SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Sonoma County has a new health officer in Dr. Mia Shim, who brings more than two decades of public health leadership experience, including helping guide Seattle and King County through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved Shim's appointment Tuesday, replacing Dr. Michael Stacey, who had served as interim health officer since November.
Her appointment is effective today. Shim, an internal medicine physician and public health executive, most recently served as interim health officer and chief medical officer for Public Health - Seattle & King County, one of the nation's largest local public health systems, serving more than 2.3 million residents.
She has more than 20 years of experience in public health, including work in health equity, communicable disease control, emergency preparedness, behavioral health and expanding access to health care, according to county officials. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Shim led King County's public health response, coordinating efforts with hospitals, government agencies and community organizations.
County officials credited that work with helping King County achieve one of the nation's highest COVID-19 vaccination rates and among the lowest death rates for large metropolitan counties.
"We feel very fortunate to be bringing to Sonoma County a health officer with such relevant and extensive experience," Nolan Sullivan, director of the county's Department of Health Services, said in a statement.
As Sonoma County's chief medical officer and top public health official, Shim will oversee the county's response to public health threats, provide medical guidance during emergencies, supervise key public health functions and help shape local health policy.
By Bay City News
Copyright © 2026 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Rohnert Park, CA Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.