Merced County leaders appoint permanent health officer, but not without some criticism
Following what local leaders described as a “difficult” recruitment process, a familiar face was selected to serve as the permanent Merced County Health Officer by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday — but the decision wasn’t unanimous.
Dr. Salvador Sandoval, who formerly held the health officer title April 2020 through the end of June via a contracted position, was appointed by the board in a 4-1 vote to take on the role permanently. Supervisor Josh Pedrozo cast the dissenting vote.
Sandoval will commence his duties Sept. 6 with an annual salary of about $275,000. “I’m pretty sure you’ll be here for a long time, until you decide to retire,” Supervisor Rodrigo Espinoza said while addressing Sandoval on Tuesday. “So welcome back.”
A full-time county health officer position has been part of the Department of Public Health since June 2002, but until this week the role was always a contracted position.
The county health officer is responsible for clinical duties, medical case management and serves as a medical consultant for staff. Duties also include serving as the official county registrar for births and deaths.
Without a health officer, the county cannot perform some of those essential duties, which also include critical public health services like tuberculosis treatment and testing, routine childhood vaccinations and COVID-19 vaccinations.
Local leaders on Tuesday voiced their support for the transition from a contracted to a permanent health officer, noting the tenuous position the county is put in when a contract lapses and a replacement isn’t immediately found to serve in the interim. The county recently found itself in that position when Sandoval’s contract ended.
“It’s terribly important county-wide for us to have a permanent person that’s fully qualified to support our schools and our children to make sure those immunizations are happening on a regular basis,” Merced County Superintendent of Schools Steve Tietjen said Tuesday. “I can tell you our schools will be very happy that there’s a permanent solution.”
While acting as county health officer under his former contract, Sandoval guided the Public Health Department and the community at large through the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic’s early days and multiple case waves.
During that time, he was “instrumental in connecting with the local community, particularly underserved populations,” a county new release announcing Sandoval’s permanent appointment said.
Sandoval has more than 47 years of relevant experience, particularly in family medicine, and has been a longtime fixture in Merced County’s medical community.
Health officer appointment incites debate
While multiple county leaders lauded Sandoval’s qualifications and contributions to the Merced area, it was clear that the health officer role’s transition from contract to permanent position had its rough patches.
After Sandoval’s contract wasn’t renewed, the county struggled to find an interim health officer while the recruitment process for a permanent hire was conducted. Meanwhile, the hiring search struggled to obtain candidates.
The difficult recruitment forced the county to extend the process for another month, County CEO Raul Lomeli Mendez said. About a month went by without a replacement being found after Sandoval’s contract expired at the end of June.
Although Sandoval was offered to serve in an interim role until the county selected a permanent health officer, Mendez said Sandoval declined. It was then that Dr. Sima Asadi approached the county and offered to fill in as County Health Officer temporarily.
Asadi previously told the Sun-Star that she agreed to serve in the interim so the county could resume essential public health services that require a health officer’s supervision.
Ultimately, Sandoval was one of just two candidates who applied for the permanent health officer job, but the only qualified candidate, Mendez said.
Several county officials thanked Sandoval for stepping up as a qualified candidate.
“I want to thank Dr. Sandoval for applying,” Espinoza said. “I know he’s lauded statewide for being a professional, and within our staff as well, so thank you Dr. Sandoval.”
But Pedrozo voiced his disappointment in what he saw as Sandoval failing to step up when called on by the county during a time of great need.
“I’m sorry, I can’t support this decision,” Pedrozo said prior to casting his dissenting vote. “The call was unanswered and that’s really, really concerning.”
While Pedrozo acknowledged Sandoval’s “amazing work as a medical professional,” he criticized Sandoval’s choice to turn down the interim health officer position, leaving the county without a health officer and putting the community in a difficult bind.
Pedrozo said he received multiple calls from concerned superintendents and education leaders throughout the county who were unsure whether students would be able to receive vaccinations in time for the imminent school year.
“When we couldn’t find somebody to fulfill (the job), when called to serve the person that is being considered right now was rude and disrespectful to our staff. I just find that incredibly disheartening,” Pedrozo said. “(Sandoval) knew the position of the county, that we were caught between a rock and a hard place,” he added.
Sandoval did not respond to the criticism, but several officials came to his defense.
Director of Public Health Dr. Rebecca Nanyonjo said that as a department head who has witnessed Sandoval’s work within her office and out in the community, she felt compelled to thank Sandoval for his past service amid the especially challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. “He represents the best of us,” she said.
Supervisor Scott Silveira said he understood the frustration and hurt feelings, but believes there’s blame to go around for the county experiencing a lapse in health officers.
Silveira added that Sandoval was likely the right choice to fill the role permanently all along, noting the health officer’s generally positive reputation within the community.
“Coming off of the pandemic, if you haven’t figured it out, there’s not a lot of people that want to take on this work, so I commend you for that,” Silveira said. “It’s not an easy position to fill right now.”
This story was originally published August 25, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
