Sacramento County hires new health officer, Sheriff’s Office inspector general
The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday hired a new health officer and interim Sheriff’s Office watchdog.
The board approved County Executive David Villanueva’s appointment of Dr. Phuong Luu as county health officer, effective June 1, according to a county news release.
For the past six years, Luu served as the bi-county health officer for Sutter and Yuba counties, where she led the COVID-19 response, the release said. Before that, she was the medical director of public health for the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. in the Northern Mariana Islands.
“Dr. Luu’s extensive experience, ranging from leading pandemic response efforts to driving major public health system improvements across multiple counties, makes this appointment an exceptional gain for Sacramento County,” Villanueva said in the release.
Dr. Olivia Kasirye, who led Sacramento County’s pandemic response, announced her retirement in October.
Also Tuesday, the board approved the one-year appointment of Eric Kane as inspector general as the county continues its search for a permanent replacement, a county release said.
Kane, who has 25 years of law enforcement experience, serves as an associate director and police lieutenant for the University of the Pacific in Stockton, the release said.
Before that, he spent most of his career with the Stockton Police Department, retiring as a deputy chief in 2022. In that role, he handled internal affairs investigations into alleged officer misconduct and oversaw criminal investigations involving officers, both of which are relevant to the inspector general position, the release said.
The inspector general is an independent oversight arm of the Sheriff’s Office, tasked with investigating in-custody deaths, use of force and other incidents.
His contract will begin May 1 and end April 30, 2027.
Kevin Gardner, the previous inspector general, chose not to stay in the position past when his contract ended on March 31, the release said. He was a former acting deputy chief for the Sacramento Police Department.
