California’s first surgeon general resigns from Gavin Newsom’s administration

Dr. Nadine Burke Harris announced Wednesday she is stepping down as California’s first surgeon general, a position Gov. Gavin Newsom created for her in 2019.

Burke Harris, a leading expert on the health effects of childhood trauma, from the start focused her work on early child development. Burke Harris, who has four sons, is stepping down to “take some time off and prioritize time with her family,” spokeswoman Berit Mansour said.

In her announcement, Burke Harris highlighted her work in the Newsom administration fighting the pandemic and promoting early screening for a form of childhood trauma known as adverse childhood experiences that her research has shown cause lifelong health problems.

“I have always said, self-care isn’t selfish,” she wrote. “They are words that I live by. As I transition out of this role and focus on prioritizing care for myself and my family, I will never stop supporting efforts to improve the health and well-being of our communities.”

With Burke Harris’ departure, her office’s Chief Health Officer Dr. Devika Bhushan will take over as acting surgeon general. Like Burke Harris, Bhushan is also a pediatrician with expertise in childhood toxic stress.

During the pandemic, Burke Harris’ office worked to improve the Newsom administration’s efforts to vaccinate marginalized communities. Burke Harris rarely appeared alongside Newsom at his regular public press conferences, but did make a number of appearances to promote vaccination in Black communities. Burke Harris, who is Black, also administered vaccines at some community immunization clinics, regularly posted videos to her social media promoting vaccines and screening for toxic childhood stress.

“Dr. Burke Harris’ expertise and leadership in championing equity, mental health and early childhood development have been instrumental in advancing the health and well-being of Californians,” Newsom wrote in a statement. “I thank her for the impactful initiatives and frameworks she has put in place as California’s first-ever Surgeon General.”

This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 12:37 PM.