Learn more about San Mateo County Health.
The Health Executive Council includes San Mateo County Health’s chief, deputy chief, health officer and other division and team leaders.
Stay informed on upcoming events from San Mateo County Health.
Learn how San Mateo County Health’s Health Coverage Unit can help you apply for Medi-Cal, get enrollment assistance and find low-cost health care options.
Find key phone numbers, department contacts and media inquiries at San Mateo County Health.
Find health services, programs and resources we offer. Get connected to care, support and information that can help you and your family stay healthy.
Through our divisions’ work, we protect San Mateo County by reducing environmental health risks, preventing disease, and promoting the physical and mental well-being of our entire community.
Protection, support and advocacy for older adults and persons with disabilities.
Regulatory oversight of public and private emergency medical services.
Protects the health of everyone in San Mateo County.
Provides mental health and substance use services.
Environmental Health Services is the local authority on environmental health and safety policy and enforcement.
Provides integrated medical, dental, mental health and chemical dependency treatment to the incarcerated adult population.
Focuses on early intervention with San Mateo County parents and children who are low-income and have faced health inequities
We are a public hospital and clinic system that serves all San Mateo County residents by providing accessible, high-quality care with a focus on prevention and community partnership.
Get more information about how to create or log in to your MyChart.
We offer comprehensive preventative care, diagnostics and treatment for adults.
We provide comprehensive care for women's reproductive, hormonal and general health across all life stages.
We have expertise in specialized medical care.
We provide care for teeth and gum conditions.
We provide other services including rehabilitation, lab, imaging and therapy.
Available 24/7, we provide Immediate medical care for urgent, life-threatening conditions and injuries.
We provide full hospital care and comfort, including pain and symptom relief for serious illnesses.
San Mateo County Health partners with community members through boards, commissions and initiatives that guide programs, shape policies and promote equity
About Us
Chief, San Mateo County Health
Deputy Chief, San Mateo County Health
Health Officer
Director, Behavioral Health & Recovery Services
Chief Information Officer
Deputy Director, LEAP Institute
Director, Family Health Services
Director, Correctional Health Services
Director, Public Health, Policy & Planning
Director, Health Administration
Chief Executive Officer, San Mateo Medical Center
Director, Emergency Medical Services
Director, LEAP Institute
Director, Aging and Disability Services
Director of Communications
Chief Financial Officer
Colleen Chawla was named Chief of San Mateo County Health in February 2025. She comes to the Peninsula from Alameda County Health, where she served as agency director from 2017-2025. Previously, she held several roles during her 13 years at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, including Deputy Director of Health.
Chawla traces her interest in health policy and administration to volunteer work more than three decades ago for an AIDS information hotline. “That volunteer position launched a career in health policy and public health, sustained over the years by the things that matter deeply to me – the right to health, equity and justice and stewardship of the public’s trust,” Chawla said.
She holds a master’s degree in public administration and health services administration from the University of San Francisco and a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Southern California.
Chawla loves cooking, traveling and feeling healthy and strong after her morning gym routine (even if the exercise itself is not always the thing she loves). She recently became scuba certified and wants to expand her underwater travel experiences.
Marc Meulman, the Deputy Chief of San Mateo County Health, supports the operations of its divisions and programs.
Meulman has two decades of leadership experience in the nonprofit, education and public health sectors. He served as deputy director and deputy health officer for Kalamazoo County’s Health and Community Services Department in Michigan, where he supported the response to the H1N1 pandemic of 2009, the Kalamazoo River oil spill and the creation of a Center for Health Equity.
He served eight years in Orange County’s Health Care Agency as manager for the Disease Control & Epidemiology division and as Chief of Operations for Public Health Services. In 2021, he came to San Mateo County Health, first serving as Director of Public Health, Policy and Planning. He was named Deputy Chief of the department in 2024.
Meulman earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois and a Master of Public Administration and a graduate certificate in nonprofit leadership and administration from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.
He enjoys running and has a goal to run a half-marathon in every state.
Dr. Kismet Baldwin-Santana joined San Mateo County as Health Officer in 2023. Appointed by the Board of Supervisors, the Health Officer has broad authority under California law to prevent disease and issue health orders. The Health Officer serves as a principal spokesperson and a trusted voice during outbreaks or emergencies.
Most recently, Dr. Baldwin-Santana has been the Interim Health Officer in Sonoma County, a Deputy Health Officer in Sonoma County, a Health Officer in San Joaquin County and a Quarantine Medical Officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
She has been deeply involved in public health work since earning her bachelor’s degree in microbiology and a Doctor of Medicine degree at Ohio State University. She did post-doctoral work at UCLA, where she studied ways to reduce the incidence of sickle cell disease.
Early in her career as a neonatologist in New Hampshire, Dr. Baldwin-Santana developed treatment plans and managed care for newborns experiencing neonatal abstinence syndrome due to exposure to opioids in the womb.
As the COVID-19 pandemic began, she served as a Quarantine Medical Officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at San Francisco International Airport. She supervised entry-screening procedures and assessed travelers’ disease exposure, working with local health care providers and agencies, including San Mateo County Health, to prevent further spread.
As Sonoma County’s Deputy Health Officer, she oversaw COVID-19 testing, vaccine administration, case investigation and contact tracing and participated in the region’s coordination and response through the Association of Bay Area Health Officials.
During the pandemic, she also made time to complete a master’s degree in public health at the University of California, Berkeley.
In her spare time, Baldwin-Santana enjoys salsa dancing, hiking and cycling.
Jei Africa is the Director of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services. The division provides services for children, youth, families, adults and older adults for the prevention, early intervention and treatment of mental illness and/or substance use conditions. Services include outpatient, inpatient, residential, rehabilitation, detoxification, medication-assisted treatment and other services for individuals who are eligible for Medi-Cal.
Africa was most recently Director of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services for the County of Marin, where he focused on expanding community outreach to underserved communities, expanding the continuum of care for justice-involved clients and leading the acquisition of several critical residential facility projects for those with mental health and substance abuse conditions.
Prior to that role, he served for over a decade as the Director of the Office of Diversity and Equity within San Mateo County Health. Africa, the first openly transgender county behavioral health director in the United States, was instrumental in the opening of a transgender health clinic and spearheaded the development of the first multi-disciplinary behavioral health LGBTQ+ community center in San Mateo County.
Africa holds a Doctorate of Psychology in clinical psychology and a Master of Science degree in clinical psychology from Alliant International University/California School of Professional Psychology and a post-doctoral Master of Science degree in clinical psychopharmacology. He also earned a Bachelor of Social Science degree from the University of the Philippines (Manila) in behavioral science.
In his spare time, he likes going to see musicals, listening to live music and taking photos of flowers and sunsets.
As San Mateo County Health’s Chief Information Officer, Rich Bailey works to improve the health and quality of life of county residents through technology. Directing the Health Information Technology unit, he works with a team of professionals maintaining and innovating applications and business intelligence systems, managing cybersecurity and information protection, supporting the Epic electronic health record system and guiding County Health’s overall information technology strategy.
Bailey brings 23 years of experience at the intersection of health care, technology and public service. Since joining San Mateo County Health in 2023, first as Epic revenue leader and then as deputy CIO, he has led initiatives to standardize programs and processes while keeping staff, patients and partners at the center of every solution. Prior to joining San Mateo County Health, he held leadership roles at Denver Health, MultiCare Health System and UCHealth, where he directed enterprise Epic implementations, led large-scale digital transformations and supported mission-critical revenue cycle operations.
He holds two master’s degrees, one in clinical informatics management from Stanford University and one in human resource development from Drexel University. He is certified in multiple Epic modules across the clinical, access and revenue domains and is deeply engaged in the evolving role of artificial intelligence in health care systems.
A first-generation college graduate from rural Colorado and Ohio, Bailey is an avid mentor to rising leaders in health technology and brings both empathy and precision to his work in the service of San Mateo County’s diverse communities.
Outside of work, he enjoys skiing, swimming, hiking and music — and is a proud lifelong Shania Twain fan.
Mary Brinig is the Deputy Director of the LEAP Institute, which supports San Mateo County Health’s efforts to empower staff to identify and solve problems quickly and effectively, to develop processes that achieve better health outcomes and to leverage the scientific method for continuous improvement.
Her previous experience includes roles as a small business owner, data analyst and management consultant. When she joined the LEAP Institute in 2014, the work immediately resonated with her for its combination of broad systems thinking, rigorous scientific approaches and aspiration to empower every individual to contribute and develop. She is honored to participate in San Mateo County Health’s ongoing evolution of its LEAP methods, with the goals of enabling more staff to use LEAP and to integrate improvement into all work across the department.
Brinig holds a B.S. degree in biology from Yale University and a PhD in microbiology and immunology from Stanford University. She is also certified in several improvement and coaching frameworks.
She enjoys cooking of all types, especially complicated baking projects and fun party food. She also enjoys participating in and teaching group exercise classes and reading mystery stories late at night.
Lizelle Lirio de Luna is Director of Family Health Services. The division provides prevention and early intervention services for low-income pregnant women, children and families. Services include nutrition education and food benefits for pregnant women and young children, care coordination services for children with complex health needs, physical and occupational therapy for children with disabilities and home visiting services aimed at promoting healthy pregnancies and giving children the best start in life, while reducing adverse health risks.
De Luna began her professional career working for a private-sector managed health care company, but quickly realized her passion was more aligned with direct patient care and public health, particularly maternal, child and adolescent health. De Luna initially worked as a nurse in an intensive care unit caring for critically ill infants and eventually became a home visiting public health nurse, serving pregnant and parenting teenagers and their babies. Her years of leadership in county government include conducting community needs assessments and overseeing grant-funded projects. She also supported the launch of a nationally recognized evidence-based home visiting program for pregnant women and children in San Mateo County.
De Luna earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in business administration at the University of California, Berkeley. She later earned a master’s degree in nursing at the University of California, San Francisco, specializing in community-based care systems and cross-cultural health. She is a registered nurse and licensed clinical nurse specialist with a public health nurse certificate.
De Luna stays busy as a mother of twins. She enjoys spending outdoor time with family–camping, swimming and skiing.
Michael del Rosario is the Director of Correctional Health Services, a division of San Mateo County Health responsible for delivering health care to incarcerated youth and adults in the county’s correctional facilities. The division provides medical, dental and mental health care that includes communicable disease screening and treatment, substance abuse treatment, chronic disease management and acute care services.
A registered nurse, he earned an associate degree in nursing from City College of San Francisco and has spent three decades in correctional health settings. He joined San Mateo County Health in 1994 as a staff nurse in the jail and rose through the ranks to become a charge nurse and a clinical services manager for nursing, before being promoted to director.
In 2012, as the Clinical Services Manager, del Rosario developed the first use of telehealth visits in the jails. He was instrumental in the COVID-19 management plan, which resulted in zero hospitalizations or deaths among inmates. He led the jails’ mass vaccination events, adding essential services such as Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for those with substance use disorder and increasing screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and hepatitis.
Outside of work, he enjoys dining out with family, travel, and with his passion for cars, he loves driving on local racetracks.
Tamarra Jones, DrPH, is the Director of Public Health, Policy and Planning. The division responds to disease outbreaks, provides medical outreach services to individuals experiencing homelessness and migrant workers, compiles and analyzes data related to public health and health equity and provides information to the public, community leaders, and stakeholders.
Jones was most recently the Manager of the Health Policy and Planning unit and served as the Public Health Equity Officer for San Mateo County Health, where she focused on identifying and supporting upstream primary prevention and health equity efforts. Her career includes over 20 years of experience as a public health manager in local health departments in Nevada and Southern California. Her work began in the area of HIV, where she managed programs focused on prevention, early access to and continued engagement in care for those at risk for or living with HIV. This work sparked her passion for community engagement and collaboration.
Her experience also includes oversight of a range of health services, including clinical services for family health, immunizations, oral health and HIV/STD care, as well as prevention and education programs for tobacco use prevention, injury prevention, nutrition education, oral health education programs and the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. Her leadership has also led to several awards for her work in continuous quality improvement and public health messaging.
Jones earned a Doctorate in Public Health in preventive care and a Master of Public Health with a concentration in health promotion and education from Loma Linda University. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in psychobiology from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Jones is the proud mother of a school librarian and author. In her spare time, she enjoys vacationing with her daughter.
In her role as Director of Health Administration, Kimberlee Kimura ensures the consistent functioning of San Mateo County Health’s administrative support functions, including human resource management, union negotiations, facilities management, capital projects, building security and contracts development and approval.
She previously served as Chief Administrative and Financial Officer for the Office of the Assessor-Recorder, City & County of San Francisco. She has been a consultant in private grantmaking to foundations and large multilateral organizations, as well as a banking supervisor and analyst for the Federal Reserve System. She currently serves on the board of Walk SF, a pedestrian advocacy organization in San Francisco.
Kimura earned a bachelor’s degree in public policy and American studies from Brown University and a master’s degree in public affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School of International and Public Affairs at Princeton University.
She lived in Japan for three years, teaching English and working as an assistant program officer for the Japan Center for International Exchange.
Kimura enjoys walking with her dogs in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area.
Chester J. Kunnappilly, MD, is the Chief Executive Officer of San Mateo Medical Center, the division of San Mateo County Health that oversees the public hospital and clinics serving the county. In addition to his administrative duties, Dr. Kunnappilly also serves San Mateo Medical Center as one of its primary care physicians.
Dr. Kunnappilly joined San Mateo Medical Center in 2002 as Medical Director of two of its outpatient clinics. He was named Chief Quality Officer in 2007 and became Chief Medical Officer in 2009. He has served as CEO since April 2016. Prior to joining SMC Health, Dr. Kunnappilly worked for Kaiser Permanente. He also served two and a half years with the United States Indian Health Service, the principal health care provider and health advocate for the federally recognized Native American tribes and Alaska Native people.
Dr. Kunnappilly received his undergraduate education at Dartmouth College and earned his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
He completed a residency in internal medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a graduate of the California Health Care Foundation’s Health Care Leadership Program and the National Association of Public Hospitals Medical Leadership Program. He sits on the boards of the California Health Care Safety Net Institute (SNI) and the California Association of Public Hospitals (CAPH).
Dr. Kunnappilly met his wife, a Bay Area native, while they were both serving with the US Indian Health Service. They and their two children enjoy outdoor activities, including camping, hiking and fishing.
Travis Kusman is the Director of Emergency Medical Services, which plans, implements, evaluates and regulates the 911 emergency medical services system and coordinates disaster medical preparedness and response County-wide. He also serves as the Regional Disaster Medical Health Coordinator (RDMHC) for the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Coastal Mutual Aid Region, comprised of 16 counties with a total population of approximately eight million people. As the RDMHC, he is responsible for supporting disaster response within the region and providing mutual aid support to other areas of the state in conjunction with the broader medical health response system.
Kusman has over two decades of experience as a healthcare provider and leader in emergency medical services. He began his career as a lifeguard and volunteer emergency medical technician and later served in senior-level executive leadership roles in both the public and private sectors. He has been recognized with the National Star of Life Award for his leadership of numerous programs that have reduced emergency response times, saved lives and enhanced customer service. He is an active participant in several statewide committees, including the California Department of Public Health and Emergency Medical Services Authority’s Joint Advisory Committee on Health Emergency Preparedness. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Emergency Medical Services Administrators’ Association of California and serves as chair of its disaster services subcommittee.
Kusman earned his bachelor’s degree in economics and master’s degree in public health policy and management at Emory University. He is a California-licensed and nationally registered paramedic, a graduate of the paramedic training program at Clayton State University, the International School of Tactical Medicine, and the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch. He also completed an internship in trauma and critical care at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.
When he is not at work, he enjoys traveling and the outdoors, including camping, scuba diving, biking and hiking.
As Director of the LEAP Institute, Viral Mehta supports San Mateo County Health’s efforts to empower staff to identify and solve problems quickly and effectively, to develop processes that achieve better health outcomes and to leverage the scientific method for continuous improvement.
Before joining the LEAP Institute, Mehta worked for the County of San Mateo, supporting County Health with IT strategy and project management. His prior experience was in designing and developing case management and accounting software for subsidized childcare agencies.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering and mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley.
Mehta enjoys volunteering with ServiceSpace, an organization focused on the transformative power of generosity. He also practices meditation.
Lee Pullen is Director of Aging and Disability Services, which helps San Mateo County’s older adults and people with disabilities live as safely and independently as possible. Its services include centralized intake and referral, assessment and consultation, protective services against fraud and abuse, supportive services for in-home care, case management for complex needs, conservatorship support for persons unable to manage their affairs and estate settlement for deceased persons. The division also serves as the Area Agency on Aging for planning, coordination, program funding and advocacy for older adults and people with disabilities in the county.
Lee has over 25 years in the field of aging and disability services, with the last 15 years as Aging and Adult Services director in Santa Clara and Marin counties. He holds a Master of Science in clinical psychology and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. His professional interests in this field include aging and disability justice, equitable access to services and resources and policy and legislation that affirm a good quality of life for older adults, persons with disabilities and caregivers.
For good health, Lee enjoys walking, maintaining social connections and traveling to learn about other people and cultures.
Preston Merchant is San Mateo County Health’s Communications Officer, working to keep residents, community partners and the media informed about matters related to public health. His office also facilitates the public communications of San Mateo County Health’s internal divisions, units and programs. It oversees the website (smchealth.org) and social media channels and serves as the voice of public health during a response to a disaster.
Merchant has worked in nonprofit communications and journalism for over twenty years. He was a writer in the Office of Public Affairs at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and taught photography and videography as an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. As a photographer, he was a featured artist in the Smithsonian Institution’s exhibit “Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation” (2014).
He earned a bachelor’s degree in English at Sewanee, the University of the South, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing at the University of Florida. He earned a graduate certificate in emergency management at California State University Maritime Academy (Cal Maritime).
In his spare time, he continues to pursue long-term documentary photography projects and to volunteer with Team Rubicon, the disaster response organization.
Gina Wilson is the Chief Financial Officer for San Mateo County Health, overseeing a $786 million annual budget. Her unit manages major revenue sources and the local budget process, coordinates analysis of state and federal budgets related to health and provides guidance to divisions during audits as needed.
She has worked for the County of San Mateo since 1992. She worked in numerous administrative and fiscal roles before taking over as CFO in January 2010.
She holds a master’s degree from the University of San Francisco in public administration, with a focus on health. She earned her undergraduate degree from the same university.
Wilson spends her weekends camping and watching her daughter play softball.