developing countries throughout the world.
Carty is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including International Who’s Who of Professional Management and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc Founder’s Day Honoree for outstanding community contribution.
