Dr. Lisa Hernandez to Return as County Health Officer

Dr. Lisa Hernandez, who was Santa Cruz County health officer from 2013 to 2016, will return to that position July 5 succeeding Dr. Gail Newel, pending approval by the Board of Supervisors.

Dr. Hernandez, who has 25 years of experience in medicine and public health, comes to Santa Cruz County from Berkeley where she was public health officer, leading the city’s pandemic response.

“I have great affection for Santa Cruz County and its residents,” said Hernandez. “I look forward to working with the community to improve the health and wellness of all County residents.”

She is bilingual and bicultural and the proud mother of two college-aged children. She and her husband are enjoying their newfound empty nest status.

Hernandez advocates for data-driven solutions to address population-level health concerns, such as health disparities and unequal healthcare access, and has a deep interest in public health preparedness and communicable disease prevention. Health Services Agency Director Mónica Morales said Hernandez is “an ideal health officer for the County of Santa Cruz.”

Before coming to Berkeley, she was deputy health officer and infectious disease and response branch director for the Santa Clara County Public Health Department for a year-and-a-half.

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