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
A) Approve the Reappointment of Dr. Milana PeBenito to the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Advisory Board for a term beginning June 3, 2025 and ending December 31, 2026. (Countywide)
B) Approve the Appointments of Taylor Anderson-Stevenson, and Alexandra Rios to the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Advisory Board for a term beginning June 3, 2025 and ending December 31, 2026. (Countywide)
End
Executive Summary:
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>.
The Sonoma County Maternal Child and Adolescent Health Program promotes the physical and mental health of childbearing and parenting people, children, and adolescents in Sonoma County by sharing resources, coordinating activities, and advocating with the Department of Health Services, and Board of Supervisors for the needs of this community. The Program’s Advisory Board, created in 1982, as required by state legislation, acts in an advisory capacity to the Board of Supervisors through the Department of Health Services. The Sonoma County Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Advisory Board bylaws specify that members will be appointed by the Board of Supervisors.
Discussion:
The Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Advisory Board Program interacts with community systems as a partner in providing direct safety net services to high-risk maternal, child, and adolescent populations, as a coordinator of community-wide services and programs, and as a convener of the Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Advisory Board and other collaborative groups to address emerging health needs in the community. The Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Advisory Board has been an important vehicle for implementing prevention strategies and coordinating services that benefit the entire community. Collaborating with local organizations and individuals is critical to reducing disparities and improving the overall health of women, children, and adolescents in Sonoma County.
Reappointment and New Appointments to the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Advisory Board
The Sonoma County Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Advisory Board bylaws specify that members be appointed by the Board of Supervisors. When vacancies on the Sonoma County Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Advisory Board occur, the openings are posted on the County website in accordance with the Maddy Act, and replacements are recruited from the community. Following procedures outlined in the bylaws, all applications are reviewed by the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Advisory Board Chairperson and the Vice-Chairperson, who then make recommendations to the Department of Health Services.
The Department of Health Services requests that the Board approve the following reappointment and appointments to the Sonoma County Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Advisory Board for a new two-year term beginning June 3, 2025 and ending December 31, 2026, as follows:
|
Candidate |
Representation |
|
Dr. Milana PeBenito (Reappointment) |
Community Representatives; Child Health |
|
Taylor Anderson-Stevenson (Appointment) |
Community Representatives; Safety and Prevention of Violence |
|
Alexandra Rios (Appointment) |
Community Representatives; Childcare & Development |
Dr. Milana PeBenito earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of San Francisco in Molecular and Cell Biology in 2009 and received her Doctor of Medicine from University of California at San Francisco in 2015. She completed her residency in Family and Community Medicine at University of California at San Francisco from 2015-2018 and completed a Maternal and Child Health Fellowship at University of California at San Francisco in Fresno.
She is Board Certified on the American Board of Family Practice, an Associate Member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, an Advanced Obstetric Life Support Provider, an Advanced Obstetric Life Support Course Instructor. Currently she is employed as an Attending Physician of Family Medicine and Obstetrics at the Petaluma Health Center, Department of Family Medicine.
Her goal in working with the Maternal Child Adolescent Health Advisory Board is to provide her clinical experience to inform leadership decisions as well as bring back information from the board to the clinical care teams at Petaluma Health Center. She is a passionate advocate for the underserved especially as it relates to maternity and newborn care for families affected by mental health and substance use disorders. Dr. PeBenito was appointed to the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Advisory Board on January 9, 2024, to serve as the Health Professionals: Health Specialist representative through December 31, 2025. The current reappointment would allow Dr. PeBenito to transition to the Community Representatives; Child Health representative seat for a term through December 31, 2026.
Taylor Anderson-Stevenson earned her Master of Arts in teaching from the University of San Francisco. She has been very active in our county, working as an advocate with the Women’s Justice Center in Santa Rosa where she developed an outreach program as a community educator speaking and presenting on the topic of violence against women.
She also worked at the Metta Center for Non-Violence in Petaluma, advocating for the implementation of restorative justice and in Sebastopol with Sonoma Applied Village Services, providing trauma-informed case management and street outreach to individuals experiencing chronic homelessness, mental health issues, and substance use disorders.
Currently she is employed at the City of Santa Rosa Violence Prevention Program, working with young girls referred by the juvenile justice department or school counselors. She works with educational institutions, local organizations, and government entities to introduce initiatives supporting increased school attachment. Her goal in becoming a member of the MCAH AB is to lighten the burden of poverty affecting women and their children.
Alexandra Rios earned her bachelor’s degree in Latino/a Studies from San Francisco State University. She is currently employed as the Assistant Director of Parent Services in Resources and Referral for Sonoma County Community Child Care Council. She is passionate about childhood education as she believes it plays a crucial role in the health and well-being of children and families. Her goal in becoming a member is to learn more about different aspects of the membership and sharing resources, as her focus is resource and referral with families.
A table listing the full Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Advisory Board membership is provided as Attachment 1.
Prior Board Actions:
1/09/2024 #21 BOS Approved Appointment of Dr. Milana PeBenito as Health Professionals: Health Specialist.
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
N/A
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Advisory Board Membership Composition
Attachment 2 - Recommended Applications
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A