Sonoma’s Department of Health Services Hit With Second High-Profile Departure In Recent Weeks
Dr. Karen Milman said she’d been thinking about leaving her post for “a long time, since before the October fires.”
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Dr. Karen Milman Resigns As Sonoma County Health Officer
Sonoma County’s health officer, Dr. Karen Milman, has stepped down from her job, marking the second high-profile shakeup in the county’s Department of Health Services in recent weeks. Milman’s last day was Monday, a week after the departure of the county’s mental health and substance abuse services director, Michael Kennedy. Kennedy went on paid leave last week and county officials are seeking to fill his post with an interim director. County officials would not elaborate on the circumstances of his job status, including whether the leave was ordered or voluntary, and whether he was set to return to work in a different post. Dr. Michael Kozart, the Health Services department’s medical director and lead psychiatrist, is filling the role on a temporary basis. (Espinozza, 3/14)
In other news from across the state —
The Mercury News:
Marin Regains Rank As State’s Healthiest California County
Marin has regained its mantle as the healthiest county in California, based on rankings by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. The annual rankings compare California’s 58 counties on more than 30 factors that influence health including length of life, quality of life, health behaviors, access to health care, socioeconomic factors and physical environment. The years of data used to create the rankings vary widely by data category. (Halstead, 3/14)
Modesto Bee:
Modesto Backs Homeless Shelter Plan, But Mayor Raises Questions
The City Council voted 7-0 on Tuesday evening in favor of “supporting the vision of an immediate action plan for a temporary low barrier emergency shelter/day center with minimal supportive services (shelter) for the homeless population,” according to the resolution passed by the council. ...County officials have stressed this project is for a temporary shelter that will provide immediate relief for the homeless crisis while they work on the permanent solution: opening an access center that will offer comprehensive services with the goal of moving the homeless into permanent housing. (Valine, 3/14)
The Mercury News:
San Jose Officer Cleared In Fatal Shooting Of Mentally Ill Man With Knife
A San Jose police officer was deemed legally justified when he shot and killed a violently mentally ill man who charged at him with a knife during a frantic encounter in front of the man’s home last year, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. (Salonga, 3/14)
Marin Independent Journal:
Bay Area Mussel Eater Gets Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning
A person who was collecting mussels over the weekend at Dillon Beach has been hospitalized for shellfish poisoning, according to the Marin County Public Health Department. The health department confirmed Tuesday a case of paralytic shellfish poison, a naturally occurring toxin found in bivalves such as mussels, clams and oysters. (Prado, 3/14)