Alameda County's Health Officer Leaves For State Job

ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA — Alameda County supervisors Tuesday bid farewell to the county's former health officer, who was sworn in as the state's epidemiologist.

Dr. Erica Pan was Alameda County's health officer for a year, including the period since the start of the novel coronavirus pandemic, and overall had served the county for 8-1/2 years in more than one role.

Pan was sworn in Monday as state epidemiologist and deputy director of the California Department of Public Health Center for Infectious Diseases.

"Dr. Pan's extensive experience in public health, infectious diseases and emergency response is exactly what California needs right now in our continued response (to) the COVID-19 pandemic," said Dr. Sonia Angell, state public health officer and director of CDPH. "As a pediatrician, she brings critical perspective to the table on how our families and communities are impacted by the virus," Angell added.

Pan had been Alameda County's health officer since July 2018. She was director of the division of communicable disease control and prevention and deputy health officer for the Alameda County Public Health Department since 2011.

"You have served us well," Supervisor Keith Carson said to Pan. Dr. Nicholas Moss has stepped in as the interim health officer in Alameda County. Pan told supervisors she will be a co-leader on the state's response to the coronavirus.

Supervisor Wilma Chan told Pan she hopes she will continue to do the type of great work in Sacramento that she has done in Alameda County.

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