(From Press Release) – Yolo County announces that Dr. Ron Chapman will be retiring from his position as Public Health Officer effective June 30, 2020. Dr. Chapman graduated in 1985 from the University of Michigan with a Master’s Degree in Public Health and received his Doctor of Medicine (MD) in 1989 from the University of Southern California. After 35 years of public service, Dr. Chapman is looking forward to keeping his promise to his family to retire after five years of service in Yolo County and spending more time with them as part of a well-deserved and long planned retirement. Yolo County staff congratulate Dr. Chapman on his retirement and thank him for his outstanding service and leadership.
Yolo County’s Deputy Health Officer Dr. Mary Ann Limbos will be the Interim Public Health Officer when Dr. Chapman retires until a permanent health officer is hired. Dr. Limbos has worked for Yolo County since June 2016 and is already a significant leader in the County’s COVID-19 response.
Dr. Chapman has been a local, regional, and nationwide public health leader. He currently serves as a board member of the Public Health Accreditation Board and the California Conference of Local Health Officers. Dr. Chapman served under Governor Brown as the California Department of Public Health Director and State Health Officer from 2011-2015, where he led the statewide Ebola preparedness response and helped publish the first state health officer report in the United States on the harms of vaping. He was the Chief Medical Officer of Partnership Health Plan from 2010-2011 and the Solano County Public Health Officer from 2004-2010, where he led the county’s H1N1 pandemic response. From 1998-2004 he served in the California Department of Health Services and from 1992-1998 Dr. Chapman worked in the Family and Community Medicine department at UC Davis.
“I am incredibly proud to have served the people of Yolo County. The county staff and our community partners are my heroes,” said Dr. Chapman. “I want to thank all of Yolo County for an amazing and rewarding five years. Together, we have had a number
of incredible achievements.”
These achievements with Yolo County include:
- Attaining national public health accreditation; one of the first California counties to earn this honor
- Having one of the lowest smoking rates in all of California
- Developing the strongest oral health program (Go Mighty Molar) in the entire state which shines as a model for all counties
- Creating an award winning, model community garden
- Managing one of the largest norovirus outbreaks in the United States with the Communicable Disease team
- Possessing an award-winning Emergency Medical Services program that saves lives
- Launching Health In All policies and Health Equity projects
- Establishing an efficient response to the Covid-19 pandemic
Dr. Chapman’s COVID-19 work in Yolo County has drastically helped lower the spread of COVID-19 and strengthened the critical response partnership with many local organizations including hospitals, schools, cities, businesses, nonprofits, and many others, while being a key diplomat on the pandemic.
“Dr. Chapman stands in the long and proud tradition of public health officers, dedicated to safeguarding the well-being of their communities. He has been a tireless advocate of prevention, protecting youth from the tobacco industry, and promoting health education,” said Yolo County Board Chair Gary Sandy. “His leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic has been steadfast, insightful and anticipatory. We will miss his principled approach to health and safety for all residents of Yolo County.”
I personally want to thank Dr. Chapman publically for his leadership as outlined in this article. It has been a privilege to work with him for years on the Yolo County Health Council. I wish him and his family all the best.
“Retire”
This is the guy who closed down golf courses. I’m not a fan.
This is the guy who initiated mandatory masks. I’m a fan.
(Though I agree with you about golf courses)