Currently serving as a senior analyst and injury epidemiologist at the Kansas City Health Department since 2023, Nicole Elizabeth Schlaefli, MBA, MPH, has established a distinguished career in public health and epidemiology spanning 25 years. In her current position, she works closely with the overdose prevention program, applying her expertise in overdose fatality review to address critical public health challenges. Ms. Schlaefli’s tenure at the Kansas City Health Department began in 2022 as a population health epidemiologist. In that capacity, she contributed to community health initiatives and advanced data-driven strategies for disease prevention.
Prior to joining the Kansas City Health Department, Ms. Schlaefli was a public health operations specialist and health equity officer at the Oklahoma State Department of Health, where she promoted equitable access to health services and implemented operational improvements across statewide programs. From 2018 to 2020, she served as an epidemiology consultant with Umlauts Consulting, providing expert guidance on disease surveillance and outbreak response. Ms. Schlaefli’s earlier experience includes a brief tenure as a finance and administration specialist at Tulsa CARES, more than 10 years as an epidemiologist at the Tulsa Health Department, and contributions as a pandemic influenza planning coordinator with Jackson County Public Health and a professor and research associate at Missouri State University. Her foundational experience was gained as a laboratory technician at the Biomass Research Center at the University of Arkansas beginning in 2001.
Throughout her career, Ms. Schlaefli has been an active participant in professional development and knowledge sharing. She has served as a guest speaker at conferences and has presented for such organizations as the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists and the National Syndromic Surveillance Program. Ms. Schlaefli is professionally affiliated with a number of pertinent organizations. She maintains membership in the Project Management Institute, the American Public Health Association, the International Society for Disease Surveillance and First Watch. Her professional journey has been marked by a deep understanding of public health systems, continuous learning and the ability to integrate trend analysis, scientific methods and coding into real-world applications.
Ms. Schlaefli’s academic background has been instrumental in shaping her career achievements, beginning with a bachelor’s degree in health sciences and microbiology from the University of Arkansas in 2003. Subsequently, she obtained a Master of Public Health in epidemiology from Missouri State University in 2006. Returning for further education in 2020, Ms. Schlaefli earned a Master of Business Administration in health economics and healthcare delivery services from the Collins College of Business at The University of Tulsa. Alongside her sister, a certified occupational therapy assistant, she is a first-generation college graduate.
Reflecting her dedication to ongoing professional development, Ms. Schlaefli has pursued numerous certifications, including: evidence-based public health research through Saint Louis University; the practice and execution of coordinated response to food emergencies through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Center for Biomedical Research and Training; the National Incident Management System and Advanced Incident Command System through FEMA; criminal and epidemiological case investigation and contact tracing through the FBI and the National Association of City and County Health Officials; animal and plant public health and epidemiological case investigations and contact tracing through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; infodemic management through the World Health Organization; Question, Persuade and Refer instructor training through the QPR Institute; and mental health first aid through Mental Health First Aid Missouri and the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. She attributes her success to persistence, the steadfast encouragement of her family and support from mentors throughout her life.
In addition to her primary vocation, Ms. Schlaefli has shown extensive civic engagement. Since 2022, she has served as a community mentor for Johnson County Community College’s Health Information Management Program. Before that, Ms. Schlaefli was an epidemiology consultant and board member for the Tulsa Area Immunization Coalition and an epidemiologist and clinical researcher with JustHope and International Medical Relief. She has also volunteered as a mentor with the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance, a merit badge instructor for the Boy Scouts of America and a pro bono consultant.
Outside of her career, Ms. Schlaefli is a loving wife to her husband, a physical therapy assistant. She finds balance beyond work responsibilities in mentorship, spending time with friends, decorating cookies, kayaking, hiking and watching TV. Ms. Schlaefli’s goals for the future include continued advancement within her field by focusing on policy development, quality improvement initiatives and expanding healthcare services. Continuing to utilize her technical expertise and comprehensive knowledge of operational systems, she aspires to develop innovative strategies to build and empower both her local community and broader public health networks.