The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors has appointed San Francisco’s former public health director to oversee its own county health department.
Dr. Grant Colfax, who stepped down in January after nearly six years in his role as San Francisco’s leading health official, was appointed as the director of Contra Costa Health effective Aug. 19, county officials said.
Colfax oversaw San Francisco’s responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and the fentanyl overdose crisis during his tenure as the head of the San Francisco Department of Public Health. He also previously served as director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy during former president Barack Obama’s administration.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Colfax to Contra Costa County,” Supervisor Candace Andersen said in the county’s announcement of the appointment . “His visionary leadership and deep understanding of public health systems will be invaluable as we work to expand access to care, address longstanding health disparities, and support the overall well-being of our communities.”
Colfax is replacing Dr. Ori Tzvieli, who served as interim director of Contra Costa Health after former director Anna Roth left earlier this year to serve as president of Tahoe Forest Health System. Tzvieli is remaining as the county’s health officer.
“I am honored to join Contra Costa Health and to serve a community that values collaboration, compassion, and equity,” Colfax said in the county’s statement.
The county said the annual cost to fund the director of health services position is about $708,000.