California Health Care Personnel News Update for July 2008
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) has appointed Linda Rudolph (D) deputy director for the Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
Rudolph has served as health officer and director of public health for the city of Berkeley since 2005. From 2001 to 2005, Rudolph served as chief medical officer for the Department of Health Services and a consultant for Medi-Cal managed care.
Senate confirmation is not required for the position, which has an annual salary of $172,680.
The governor has appointed Stephen Kessler (R) chief deputy of operations for the Department of Public Health.
Over his career, Kessler has held various positions in the California Departments of Public Health, Corrections and Rehabilitation, Finance and Health Services.
The appointment is subject to Senate confirmation. The salary for the position is $138,528 annually.
Schwarzenegger has appointed Michael Wilkening (R) undersecretary for program and fiscal affairs for the Health and Human Services Agency.
Wilkening has held a variety of positions specializing in health and human services at the state finance department, most recently as program budget manager.
Annual compensation is $145,176 for the position, which requires Senate confirmation.
Howard Kahn (D) has been named to the Mental Health Oversight and Accountability Commission.
Kahn has served as CEO of L.A. Care Health Plan since 2001 and has held executive positions at Cigna and Aetna. From 1986 to 1991, Kahn was founding CEO of the Health Plan of San Mateo, and he was the founding president of the California Wellness Foundation in 1991.
There is no salary for the position, and Senate confirmation is not required for the appointment (Office of the Governor release, 7/22).
The West Contra Costa County Healthcare District announced that it has approved Joseph Stewart as permanent CEO of Doctors Medical Center San Pablo, the Contra Costa Times reports. The health care district owns the hospital.
Stewart has served as interim CEO since last summer.
John Gioia -- a county supervisor and chair of the joint powers agency that helps administer the facility -- said that Stewart's compensation and benefits package is being negotiated (Lochner, Contra Costa Times, 7/29).
Gov. Schwarzenegger has reappointed three members to the Medical Board of California, all of whom have served on the board since 2004:
- Hedy Chang (R), a member of the Morgan Hill Medical Foundation, which works to recruit physicians and retain a site for a hospital;
- Shelton Duruisseau (D), chief administrative and professional services officer and executive director for external affairs for UC-Davis Health System; and
- Mary Moran (R), a physician in private practice and a former member of the voluntary clinical faculty at Stanford University.
Schwarzenegger has named Michael Barsom (R) medical director of Metropolitan State Hospital, where he has been acting medical director since 2007. Barsom also has worked as a staff psychiatrist at the facility.
Senate confirmation is not required for the position, for which annual compensation is $264,828 (Office of the Governor release, 7/22).