Chronic state leadership voids are in Governor Newsom’s sights. You are witnessing the medicalization of state health policy with a number of firsts: creating the position of California Surgeon General, and installing a pediatrician; appointing another pediatrician as secretary of the state’s health agency; yet another physician as a deputy in charge of behavioral health in the Medi-Cal program. The latest move to address historically poor leadership in mental health care is the development of the first cabinet-level post overseeing behavioral health, critically needed. No Governor has valued behavioral health highly enough to establish a cabinet-level position to oversee all state efforts.
