New Public Health Officer Appointed In Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser is no longer employed by the county — a decision made Tuesday by County Executive Officer Jeffrey Van Wagenen.

In his place, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors appointed Dr. Geoffrey Leung during Tuesday's closed-session meeting, according to a county announcement.

There was no word on what led to Kaiser's ouster. He served as the county's acting health officer in 2012 and was formally appointed to the top position in 2013, according to Riverside County spokesperson Brooke Federico.

CEO Van Wagenen was appointed to his position last month.

“I want to thank Dr. Kaiser for his tireless work throughout this pandemic in service to our residents, communities, county agencies, cities, school districts and many other groups,” Van Wagenen said in a released statement.

Over the second half of 2020 and into 2021, Kaiser's visibility faded from public view. During the onset of the pandemic, he was active in establishing health safety protocols, but that power was largely stripped in May when the Riverside County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to rescind COVID-19 public health orders imposed by Kaiser.

With that board vote, the supervisors agreed the county would no longer impose COVID-19 health orders more restrictive than the state.

The county health officer enforces county ordinances, as well as state and federal statutes pertaining to public health and sanitary matters within the unincorporated areas of the county, and within all cities in Riverside County.

Leung started work with the county in 2006 and has held the position of ambulatory medical director for Riverside University Health System for the last five years.

“I am honored to serve in this new capacity and look forward to continuing the important work of the department as we focus on recovering from this pandemic,” Leung said in a released statement. “Public health, at its core, is about protecting communities from disease, preserving health and prolonging life. This pandemic has underscored how critical public health is to our everyday lives and ensuring the health of our communities.”

According to the county's announcement, "Leung has been an integral member in the county’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic for the past year. Most recently, Dr. Leung has led the county’s Incident Management Team for the Riverside County vaccine rollout since December."

Leung earned his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine and a master’s degree in education from Harvard University. In addition to his role as ambulatory medical director for Riverside University Health System, Leung also been chair of family medicine for RUHS for the last nine years, according to the county.

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