About our Health Officer

Dr. Ulyee Choe serves as the Director of the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County since September 2015. He also serves as the County Health Systems Statewide Medical Director since April 2022. He is board certified in both internal medicine and infectious diseases and is a Collaborative Faculty Member – Associate Professor of Medicine with the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine.

He is a graduate of the University of Florida where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology and received a Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine from Nova Southeastern University in 2005. He completed his residency and fellowship at the University of South Florida (USF) Health 2011. Prior to his appointment in Pinellas, Dr. Choe served as Director of the Florida Department of Health in Polk County as well as Interim Director of the Florida Department of Health in Hardee County.

Dr. Choe is a member of multiple state and local organizations, including Physician Workforce Advisory Council, State Health Improvement Plan Steering Committee, and Agency Performance Management Council. He has served as chair of the statewide Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) and HIV Prevention Committee, where he assisted with the expansion of STI results texting program and the implementation of Internet Partner Notification and Expedited Partner Therapy.

Locally, Dr. Choe has been appointed to the Boards for the Pinellas County Opioid Abatement Funding Advisory Board, the Pinellas County Urban League, and Tampa Bay Thrives and has previously served as chair of the Pinellas County Opioid Task Force. At DOH-Pinellas, he assisted with efforts to place a nurse in every school, expansion of the school-based dental sealant program, and implemented Health in All Policies with local municipalities. He grew up in Clearwater and is a Dunedin High School alumnus.