Rules Committee backs Dr. Susan Philip for San Francisco health officer with residency waiver

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee on April 26 voted unanimously to recommend Dr. Susan Philip for the position of the City and County of San Francisco's health officer and to waive the residency requirement tied to the appointment. The committee'which met remotely due to the COVID-19 emergency'approved the motion by roll call: Mandelmann Aye; Chan Aye; Peskin Aye.

Dr. Susan Philip, who has served in the Department of Public Health for 16 years and as acting health officer during the pandemic, told the committee she would "continue to lead with data and with science" and prioritize "a strong focus on equity" and clear communication about trade-offs when evidence changes. She cited partnerships with community leaders, city departments and academic colleagues as central to her approach.

Several public-health professionals and community members spoke in favor of her confirmation. Lisa Winston, a longtime UCSF faculty member and chief of medical staff at San Francisco General, said Dr. Philip is "a fantastic doctor" and praised her communication style and commitment to equity. Gail Bolin and Dr. George Rutherford, each with long public-health pedigrees, also urged the committee to approve her appointment.

One Department of Public Health employee expressed concern about an earlier remark by the nominee suggesting racial equity "was not a priority," asking Dr. Philip to reconsider and to clarify how equity would be operationalized across clinics and services. The committee and the nominee discussed how decision-making would be coordinated with other city agencies, such as the Department of Emergency Management, and how the split between the health officer role and the public-health director has complicated governance during the pandemic.

Chair Aaron Peskin framed the confirmation within state law requiring counties to have a health officer appointed by the board of supervisors and noted the role'historically tied to the public-health director'has at times been split for credential reasons. Chair Peskin moved the confirmation along with the residency waiver; the committee passed the motion without objection and noted the appointment will be taken up at the full Board of Supervisors meeting the following Tuesday.

Action and next steps: The Rules Committee recommended the confirmation and the waiver to the full Board of Supervisors; the Board is expected to consider the appointment at its next meeting.