Orange County’s Diana Ramos picked for state surgeon general post

Dr. Diana Ramos, the former Orange County Medical Association president, is set to oversee California’s public health efforts as the state’s newest surgeon general.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, who created the role in 2019, announced the appointment on Thursday, Aug. 25.

In a statement posted to the Office of the California Surgeon General’s website Thursday afternoon, Ramos said she is committed to a “healthier, more equitable future” for California. 

“I am acutely aware that while we are all Californians, our experiences differ greatly,” said Ramos, who is from Laguna Beach. “Many of us are facing economic hardship, mental health conditions, trauma, grief, homelessness, addiction, racism, attacks on our bodies, our choices, and more.” 

“And while this has certainly been a challenging time for all of us, I view this as an opportunity to do the good work California has become known to do.” 

Newsom praised Ramos and touted her ability to focus on women’s and mental health issues as well as address gun violence. 

“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,” Newsom said in a statement. “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.” 

Ramos, 55, was the first Latina and first public health physician to lead the Orange County Medical Association as its president. 

She has worked as a reproductive health director of the Los Angeles County Public Health Department and more recently served as a public health administrator at the California Department of Public Health’s Center for Healthy Communities.

Ramos has served as a longtime adjunct assistant clinical professor at USC’s Keck School of Medicine and has been a per diem physician at Kaiser Permanente since 1998. 

“My passion is helping people help themselves. Education is key,” Ramos told the Southern California News Group in 2019. “Oftentimes, I am talking to a patient one-on-one, especially women, helping them understand their bodies and the choice that they have. With women, it doesn’t stop with us. It’s our husbands, our children — we are the primary health care decision-makers.” 

The surgeon general post, created just three years ago, was created to address public health issues and advise the governor. Only a handful of states have such a position. 

Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, a pediatrician, was picked to lead the inaugural office. She announced her resignation in February. 

In her DPH role, Ramos oversaw California’s public health and prevention programs. 

She will take on the role of surgeon general amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and monkeypox outbreak. (Newsom declared a monkeypox state of emergency earlier this month to bolster response efforts.)

She received undergraduate and medical degrees from USC along with a master’s in public health from UCLA and another in business administration from UC Irvine. Ramos completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the LAC + USC Medical Center. 

The California Senate will need to confirm Ramos for the job, which comes with a compensation of $216,420. 

“I look forward to serving you,” Ramos said.