02/14/2008 GAAS:82:08 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Print Version | Email / Share
Governor Schwarzenegger Appoints Nine Members to Public Health Advisory Committee
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the appointments of Dolores Apodaca, Rodney Borger, Robin Cox, Cynthia Gomez, Susan Harrington, Ruth Mulnard, Stephen Shortell, Ellen Wu and Antronette Yancey to the Public Health Advisory Committee.
"Establishing the Department of Public Health was an important step forward in improving our state's emergency readiness and ensuring the health and safety of all Californians is protected," said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. "I am confident that with the combined experience of the members appointed today to the Public Health Advisory Committee, the department will continue to provide our state with the best public health infrastructure."
Apodaca, 60, of Northridge, has been a nursing coordinator for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) since 2000. From 1985 to 2000, she held various positions at LAUSD including resource nurse for preschool programs from 1995 to 2000, special education nurse from 1992 to 1995 and school nurse from 1985 to 1992. Prior to that, Apodaca was a nursing services coordinator for Calexico Unified School District from 1977 to 1984 and a service director for the hemodialysis unit at Pioneer Memorial Hospital from 1977 to 1978. Additionally, from 1966 to 1976, she was assistant director of nurses for Calexico Hospital. Apodaca is a Democrat.
Borger, 41, of Yorba Linda, has been the chair of the department of emergency medicine at the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center and staff physician in the emergency department of San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital since 2002. From 1999 to 2002, he was emergency department director at Redlands Community Hospital and from 1999 to 2001, was a staff physician in the emergency department at the Riverside County Regional Medical Center. From 1998 to 2001, Borger held numerous positions at the Corona Regional Medical Center including assistant medical director, director of reimbursement and director of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI). From 1998 to 2002, he was the CQI director and staff physician for the Inland Valley Regional Medical Center and, from 1997 to 2000, was staff physician at the Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. Prior to that, Borger was CQI director and staff physician at the Moreno Valley Community Hospital from 1996 to 1998, staff physician for San Bernardino Community Hospital from 1996 to 1998 and per diem staff physician at Kaiser Permanente in Fontana from 1995 to 1997. Borger is a Republican.
Cox, 42, of Fairfield, has held numerous positions at the Solano County Health and Social Services Department since 1990, including public information officer since 1996, health education manager since 1994, supervising health education specialist from 1992 to 1994 and health education specialist I from 1990 to 1992. Prior to that, she was director of freedom from smoking programs for the American Lung Association Redwood Empire from 1989 to 1990 and a health center intern for the St. Helena Hospital and Center for Health in 1989. In 1988, Cox was a health consultant for the Loma Linda Academy and, in 1987, was a health education intern at the March of Dimes Northern California Branch. Cox is a Republican.
Gomez, 49, of Redwood City, has served as director of the Health Equity Initiative at San Francisco State University since 2006. Prior to that, she held numerous positions at the University of California, San Francisco, including associate professor of medicine from 2003 to 2006, co-director of the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies from 2002 to 2006, assistant professor of medicine from 1997 to 2003, epidemiology specialist from 1993 to 1997 and associate epidemiology specialist from 1991 to 1993. Prior to that, Gomez was director of children's mental health services for the Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center at the Brigham and Women's Hospital from 1987 to 1991 and was staff psychologist from 1986 to 1987. Previously, she was a research associate for Boston University from 1984 to 1986, bilingual psychotherapist for AtlantiCare from 1982 to 1984 and community health outreach worker for Uphams Corner Health Center from 1979 to 1981. Gomez is a Democrat.
Harrington, 46, of Riverside, has held numerous positions at the Riverside County Department of Public Health since 1986, including director of public health since 2003, deputy director of public health from 1999 to 2003, chief of nutrition services from 1994 to 1999 and supervising nutritionist and nutritionist from 1986 to 1994. Harrington is a Republican.
Mulnard, 51, of Tustin, currently holds several positions with the University of California, Irvine (UCI), including associate professor of nursing science since 2007, associate program director of general clinical research since 2002 and associate director for administration and director of clinical trials at the Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia since 1991. Additionally, from 2003 to 2007, she was associate clinical professor in the Department of Neurology at UCI. Prior to that, Mulnard was a lecturer in the Division of Nursing at California State University, Dominguez Hills from 1989 to 2002, adjunct professor in the Department of Nursing at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) from 1990 to 1999 and assistant professor at CSULB from 1990 to 1992. From 1993 to 1999, she was associate faculty in the Division of Human Services at Saddleback College and from 1989 to 1999 was assistant clinical professor of nursing at the University of California, Los Angeles. Previously, Mulnard was assistant clinical professor in the Department of Surgery at UCI from 1989 to 1992, associate professor of clinical nursing at the University of Southern California (USC) from 1987 to 1999 and assistant professor at USC from 1985 to 1987. Mulnard is a Republican.
Shortell, 63, of Berkeley, has served as a Blue Cross distinguished professor of health policy and management and professor of organizational behavior at the University of California, Berkeley, since 1998. Additionally, since 2002, he has been the dean of UC Berkeley's School of Public Health. From 1982 to 1998, Shortell was an A.C. Buehler distinguished professor of health services management at Northwestern University and, from 1974 to 1982, was a professor at the University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine. Shortell is a Democrat.
Wu, 39, of Oakland, has been the executive director of the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network since 2001. From 2004 to 2006, she was an adjunct faculty member at San Francisco State University and, from 2000 to 2001, was a consultant at the Community Health Center Network. Prior to that, in 2000, Wu was a project manager at CareScience and, from 1999 to 2000, was a program officer for the Tides Foundation. From 1995 to 1999, she was director of health education and cultural and linguistic services at the Alameda Alliance for Health, from 1993 to 1995, was training coordinator for Education Programs Associates and, from 1992 to 1993, was a health educator at Valley Community Clinic. Wu is registered decline-to-state.
Yancey, 50, of Los Angeles, has been a faculty member at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Health since 1990. From 1999 to 2001, she served as director of the Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion branch for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and, from 1996 to 1998, was director of public health for Richmond, VA. Prior to that, Yancey was a clinical associate professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health at Virginia Commonwealth University from 1996 to 1998 and an associate professor in the College of Allied Health at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science from 1994 to 1997. From 1985 to 1992, she was director of adolescent medicine at Sheltering Arms Children's Service and, from 1986 to 1990, was adolescent medicine director for the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services. Yancey was a general practitioner at Manhattan Medical Care from 1985 to 1989, general practitioner at William F. Ryan Community Health Center in New York from 1985 to 1987 and emergency room physician and general practitioner at Coastal Emergency Services from 1984 to 1986. Yancey is a Democrat.
These positions do not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary.
In 2006, the Governor signed SB 162 which created a statutorily separate Department of Public Health (CDPH) effective July 1, 2007. The CPDH creates a more effective public health infrastructure in California that will work to decrease illness, injury and death rates; provide greater protection for California residents in the event of an act of bioterrorism or other major public health emergency; and increase accountability and improve program effectiveness for the public health. The Public Health Advisory Committee provides advice and recommendations to CDPH Director Dr. Mark Horton on programs and policies to improve the health and safety of Californians and helps identify strategies to improve public health program effectiveness and identify emerging public health issues.
