What CDC Field Offices Do
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) operates regional field offices in every state and some U.S. territories. These offices are the CDC's on-the-ground presence — they work directly with state and local health departments, hospitals, laboratories, and community organizations to respond to disease outbreaks, investigate health threats, and carry out disease surveillance and prevention programs.
A CDC field office is not a place you visit to report an illness or get a vaccine. Instead, field offices coordinate with the public health system you already interact with — your state health department, county health office, or local hospital. When a disease outbreak occurs, when a new health threat emerges, or when the CDC needs to gather information about a health problem in a specific region, the field office staff work with these local partners to investigate, collect data, and implement response measures.
Field offices also manage ongoing disease surveillance programs, meaning they help collect and analyze data about diseases that are tracked year-round — things like influenza, foodborne illness, sexually transmitted infections, and chronic diseases. They train local health workers, help set up laboratory testing capacity, and provide technical support to state and local health departments.
Key Takeaways
- CDC field offices are staffed by epidemiologists, laboratory scientists, and public health specialists who work with state and local health departments, not directly with the public.
- If you have a health concern, you contact your local health department or healthcare provider first — they then coordinate with the CDC field office if needed.
- Field offices respond to disease outbreaks, investigate unusual health events, and help manage disease surveillance programs in their region.
- Each state has at least one CDC field office, and some larger states have multiple offices covering different regions.
- Field offices provide training, laboratory support, and technical information to local health workers and organizations.
How Field Offices Are Organized by Region
The CDC divides the United States into 10 regions, each with a regional office and multiple field offices within that region. The regions do not always follow state lines — a single state may be served by more than one region, or a region may cover parts of several states. This structure allows the CDC to organize its workforce and coordinate response efforts across geographic areas that share similar health challenges and infrastructure.
Each regional office has a director and a team of epidemiologists, laboratory scientists, and administrative staff. The regional office oversees the field offices in its area and serves as the connection between those offices and CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. When a major outbreak or health emergency occurs, the regional office coordinates the response and may send additional staff from other regions to help.
To find which CDC region and field office serves your state, you can contact your state health department — they work with the CDC field office regularly and can tell you which one covers your area. Your state health department's website usually lists contact information for the state epidemiologist and the CDC field office liaison.
When and Why the CDC Field Office Gets Involved
The CDC field office becomes involved when a health threat is detected or suspected. This usually starts when a healthcare provider, hospital, laboratory, or individual reports something unusual to their local health department. The local health department investigates first, and if the situation appears to be a larger outbreak, a multi-state problem, or something that requires CDC informed, the local health department contacts the CDC field office.
Common reasons a field office investigates include: a cluster of similar illnesses in a short time period; a disease that is rare or unexpected in that region; an outbreak that crosses state lines; a foodborne illness outbreak; a disease in a healthcare setting; or a new or emerging pathogen. The field office may send epidemiologists to the area to help investigate, collect samples, interview people who are ill, and trace the source of the outbreak.
Field offices also get involved in planned activities — they help state and local health departments set up disease surveillance systems, train laboratory staff on new testing methods, conduct disease prevention campaigns, and prepare for potential health emergencies like pandemic flu or bioterrorism.
The Difference Between CDC Field Offices and Your Local Health Department
Your local or state health department is the first point of contact for any health concern — they are the ones who investigate illnesses, track disease patterns in your community, and carry out public health programs. The CDC field office supports and advises the local health department but does not replace it.
Think of it this way: your state or local health department is responsible for the day-to-day public health work in your area. The CDC field office is a resource that the state and local health department can call on when they need additional informed, laboratory capacity, or help investigating a complex or multi-state problem. If you have a health concern, you report it to your healthcare provider or local health department — not directly to the CDC field office.
The CDC field office also does not make decisions about local health policies or requirements. Those decisions are made by state and local health officials. The CDC provides guidance and recommendations, but state and local governments decide how to implement them.
What Information CDC Field Offices Collect and Track
CDC field offices help manage disease surveillance — the ongoing collection and analysis of data about diseases and health conditions. This information comes from healthcare providers, laboratories, hospitals, and sometimes directly from individuals who report illnesses. The data is used to track disease trends, identify outbreaks early, and guide prevention efforts.
Some diseases are notifiable, meaning healthcare providers and laboratories are required by law to report them to the health department. Examples include measles, tuberculosis, foodborne illnesses, and certain sexually transmitted infections. The state health department collects these reports and shares them with the CDC field office, which enters the data into national surveillance systems.
Other data collection is voluntary or based on sampling — for example, the CDC tracks influenza-like illness through a network of healthcare providers who report how many patients they see with flu symptoms each week. Field offices help coordinate these surveillance systems and analyze the data to spot trends and potential outbreaks.
How to Contact Your CDC Field Office
You do not contact the CDC field office directly for a health concern. Instead, contact your healthcare provider, local health department, or state health department. They will determine whether CDC involvement is needed and will reach out to the field office if necessary.
If you work in public health, healthcare, or a related field and need to reach your CDC field office for professional reasons — such as reporting an outbreak, requesting technical information, or participating in a surveillance program — your state health department or your organization's public health liaison can provide you with the appropriate contact information.
The CDC's main website (cdc.gov) lists the 10 regional offices and provides contact information for each one. Your state health department website will also have information about the CDC field office that serves your state and how local health departments coordinate with them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I call the CDC field office if I think I have a contagious disease?
No. Contact your healthcare provider or local health department instead. They will assess your situation and determine whether you need testing, treatment, or isolation. If your case is part of a larger outbreak, your health department will notify the CDC field office as part of their investigation.
Does the CDC field office make decisions about mask mandates or vaccine requirements?
No. State and local health officials make those decisions. The CDC provides guidance and recommendations based on disease data and scientific evidence, but state and local governments decide whether and how to implement those recommendations. The CDC field office advises and supports local decision-makers but does not have authority over local health policy.
What happens during a disease outbreak investigation?
When a local health department suspects an outbreak, they begin investigating — identifying people who are ill, collecting samples, and trying to find the source. If the outbreak is large, crosses state lines, or requires specialized informed, the local health department contacts the CDC field office. Field office epidemiologists may travel to the area to help with the investigation, analyze data, and recommend control measures.
How does the CDC field office get information about diseases in my area?
Healthcare providers and laboratories report notifiable diseases to the state or local health department. The state health department then shares this information with the CDC field office and enters it into national surveillance systems. The CDC field office analyzes this data to track disease trends and identify potential outbreaks early.
Are CDC field offices the same as state health departments?
No. The state health department is a state government agency that runs public health programs in your state. The CDC field office is a federal agency that works with and supports the state health department. They are separate organizations with different roles, though they coordinate closely on disease surveillance and outbreak response.