Santa Barbara County Public Health Director Steps Down

By edhat staff

Dr. Van Do-Reynoso will step down as Director of the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department this coming August. She will accept a new position at CenCal Health as its Chief Customer Experience Officer.

Do-Reynoso was previously the Public Health Director of Madera County and took the job in Santa Barbara in August of 2017. Not long after her start date, she became a steady force as the community suffered through the Thomas Fire in 2017, the Montecito Debris Flow in 2018, and the eruption of a global pandemic in 2020. 

Do-Reynoso became a familiar face and calming voice of reassurance during sometimes daily press conferences as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded throughout the world and our community. She led the department in COVID-19 precautions, guidelines, testing, then vaccinations. 

CenCal Health is a publicly-funded health care program designed for the low-income residents of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

Edhat Staff

Written by Edhat Staff

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54 Comments

  1. @4:10PM: Yeah, don’t you remember when the Whiskey-Tango January 6th Nobel laureates were injecting taking ivermectin meant to kill parasites in horses? I know we’ve had a lot of stupid nonsense in the last few years but that was pretty memorable.

  2. Have you wondered why the Unicorn OB/GYN announced should would not be seeing CenCal patients 15 days before retiring?
    Probably because CenCal takes forever to reimburse the Doctors… but it is a “non-profit” yea team!
    Their mission statement paraphrased:
    Yeah, we are a “non profit” but we pay out some extremely high salaries and although we are “non profit” there is never any money left over at the end of the year because we just hand out bonuses.

  3. 4:09 – Why should anyone push back on good public health policies and just plain common sense? Her integrity and fortitude in the face of the politically weaponized voices of public stupidity were remarkable.

  4. Regardless of its efficacy for covid, Ivermectin been used in HUMANS for decades improving the lives of billions of PEOPLE. By calling it “horse medicine” you’re perpetuating propaganda, weird for someone whose constantly calling out… propaganda. I guess not so weird in today’s world of double standards and ‘rules for thee but not for me’.

  5. Nice dodge. That doesn’t change the fact that idiots numerous and diverse, mostly motivated by their politics if not sheer stupidity, were trying to characterize Ivermectin as a safe and effective treatment for COVID. It was neither.

  6. That “rules for…” argument is really insane. You’re essentially saying, for example, that if Clorox is good for disinfecting inanimate surfaces, it should be fine for injection. Just moronic nonsense – but considering the source (or the horse?), that’s par for the course.

  7. It’s clear commenter 4:10 has poor knowledge of medicine.
    Do you think all doctors but a few proven quacks were lying?
    Ivermectin does nothing against COVID, and has serious side effects.
    One must be very gullible to parrot such nonsense.
    That, or just willfully ignorant.

  8. is it used for livestock? is a horse livestock? did people buy it from vets? is it designed for use against parasites?
    all of the above = YES, no propaganda here
    is covid a parasite? NO. can this be used to fight covid? NO
    regardless of its “efficacy” against the ONLY THING WE ARE TALKING ABOUT?

  9. Stunning, these troglodytes are still chiming in with the snake oil. Good job trying to split hairs there 4:57, but there are differences between medications made for humans and ones made for animals. Most importantly, the regulation, quality, and lack of impurities in human-grade drugs. C’mon, man! I’m not an internet pharmacist like you and I even knew that. I don’t want to be unpleasant to you, but once it gets to justifying horse medicine it crosses a safety line.

  10. VOR: Geniuses were taking veterinary-grade anti-parasite drugs because they found it hard to get human-grade prescriptions from doctors. Improper prescriptions are grounds for malpractice suits, the kryptonite of modern medical practices. Even if they did find a random clueless doctor to prescribe human-grade ivermectin or other drugs for parasites, you can OD on it and it has serious side effects.

  11. VOR: You have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.
    From the FDA:
    “You can also overdose on ivermectin, which can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hypotension (low blood pressure), allergic reactions (itching and hives), dizziness, ataxia (problems with balance), seizures, coma and even death.”

  12. She’s compensated quite well for what she does. Public Health isn’t a big money maker. It’s typically a masters degree. I see the author is calling her doctor however, so unless someone’s mistaken there she got an MD-MPH degree. The County basically did parrot what the state said all along. Yes, stats were tracked along the way. A smart high school student can plug numbers into an Excel spreadsheet and generate Power Point graphs of that caliber however, quite easily. No doubt she’s had enough of the public eye and scrutiny – yes, that had to be difficult. She chose that when she went into Public Health however. It’s a lot of sitting at a desk crunching numbers, compiling data, making spreadsheets, meeting, small group presentations… until it’s not.

  13. Chillin, yea and? Most over the counter medicines can cause similar issues, or worse when overdosed on. Do you know what happens when you give kids Asiprin? You and @9:15 completely missed the comment, which was correcting @5:29’s misinformation. Which was about side effects, not overdoses Chillin. Think before you type.

  14. Chillin, you need to talk to someone in the medical field to correct you misunderstandings about the doctor patient relationship and what tools/methods doctors have in treating their patients, including prescribing medications for both on and off label use.

  15. You seem to be showing irritability and confusion. Have you dosed on Ivermectin recently?
    From the Mayo Clinic web page on Ivermectin side effects:
    Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
    Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
    More common
    Difficulty in moving
    muscle pain or stiffness
    pain in the joints
    swollen, painful, or tender lymph glands in the armpit
    Less common
    Black, tarry stools
    bloating or swelling of the face, arms, hands, lower legs, or feet
    chest pain
    chills
    cold sweats
    cough
    dizziness or lightheadedness
    dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up from lying or sitting position
    eye or eyelid irritation, pain, redness, or swelling
    fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse
    feeling of constant movement of self or surroundings
    fever
    painful or difficult urination
    rapid weight gain
    sensation of spinning
    shakiness in the legs, arms, hands, or feet
    sore throat
    sores, ulcers, or white spots on the lips or in the mouth
    swollen glands
    tingling of the hands or feet
    trembling or shaking of the hands or feet
    trouble breathing
    unusual bleeding or bruising
    unusual sleepiness
    unusual tiredness or weakness
    unusual weight gain or loss
    Rare
    Agitation
    back pain
    bloody eye
    blurred vision
    change in consciousness
    confusion
    decreased awareness or responsiveness
    difficulty in standing or walking
    hallucinations
    headache
    irritability
    loss of bladder control
    loss of bowel control
    loss of consciousness
    mood or mental changes
    redness of the eye
    seizures
    stiff neck
    unusual dullness or feeling of sluggishness
    vomiting
    Incidence not known
    Blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin
    burning, dry, or itching eyes
    change in consciousness
    confusion about identity, place, and time
    dark urine
    diarrhea
    discharge, excessive tearing
    light-colored stools
    loss of consciousness
    red skin lesion often with a purple center
    sensitivity of the eye to light
    swelling of the eyelids
    tearing
    upper right abdominal or stomach pain
    yellow eyes and skin
    Get emergency help immediately if any of the following symptoms of overdose occur:
    Symptoms of overdose
    Confusion about identity, place, and time
    decreased awareness or responsiveness
    severe sleepiness
    Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
    Less common
    Constipation
    lack or loss of strength
    loss of appetite
    stomach pain
    swelling or puffiness of the face
    Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
    Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

  16. @2:26. Now do any other prescription medicine, or the… covid vaccines….. also you’re moving the goalposts as 5:29 clearly framed it a “serious side effects”. The disingenuousness here is astounding.

  17. For those opposed to prescribing drugs for off-label use, is there any situation where you believe it would be appropriate for doctors to do that? Or do you believe that off-label use of drugs should be off limits?

  18. A PhD in Public Health, yes you are correct. And that’d be less lucrative overall than an MD +/- the MPH. And your point is? Just to argue? Or that she should make more money? Say what you’re thinking.

  19. Chip: Off-label drug use isn’t the issue here. The issue is taking something completely ill-suited to an illness because Internet posts, an orange man, or the president of Brazil says to based on no research or medical knowledge whatsoever. Taking drugs meant to fight parasites for Covid fails a basic cost-benefit analysis: significant risks of side effects for zero benefits.

  20. So Chillin, I did google it because I had no idea what that was. My read is that then you’re saying you have both an MD and an MPH and you’ve been employed at either or as a career too? Is that what you’re going for? Love it.

  21. Chillin, name one thing that I’ve written in this thread that is ‘peddling nonsense’ and I won’t write a single comment on EdHat for the rest of the month. Please be specific to my actual comments, and not you perception to what you think my thoughts are.

  22. Fun to see all the “schools should still be closed” crowd on here… I guess it makes sense. X number of edhatters are retired or work at home without kids so as long as wineries and Pilates classes are open, schools should be closed and we should close the 101 to any non locals !

  23. Chillin, that’s messed up. Now we’ll have to WAIT a whole 9 days to hear how that Fauci shapeshifting lizard story plays out! Good luck to Dr. Van Do-Reynoso on her new endeavor.
    “And the Band Played On “…

  24. Yes, yes … let’s all congratulate her… job well done!!! Can we applaud the school board too while we’re at it. Great job all around! Bars, open them… gyms, open them… Schools, oh heck no… close them!!!!

  25. Ivermectin may not work against covid but it certainly does not have serious side effects and has been used for decades to improve the lives of hundreds of millions, if not billions of people, particularly in poorer areas / 3rd world nations more prone to parasitic infections. After that comment @5:29 you’re in no position to call out others “poor knowledge of medicine” or that someone is being “just willfully ignorant” as you say, because you showed us loud and clear you have one, if not both, of those traits.

  26. PSTAR, Aspirin is commonly used in dogs and other animals. So by your logic, it is a dog medicine and many here apparently take dog medicine on regular basis. – that’s why its
    prop·a·gan·da: (noun) information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.

  27. The basic voices of sheep of SB are here with their customary nonsense.
    We’ve heard all the disinformation multiple times.
    It’s politically motivated willful ignorance.
    Thank you to Dr. Reynoso.
    She did an outstanding job.

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