Rebecca Nanyonjo was appointed by the Merced County Board of Supervisors to the position of Public Health Director in January 2018. The Public Health Director is responsible for overseeing the functions and activities associated with community health and wellness. The Director serves as the Department Head overseeing department personnel, administrative and operational activities, serving as the Executive Director for the County EMS Agency; and ensuring that the programs and services provided are aligned with the health priorities throughout the community.
Prior to this position, Rebecca has worked in the following capacities: Chief Deputy Director of the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency Public Health Director for Stanislaus County Health Services Agency Senior Public Health Director for Princess Cruises, Carnival UK and Carnival Australia Faculty academic advisor/instructor with California-based educational systems of higher learning; Epidemiologist and Program Coordinator with San Bernardino County Department of Public Health.
Rebecca holds a Doctor of Public Health and dual Masters of Public Health, all from Loma Linda University. Rebecca serves on the following committees and holds membership in the following: County Health Executives Association of California National Association of City and County Health Officials Medi-Cal Managed Care Commissioner for Central California Alliance for Health representing Merced County Public Health Accreditation Board UCSF Champion Provider Fellowship sponsor San Joaquin Valley Public Health Consortium (immediate past Chair) Member of the American Public Health Association.
The services offered by Public Health include:
- Emergency Medical Services
- Communicable Disease Prevention and Control:
- Clinical services (immunizations, HIV/AIDS case management, infectious disease investigation
- Tuberculosis Control: screening, testing, treatment, outreach services, observed treatment and case management
- Outreach for at-home or onsite sexually transmitted infections
- Car Seat Safety
- Adolescent Family Life Program
- Public Health Laboratory
- Enhanced Laboratory Capability resulting from COVID-19 enhanced funding
- Health Equity
- Public health accreditation
- Communication
- Media Liaison
- Serve as Public Health Public Information Officer
- Backbone to the Merced County Health Leadership Counsel
- Epidemiology/Analytics/Continuous Quality Improvement:
- Emergency Preparedness
- Data monitoring, data surveillance and data assessment and analysis
- Legislative evaluation and implementation
- Community, Health and Wellness Division:
- California Accountable Communities in Health statewide funding
- Farmer’s Market
- Oral Health
- Tobacco Control
- Cal Fresh (food demonstration courses to community members and schools)
- Ad hoc programs and services as funding is awarded
- Public Health Nursing Services
- Medical Therapy Unit
- California Children’s Services
- Social Services Programs: Foster Care, Older Adult Service System of Care, Multi-Purpose Senior Services Program
- Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health case management services
- Children’s Home Visiting Program: Healthy Families America
- Child Health Disability Prevention Program
