- Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine
- Director, Statewide Program for Infection Control and Epidemiology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine (Chapel Hill)
- Retired May 2017: Director, Hospital Epidemiology, Occupational Health, and Safety Program at UNC Health Care System
Dr. Bill Rutala is a Professor for the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina’s School of Medicine, and serves as the Director of Hospital Epidemiology, Occupational Health and Safety Program at the University of North Carolina Health Care System.
He is also Director and co-founder of the Statewide Program for Infection Control and Epidemiology at the UNC School of Medicine and a retired Colonel with the U.S. Army Reserve. Dr. Rutala is certified in infection control. He is an advisor to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (a former member of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee [HICPAC], 1999-2003), the Food and Drug Administration (a former member of the General Hospital and Personal Use Devices Panel), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (a member of the Scientific Advisory Panel on Antimicrobial Research Strategies for Disinfectants) and the Federal Trade Commission.
Dr. Rutala is a member of various committees on the local, state, national and international level as well as several professional societies including the American Society for Microbiology, Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology and the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America. He serves on the editorial board of the Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. He has more than 500 publications (peer-review articles, books, book chapters, abstracts) in the fields of infectious diseases, infection control, disinfection, sterilization and medical waste to include several guidelines (e.g., CDC Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities). Dr. Rutala has also been an invited lecturer at over 300 state, national and international conferences (in over 40 states and 25 countries) and has testified twice before the U.S. Congress.
Dr. Rutala earned his Bachelor of Science degree in science from Rutgers University, his master’s degree in microbiology from the University of Tennessee and both his master’s in public health and doctorate in microbiology from the University of North Carolina School of Public Health.