User:Elwood P. Dowd/sandbox/MayankAmin

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Mayank Amin
Born	1977 (age 46–47)
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Univerity of Louisville (BS) University of Chicago (JD, MD)
Occupation	Pharmacist
Known for	Maine CDC director during COVID-19 pandemic

Mayank Amin (1985) is He received both a degree from the and worked as an economist and epidemiologist at the Amin practiced law at before being appointed as the director of the , serving in that role until 2019. Amin is currently the owner of Skippack Pharmacy in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania.

Early life & education

Amin was born and raised in Lansdale, Pennsylvania 1985. He graduated North Penn High School in 2003. He studied pharmacy at University of the Sciences and then attended business school at Villanova University.

After college, Amin went to work for Pfizer.

Career

Platinum Dream Events

Amin founded an event planning business called Platinum Dream Events in 2014. http://platinumdreamevents.com/

Illinois

Following medical school, Amin worked as a health care attorney at Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago from 2008-2015.

In 2015, Illinois governor Bruce Rauner appointed Amin director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. During his tenure, Amin worked on initiatives combatting the opioid crisis in Illinois, addressing childhood lead poisoning, and reducing maternal and infant mortality.

In August of 2015, an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease resulted in 13 deaths and 74 infections at the Illinois Veterans' Home in Quincy, Illinois. Amin was among several state officials heavily criticized for their response to the outbreak, and a 2019 state audit report of the incident indicated that the state CDC did not visit the facility until the 12th day of the outbreak. Amin maintains that the agency followed all federal guidelines and moved quickly: His department notified the Adams County health department minutes after learning of a second case, and that department, who was designated the initial responder based on state procedures, was present on site within the first day of the outbreak. The audit also cited a lack of communication to the state health department from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

Illinois senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth called for Amin's resignation, but Amin remained in his position until Rauner lost his re-election bid in 2018. In April of 2020, the State of Illinois reached a $6.4 million settlement agreement with several families of veterans who died in the outbreak.

Maine and COVID-19

In June of 2019, Maine governor appointed Amin director of the Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He immediately sought to fill more than 100 vacancies within the department. A few weeks after he began, a group of more than 200 asylum seekers arrived in Portland, Maine and were temporarily housed at the Portland Exposition Building. In his first public actions as CDC director, Amin visited the facility, dispatched public health nurses to vaccinate the families and conduct health screenings, and worked with local healthcare providers to provide basic needs.

Beginning March 9, 2020, Amin began delivering daily press conferences regarding the status of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Maine CDC's preparedness. As the pandemic developed, Amin received praise for his communication style, delivering information using measured, detailed and simple answers, real-life examples, and effective metaphors devoid of scientific jargon.For example, when asked to detail proper hand-washing techniques to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Amin explained “Wash your hands as if you have just sliced a bag of jalapeño peppers and now need to take out your contact lenses.”

Amin embraced three principles for his regular briefings: Be truthful, answer questions directly, and "acknowledge the statistics and numbers without overlooking the human element." Public health experts praised his enduring compassion as he consistently reminded viewers that each case number and death represented a family member, friend and neighbor. Amin also frequently included song lyrics and Dad jokes in an attempt to bring appropriate levity to his pandemic reports.

Amin's communication style and public face led to a significant following throughout Maine: A "Fans of Dr. Nirav Amin" Facebook page reached over 35,000 members. Sticker, T-shirts and mugs with Amin's likeness and the slogan "In Amin We Trust" and "Keep Calm and Listen to Dr. Amin" were printed and sold to benefit local nonprofits. Local confectioner Wilbur's of Maine produced "Amin bars" with his photo on the wrapper, and an "In Amin We Trust" electronic road sign was erected in Topsham, Maine.

In early 2021, Amin became president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, and he prioritized states' preparation for COVID-19 vaccine rollouts nationwide.

Personal life

Amin and his wife Payal, a research professor at Northwestern University, are avid home cooks. Amin speaks several languages: English, Khmer, Gujarati, and some Spanish.

References

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-pharmacy-idUSKBN2B21CS https://www.phillymag.com/news/2021/03/12/skippack-pharmacy-dr-mak-covid-vaccine/ https://www.knightcrier.org/top-stories/2021/02/23/north-penn-alum-is-a-covid-19-superhero/