Sonoma County has crammed a prime place inside its well being companies company that has sat vacant for 2 years.
Gabriel Kaplan, a public well being official from Colorado, began his new job Tuesday as director of the division’s public well being division — one in all 5 senior management positions within the Division of Well being Providers.
“It’s essential that we get a powerful chief in right here who might be a part of our govt workforce who might help present the executive assist for the applications which can be so wanted to maintain the work shifting ahead,” stated Tina Rivera, director of the Division of Well being Providers, the general public well being division’s father or mother group.
Kaplan stories to Rivera and is accountable for main a spread of applications together with the county’s public well being laboratory, the Coastal Valleys Emergency Medical Providers Company, particular scientific companies, COVID-19 applications, animal companies, environmental well being, and well being coordination and illness management.
Rivera referred to as Kaplan a “actual collaborator” who will deal with strengthening connections with native well being care organizations and suppliers. In his new place, Kaplan will present “administrative cohesion” to public well being initiatives and applications.
Kaplan holds two doctorate levels in public coverage and public coverage evaluation from Harvard College, a masters diploma from Princeton College in public affairs and a bachelor’s diploma in historical past from Columbia College.
Kaplan beforehand labored about 10 years in Colorado’s public well being and surroundings division, and for a lot of that point he was director of the Well being Promotion and Power Illness Prevention Department division of Colorado’s public well being and surroundings division.
Earlier than that, Kaplan labored as a legislative aide for former U.S. Sen. Harris Wofford, D-Pennslyvannia, and as a coverage advisor for the federal government of New Zealand, in response to his LinkedIn profile.
Rivera introduced Kaplan’s arrival on Monday, in a letter to native well being care suppliers and leaders. She stated Kaplan would serve a key position addressing native public well being disparities and inequities that grew to become so obvious in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kaplan’s annual wage is $191,158.
The place of public well being director has been vacant since January 2020, earlier than the pandemic started. It was final held by Ellen Bauer, who now chief administrative officer of the West County Well being Facilities.
Rivera stated that she’s been dealing with administrative duties for the general public well being division in addition to for the behavioral well being division, whose director, Invoice Carter, retired on the finish of December.
“I’ve been sort of carrying the general public well being division in addition to the (Well being Providers) Division,” Rivera stated. “It’s powerful carrying a number of hats administratively.”
Kaplan declined an interview request.
You possibly can attain Employees Author Emma Murphy at 707-521-5228 or emma.murphy@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MurphReports.