Doohan Appointed Public Health Officer
Ceremonial Oath of Office to be Administered Tuesday, September 12, 2023, 1:30pm
Lake County, CA (September 11, 2023) – On Tuesday, August 15, the Lake County Board of Supervisors appointed Noemi C. Doohan, MD, PhD, MPH, Public Health Officer for the County of Lake. This exciting Board action followed a lengthy nationwide recruitment process. During tomorrow’s meeting (Tuesday, September 12, 2023), Doohan’s Ceremonial Oath of Office will be administered; this is scheduled for 1:30pm, and will not be taken up earlier than that time.
Dr. Doohan, who goes by “Mimi,” will be known to some Lake County residents for her exemplary leadership and service as Mendocino County’s Public Health Officer during the initial phases of COVID-19 response.
A broadly experienced Family Physician and Public Health professional, Doohan has likewise recently served as Chief Medical Officer with Santa Barbara County and as a Medical Officer for the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), including work on CDPH’s Monkeypox Clinical Team and COVID Test to Treat Therapeutics team.
Nearly two decades of clinical and healthcare leadership, including rural and urban community roles in the Adventist and Scripps Mercy (San Diego) Health systems and private practice, have well prepared Doohan to foster greater public understanding and lead efforts to improve health outcomes in Lake County. These positions also brought experience leading private- and publicly-grant-funded work.
State-level roles, including being a founding member of the Rural Association of Northern California Health Officers (RANCHO), have also brought insight into the value of relationship-building in ensuring residents are served well by public health programs and clinical providers.
“We are very pleased Dr. Doohan has committed to serve as Lake County’s Public Health Officer,” affirms Jessica Pyska, Chair of the Lake County Board of Supervisors. “Our Board recognizes the value of having a Public Health Officer who has worked in a variety of settings, and built a quality and varied network. We are also confident Dr. Doohan has the background needed to partner with the Health Services Team in taking the best available immediate steps to make a difference for our communities.”
Doohan completed a PhD in molecular biology at UCSB in 1994, Medical School at Stanford University in 2002, and Family Medicine Residency Training through UC Davis at the Contra Costa County Regional Medical Center in Martinez CA in 2006.
A dedicated teacher and learner, Doohan has since undertaken multiple Fellowship programs, and culminated a Master of Public Health through the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 2019.
“I am very grateful to the Board for their confidence and leadership, and look forward to working in collaboration with the County of Lake’s Health Services team and community partners in the coming years,” notes Doohan. “With consistent collaborative work and communication, we can together promote an even stronger, healthier Lake County.”
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