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Sonoma County supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved the appointment of a new health officer, filling a key role in local government after relying for several years on a rotating cast of interim officials
The board’s chosen appointee, Dr. Mia Shim, has two decades of experience as a public health executive and internal medicine physician. She most recently served as the interim health officer and chief public health medical officer in Seattle and King County, Washington
Shim, whose first day on the job is Wednesday, July 8, told the board she was honored “to serve such a wonderful county steeped in a tradition of public service.” She said she looked forward to working with the local community to advance public health policies
“Health is one of the more powerful expressions of a community,” she said Tuesday
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, after the departure of Dr. Sundari Mase in spring 2023, the county’s top public health position has been held by a string of medical and public health professionals
Deputy Health Officer Dr. Kismet Baldwin first filled in as interim health officer for about two months before she left Aug. 4, 2023, to become health officer for San Mateo County
Dr. Karen Smith, a former director of the California Department of Public Health, also filled in on an interim basis between August and mid-November, 2023, when Dr. Tanya Phares, a physician executive from Reno Nevada, took over in late 2023 on a permanent basis. Phares resigned after less than a year
The position was most recently held on an interim basis by Dr. Michael Stacey
The health officer serves as the chief medical officer and top health policy official for the county, and is granted authority from the state to declare public health emergencies, issue health orders and impose penalties for noncompliance
During the pandemic and its immediate aftermath, health officers and public health professionals across the country left their jobs or retired in droves. Many cited burnout and increased stress related to the pandemic and the recent exodus of health care professionals
County officials on Tuesday said the COVID-19 pandemic continues to serve as example of the importance and well-qualified health officer
Shim’s county salary is $351,888. She is also in line for a $10,000 for relocation allowance and a $25,000 hiring incentive. Supervisors, in the fiscal year 2026-2027 adopted budget, set aside $524,894 in salary and benefits funding for the health officer position
You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com
