Board Appoints New SMC Public Health Officer

REDWOOD CITY, CA — The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors has appointed a new public health officer to take the reigns from Dr. Scott Morrow, who will retire in August after more than three decades working for the county.

Health officers are tasked with leading the response to disease outbreaks, guiding prevention efforts, enforcing health-related laws and regulations, advising other officials on health policy and managing local health resources during a disaster.

The board on Tuesday selected Dr. Kismet Baldwin-Santana to take the post, who currently serves as the interim health officer in Sonoma County. Baldwin-Santana previously served as a deputy health officer in Sonoma County, the health officer in San Joaquin County and a quarantine medical officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"As a health officer in the Bay Area, I have worked with many wonderful colleagues in San Mateo County on regional initiatives, including response to COVID-19, mpox, and other public health matters," Baldwin-Santana said Tuesday. "I'm looking forward to the opportunity to build on Dr. Morrow's decades of service and commitment to the residents of San Mateo County."

According to the county, the incoming public health officer received her medical degree from Ohio State University and began her career as a neonatologist, working as a physician with infants and families in crisis.

Baldwin-Santana will take over from Morrow in early August. Morrow leaves the office after 30 years, leading the county through the COVID-19 pandemic and working through the decades to improve health outcomes and reduce inequities.