Heidi Schmidt
Lexington,SC
Summary
Accomplished public health professional with over 2 years of specialized experience in wastewater surveillance program management and epidemiology. Proven track record in leading data analysis, implementing quality control measures, and developing actionable dashboards. Skilled in managing stakeholder relationships, tracking program metrics, and coordinating cross-functional teams. Demonstrated success in expanding wastewater monitoring programs, onboarding collection sites, and delivering insights that drive public health decision-making.
Overview
4
4
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
WASTEWATER SURVEILLANCE EPIDEMIOLOGIST II
South Carolina Department of Public Health
08.2024 - Current
- Serve as the lead epidemiologist and data analyst for South Carolina's wastewater surveillance program, managing 23 active wastewater treatment plants, and supervising the program coordinator.
- Expanded the program from 17 sites since August 2024, and established utility meetings for the first time in program history.
- Developed and distributed utility reports to participating facilities, and automated reporting scripts by February 2025, significantly improving efficiency.
- Created internal guidance documents, launched a new program website, and am currently leading the development of public-facing dashboards.
- Collaborate with Public Health Laboratory staff on quality control, implementing sequencing, data validation, and automated transfers to 1-CDP.
- Lead special projects, including facility monitoring, rural wastewater analysis, and the expansion of surveillance beyond SARS-CoV-2.
- Developed a Respiratory Notification System and participate in outbreak response activities.
- Recognized as a subject matter expert, invited as a panelist at CSTE and Insight Net annual meetings, with an abstract accepted for a poster presentation at the Annual Wastewater Disease Surveillance Summit.
NWSS CENTER OF EXCELLENCE COORDINATOR
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
07.2023 - 08.2024
- Coordinated CDPHE wastewater surveillance activities for the Colorado NWSS Center of Excellence, overseeing a network of 65 utilities.
- Managed CoE grant deliverables and reporting to CDC as primary point of contact.
- Conducted regular meetings with state programs in the CO NWSS CoE region and hosted workshops to facilitate knowledge sharing.
- Coordinated upstream surveillance initiatives and special studies with partners.
- Maintained collaborative relationships with academic institutions, utilities, and local public health agencies.
- Developed MOUs, data sharing, and confidentiality agreements.
- Provided support for dashboard management and data visualization.
- Created resources, guidance, and training materials to help other jurisdictions improve their wastewater surveillance programs.
IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
11.2021 - 07.2023
- Managed $9 million in CDC and PA Department of Health grant funding, including RFP development, reporting, budget allocation, and project monitoring.
- Supervised 25 local immunization coalitions and partner organizations to fund and authorize administration of over 58,000 vaccines, education of over 46,000 event attendees, and distribution of an estimated 30,000 resources.
- Implemented data collection systems to track program metrics and created automated reporting systems.
- Conducted data analysis and visualization of COVID-19 and vaccination trends across Pennsylvania.
- Led team of interns and volunteers.
- Coordinated educational activities and events, leading webinars and meetings averaging 60 attendees.
- Managed social media accounts and developed educational materials with attention to health literacy and equity.
Education
MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH - EPIDEMIOLOGY
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA05.2023
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE - KINESIOLOGY
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA05.2019
Skills
- SAS and R programming
- REDCap and ArcGIS
- Microsoft Power BI
- Program management
- Public health surveillance
- Statistical modeling
- Data visualization
- Quality control
- Utility relationship management
- Automated reporting
- Dashboard development
- Supervisory experience
- Cross-jurisdictional collaboration
- Grant management
- Deliverable tracking
- Utility outreach and partnerships
- Educational resource development
- Workshop facilitation
- Conference presentations
- Data analysis
- Team collaboration and communication
Certification
- IRB Certification: Social/Behavioral Research, CITI Program, 2021-2024
- Panelist at CSTE conference, 2025
- Panel member at Insight Net annual meeting, 2025
- Abstract accepted for poster presentation at Annual Wastewater Disease Surveillance Summit, 2025
Timeline
WASTEWATER SURVEILLANCE EPIDEMIOLOGIST II
South Carolina Department of Public Health
08.2024 - Current
NWSS CENTER OF EXCELLENCE COORDINATOR
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
07.2023 - 08.2024
IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
11.2021 - 07.2023
MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH - EPIDEMIOLOGY
Temple University
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE - KINESIOLOGY
Temple University
Similar Profiles
Kai BagwellKai Bagwell
Nutritionist II at South Carolina Department of Public HealthNutritionist II at South Carolina Department of Public Health
Rudolph Cody WilliamsRudolph Cody Williams
Senior Integration Engineer Rhapsody at South Carolina Department of Public HealthSenior Integration Engineer Rhapsody at South Carolina Department of Public Health
Billie J. WhiteBillie J. White
Lead Nurse Practitioner at South Carolina Department of Public HealthLead Nurse Practitioner at South Carolina Department of Public Health
Jordan JacksonJordan Jackson
Field Service Technician at AMAROK Perimeter SecurityField Service Technician at AMAROK Perimeter Security
Ramya M SRamya M S
Program Manager at Connecting Dream FoundationProgram Manager at Connecting Dream Foundation