To: County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Department of Health Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Nolan Sullivan, 707-565-4774; Amelyn Olson 707-565-2696
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Recommended Action:
Title
Approve the Appointment of Gabriela (“Gaby”) Bernal Leroi to the Partnership Health Plan of California Commission Community Clinic Representative seat, for a four-year term effective September 16, 2025.
End
Executive Summary:
This item requests that your Board appoint Gabriela (“Gaby”) Bernal Leroi, Chief Executive Officer of Santa Rosa Community Health, to the Partnership Health Plan of California Commission Community Clinic Representative seat for a four-year term effective September 16, 2025. This appointment fills the seat previously occupied by Kathryn Powell.
Discussion:
The Board of Supervisors are responsible for appointments to over 75 Boards, Commissions, Committees, and Task Forces. Vacancies and upcoming expiring appointments are posted on the County’s list of Boards, Commissions, Committees, and Task Forces website <https://sonoma-county.granicus.com/boards/w/808bd6e42edf8e0f>.
Partnership HealthPlan of California Commission is a multi-county commission that provides for a managed healthcare plan for Medi-Cal recipients in these counties. Implementation of a county organized health system is authorized by Welfare and Institutions Code section 14087.54. In September 2009, your Board approved an ordinance adding Chapter 34 to the Sonoma County Code, authorizing the County of Sonoma to join the Commission.
The Partnership HealthPlan of California Commission is comprised of representatives from Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Modoc, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo, and Yuba counties and provides coverage to over 950,000 Medi-Cal enrollees, including over 100,000 current Medi-Cal enrollees in Sonoma County.
On January 9, 2024, the Board adopted a resolution amending Chapter 34 of the Sonoma County Code revising the formula used to determine the number of Commission seats per County to align the Sonoma County Code with the revised Partnership HealthPlan of California Commission Bylaws. The revised formula resulted in your Board approving the elimination of one of the four (4) Commission seats (Hospital Representative, which was vacant at that time), leaving the current makeup of the Sonoma County Partnership HealthPlan of California Commission three (3) seats as follows:
|
Commission Seat |
Commissioner |
Term |
Since |
|
Clinic Representative |
Kathryn Powell |
5/22/2024-5/21/2028 |
5/22/2012 |
|
County Official |
Nolan Sullivan |
5/13/2025-5/20/2029 |
5/13/2025 |
|
Public Representative |
Cathryn Couch |
1/1/2025-12/31/2029 |
1/1/2021 |
Current Commissioner Kathryn Powell moved out of county and resigned from this appointment effective August 27, 2025. The Department is recommending the Board approve Gabriela Bernal Leroi’s appointment for the term September 16, 2025 through September 15, 2029. Aliados Health, the consortium for Community Health Clinics in Sonoma and other counties, identified Gabriela Bernal Leroi as their selected representative for the Partnership HealthPlan of California Commission for Sonoma in the member seat dedicated to a Clinic Representative.
Gabriela “Gaby” Bernal Leroi is the Chief Executive Officer of Santa Rosa Community Health (SRCH), a network of health centers serving underserved communities in Sonoma County. She joined SRCH in 2009 as the site director for the Vista Campus, SRCH’s largest facility, overseeing all financial and operational functions. In 2018, she was promoted to Chief Operating Officer, leading operations across SRCH’s eight campuses that serve over 40,000 patients annually, and was later named CEO in 2022. She holds a Master of Social Work from San Francisco State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Texas.
Prior Board Actions:
The Board of Supervisors appoints Partnership Health Plan of California Commission members as needed. Most recently, on May 13, 2025, the Board approved the appointment of Nolan Sullivan in his role as Director of the Department of Health Services, to the Partnership Health Plan of California Commission County Official seat, for a four-year term effective May 13, 2025 through May 20, 2029.
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
N/A
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
None
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None