Gov. Newsom Appoints CA's First Surgeon General
SACRAMENTO (CBS SF/AP) — Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday announced the appointment of a pediatrician as California's first-ever surgeon general.
Newsom said in a news release that Dr. Nadine Burke Harris will focus on combating the root causes of serious health conditions and use her office to reach young families across the state.
Burke Harris is founder and chief executive of the Center for Youth Wellness in San Francisco, which aims to improve the health of children exposed to toxic stress and trauma early in life.
Harris leads the Bay Area Research Consortium on Toxic Stress and Health and serves as a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' National Advisory Board for Screening. She's also on a committee for the National Academy of Medicine.
When Newsom was mayor of San Francisco, he appointed Harris to the city's Citizen Committee for Community Development.
Her annual salary will be $200,000. She is a Democrat. She will be sworn in on Feb. 11, Newsom announced in a statement.
According to the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), the idea of a state surgeon general is not new. The first position of its kind was established in Pennsylvania in 1996.
Other states that currently have a state surgeon general position are Arkansas, Pennsylvania and Florida.
© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
