Governor Newsom Appoints Dr. Diana Ramos as California Surgeon General

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the appointment of accomplished public health leader Dr. Diana Ramos as California Surgeon General. Dr. Ramos has more than three decades of cross-cutting experience and expertise with a focus on health equity and reproductive health. She currently serves at the California Department of Public Health’s Center for Healthy Communities, where she oversees the state’s public health and prevention programs.

The Governor established the role of Surgeon General in 2019 on his first day in office as part of a series of major health care proposals and actions. The California Surgeon General is a key spokesperson on public health issues throughout the state and advises the Governor on efforts to address health risks and challenges as effectively and as early as possible.

“California’s Surgeon General has a pivotal role in driving focused solutions to tackle the root causes of our most pressing health challenges and inequities,” said Governor Newsom. “Dr. Ramos is a distinguished leader in medicine and a trusted public health expert who brings a lifetime of experience protecting and promoting the health of vulnerable communities. I look forward to her partnership in advancing urgent priorities for the state on women’s health, mental health, addressing the gun violence epidemic, and more as we continue our work to lift up the health and well-being of all Californians.”

Diana Ramos, M.D., 55, of Laguna Beach, has served as a Public Health Administrator at the California Department of Public Health’s Center for Healthy Communities since 2021. She has been an Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine since 1999. Dr. Ramos has been a Per Diem Physician at Kaiser Permanente since 1998. She has been Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Gami-Fi Health since 2018. Dr. Ramos was a Public Health Medical Officer at the California Department of Public Health from 2017 to 2021 and Director of Reproductive Health at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division from 2005 to 2017. She was Chief Medical Officer at Alpha Medical Center Inc. from 2003 to 2005. She was a Senior Regional Medical Research Specialist at Pfizer Inc. from 2000 to 2003 and a Staff Obstetrician at Clinica Humanitaria from 1999 to 2000.

Dr. Ramos is an Executive Board Member of the California Maternal Care Quality Collaborative, Secretary of the National Hispanic Medical Association Executive Board and Co-Chair of the Women’s Preventive Services Initiative Implementation Committee. She is a Chair of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) District IX and Co-Chair of the American Medical Association’s ACOG Delegation. She earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of California, Irvine School of Business and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $216,420. Dr. Ramos is registered without party preference.