LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week accepted the resignation of the county’s Public Health officer and appointed an interim to fill the position through the end of the year or until a new candidate is hired.

Health Services Director Denise Pomeroy went to the board to ask it to accept Dr. Erin Gustafson’s resignation.

Gustafson’s resignation comes five months after the board appointed her Public Health officer on a permanent basis.

She was appointed deputy Public Health officer in November 2017 and served in that capacity until October, when she was made interim Public Health officer.

In her Aug. 6 resignation letter, Gustafson informed Pomeroy, County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson and the Board of Supervisors that she has accepted a position as a public health medical director in San Bernardino County and is leaving as of Aug. 30.

Pomeroy told the board that Gustafson accepted the new position to be closer to family in Southern California.

While the county begins a recruitment to find Gustafson’s successor, Pomeroy said she reached out to Dr. Gary Pace, who has previously served as interim Lake County Public Health officer, to ask him if he would once again take the position on a short-term basis.

Pomeroy said Pace has agreed to take the position while the county’s recruitment takes place. He couldn’t be at Tuesday’s meeting due to a commitment in Sonoma County.

Pace, a Sebastopol resident, has more than 20 years of experience in family practice, clinical practice, site director and medical director working with a wide range of health care facilities, according to Pomeroy’s report.

He served as interim Public Health officer for Lake County from December 2017 to January 2018, following the retirement of Dr. Karen Tait, and briefly filled the position last year after Dr. Sara Goldgraben resigned. He also has worked as Mendocino County’s Public Health officer.

According to his curriculum vitae, he holds doctor of medicine and public health degrees from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, a master’s degree in counseling psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies and a bachelor’s degree in biology and psychology from the College of William and Mary.

Pace has a current valid California Medical License, is board certified in family medicine and certified with the American Board of Integrative and Holistic Medicine.

The contract presented to the board begins Aug. 31 and ends on Jan. 1 or when a new permanent Public Health officer is hired. It also includes the provision for a one-time mutually agreed upon extension.

Pace’s compensation is not to exceed $45,000 during the agreement’s four-month term.

Pomeroy’s written report to the board said the county is required to appoint an interim Public Health officer until the permanent position is filled, to ensure compliance with regulation.

The state requires counties to have health officers in place to enforce local health orders and ordinances, and state regulations and statutes relating to public health. “The Health Officer is also responsible for providing public health leadership for the community, responding to public health emergencies, informing the Board of Supervisors of community health issues, and acting as the point of contact for community leaders who are seeking expert advice and opinion on medical and public health issues,” Pomeroy wrote.

She told the board on Tuesday that, based on a previous recruitment, it could take up to six months to fill the Public Health officer position.

However, the time frame could be much shorter. Huchingson said the board is tentatively scheduled to conduct interviews with the candidates in the current recruitment pool on Sept. 17.

Supervisor Bruno Sabatier moved to receive Gustafson’s resignation, which was seconded by Supervisor Moke Simon and approved unanimously by the board. Sabatier then moved to appoint Pace as interim Public Health officer, a motion which the board also approved 5-0.

This is the second full recruitment for a Public Health officer that the county has conducted in less than two years.

Following Tait’s retirement, the county hired Dr. Sara Goldgraben as Public Health officer, at the same time as Gustafson was hired as deputy Public Health officer.

Goldgraben left Lake County at the start of August 2018 and within a week of her resignation becoming effective was appointed Fresno County’s Public Health officer.

Pace was appointed interim Public Health Officer on July 24, 2018. Three months later, Gustafson was appointed as interim Lake County Public Health officer, serving in that capacity until her permanent appointment in March.

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