Mayor Adrian Fenty announced today he has named a new director of the D.C. Department of Health, and he has the basically the coolest name in the world: Dr. Pierre Vigilance. For serious, Dr. Vigilance is going to be looking out for our public health needs now. We eagerly await the announcement of his deputies, Dr. Alert and Dr. Watchful.

“This is a great day for the wellbeing of all District residents,” said Mayor Fenty in a statement. “Dr. Vigilance brings us an energy that’s unparalleled in his field, and a wealth of experience in dealing with urban health issues. We’re excited to have him on board.”

According to the release from the mayor’s office, Dr. Vigilance is a veteran public health leader, coming directly from serving as the director and health officer of the Baltimore County Department of Health since 2005. Prior to that, Dr. Vigilance served as the assistant commissioner for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at the Baltimore City Health Department.

Fenty fired the previous director, Gregg Pane, four months ago, citing the need for a “more aggressive health strategy.” Carlos Cano had been the interim director since then.