Dr. Mark Ghaly, who has extensive county experience, was
confirmed as the state’s new California Health and Human Services
Agency Secretary by the Senate Rules Committee this week. CSAC
was pleased to support Dr. Ghaly’s confirmation as Secretary, and
the Rules Committee unanimously voted to forward a recommendation
for confirmation to the full Senate.
Dr. Ghaly brings a unique and diverse set of experiences to this
position, having served as both a physician and a public health
expert in county systems. This experience includes working for
two counties: Los Angeles and San Francisco.
For the past eight years, he worked for Los Angeles County as the
Deputy Director of the Department of Health Services and then the
Director of Health and Social Impact. Prior to those positions he
was a Medical Director for the San Francisco Department of Public
Health’s Southeast Health Center. A key focus throughout Dr.
Ghaly’s work has been the integration of critical local services,
such as health, human assistance, and behavioral health. As a
practicing pediatrician, he has also focused on the lives and
needs of children and youth in county systems.
The state and counties work closely throughout the health and
human services realm as all 58 counties deliver critical services
on behalf of the state. Dr. Ghaly’s direct county experience will
be an asset for the California Health and Human Services Agency
and the county partnerships on numerous health and human services
initiatives. CSAC looks forward to continuing that partnership
under Dr. Ghaly’s leadership as CHHS Secretary.
