Lawrence Keith Sands, DO, MPH
Chief Health Officer
Southern Nevada Health District
Dr. Sands was appointed Chief Health Officer for the Southern Nevada Health District, in March 2007, previously serving as its Community Health Division Director and Assistant Health Officer. As the district’s chief executive and medical officer he brings to the job over 20 years of experience in public health, preventive medicine and health planning and administration.
He received his Bachelor of Science Degree with Distinction in Zoology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, his D.O. from Midwestern University/Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and his Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) in health planning and administration from the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
Before relocating to Southern Nevada, Dr. Sands worked for the Maricopa County Department of Public Health in Phoenix, Arizona for nine years as its Director of Community Health Services, Medical Director for the Division of Epidemiology and Bio-Defense Preparedness and Response, and the Director of Chronic Disease and Tobacco Control. He also provided seven years of service to the Arizona Department of Health Services as State Epidemiologist and Medical Director for Epidemiology and Disease Control, Acting Assistant Director of Disease Prevention Services and Chief of the Office of Infectious Disease Services. Dr. Sands began his medical career in Michigan where he was in private practice as a primary care physician.
Dr. Sands is Board Certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine; a Clark County Medical Society Delegate to the Nevada State Medical Association (NSMA) and a diplomat to the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners. He has been an active member of various professional and civic organizations throughout his career including serving as president for the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association. Currently, he is President of the Nevada Public Health Foundation and serves on the boards of the United Way of Southern Nevada, the American Red Cross of Southern Nevada, and the newly formed Clinics in Schools. He is a frequent presenter at various professional education conferences and has received several awards in recognition of his work as a public health physician including the Nevada State Medical Association’s President’s Award and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Award for Maternal, Infant and Child Health Epidemiology.