Santa Barbara County Announces Appointment of Public Health Director

Source: County of Santa Barbara

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has approved the appointment of Van (pronounced Vaughn) Do-Reynoso, Ph.D., as the new Public Health Director. Her first day will be Monday, August 7. Dr. Do-Reynoso will assume the duties from Interim Public Health Director Carrie Topliffe, who was named Interim Director following the departure of Dr. Takashi Wada in December 2016. Topliffe will return to her previous role as the Director of County Child Support Services.

Dr. Do-Reynoso has managed county behavioral health and human services programs since 2004 and has been a leader in public health in Madera County since 2008. For the past seven years she has served as Madera County’s Public Health Director following two years as its Assistant Public Health Director. During her tenure as Director, she also served as the Interim Director of Madera County’s Behavioral Health Department for one year. 

Do-Reynoso is deeply committed to public health, public service and collaboration. She was responsible for assembling a diverse group of stakeholders to support a countywide strategy to improve health within Madera County.  She also has extensive experience working at the state level and serves on the California Medical Services Program (CMSP) and the California Health Executives Association of California (CHEAC) executive committees. 

She is one of the founding members and served as chair of the San Joaquin Valley Public Health Consortium, which engages public health leaders from eight central California counties in strategic planning, training, policy development and research to improve the quality and responsiveness to pressing public health issues faced by the region. Her prior experience also includes operations planning with Kaiser Permanente Northern California, and extended volunteer public health activities for an orphanage in Mexico.

“The Board approved the appointment of Dr. Do-Reynoso as the County’s next Director of Public Health, a department that oversees critical functions and the overall health and well-being of our communities,” said Mona Miyasato, County Executive Officer. “Van is well prepared to lead the community health goals and priorities we’ve identified. With her extensive experience, ‘go-getter’ attitude and collaborative style I have no doubt that she will help guide the organization into the future.”

“I am extremely honored to have been entrusted by the Board of Supervisors to direct Public Health in Santa Barbara County,” said Do-Reynoso. “I’m looking forward to leading a team of dedicated employees within the department, and collaborating with the other County departments and community partners to provide residents with opportunities for achieving optimal health and wellness.”

The Public Health Department performs a broad range of health related services, including investigating disease outbreaks, conducting health education campaigns, inspecting food establishments, working with high risk mothers and children, operating health clinics for the underserved, staffing medical shelters during emergency evacuations and even caring for animals.

Miyasato added, “I would like to recognize Carrie Topliffe for her work and leadership of the Public Health Department over the past six months.  She has worked to improve processes and forge critical community relationships for which I am very appreciative of her efforts.”

Do-Reynoso received a bachelor’s degree in biology from University of California, Santa Cruz; a public health master’s in Health Policy and Administration from University of California, Berkeley; and recently earned a doctorate in Public Health Services and Systems Research from the University of California, Merced.                

For information about the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department and its many divisions, go to www.countyofsb.org/phd.