Former county public health director now CXO at community health plan for Santa Barbara and SLO counties
Van Do-Reynoso, MPH, PhD has started a new position as Chief Customer Experience Officer (CXO) at CenCal Health, the Medi-Cal managed care plan for Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. In this position, she will provide strategic leadership for the management of relationships with members, providers, and community partners to ensure the long-term growth and success of these key partnerships. Do-Reynoso will also serve as Health Equity Officer at CenCal Health, responsible for understanding and championing diverse needs and perspectives across the health plan’s service area; sponsoring improvements in access to care, member engagement and satisfaction; provider and community partner retention and satisfaction; and the quality of customer service and service outcomes with an equity lens. She assumed this newly created role on August 1.
“I am thrilled to join CenCal Health, and look forward to collaborating with our partners to advance health equity in every neighborhood so that our communities are the healthiest in California,” said Do-Reynoso.
For the past five years, Do-Reynoso was Public Health Director at the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, providing oversight of five health care centers, three homeless shelter clinics, and a variety of health programs. She led public health operations during multiple crises including the Thomas Fire, the Montecito debris flows and the COVID-19 pandemic. “Through it all, Van responded with calm and grace,” said Santa Barbara County Supervisor Joan Hartmann, who also sits on the CenCal Health Board of Directors. “She guided us through these extraordinary times with both science and compassion. I know that at CenCal Health she will continue as an innovative and thoughtful health professional in service to the community.”
Prior to her tenure in Santa Barbara, Do-Reynoso was Public Health Director for seven years and Interim Behavioral Health Services Director for one year at the Madera County Department of Public Health. She also worked in public health for Tulare County and Asian Health Services in Oakland, and was a postgraduate fellow and management consultant for Kaiser Permanente in Northern California.
Do-Reynoso’s formal education includes a PhD in Public Health from the University of California, Merced; an MPH in Health Policy and Administration from the University of California, Berkeley; and a BA in Biology with History minor from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
“Serving with Van on the CenCal Health Board of Directors, I’ve experienced firsthand her depth of healthcare knowledge and concern for the public’s welfare,” said Debbie Arnold, San Luis Obispo County Supervisor. “In her new position, we can expect to see the same steadfast commitment to positive health outcomes for our underserved residents in SLO County.”
As a public health leader and spokesperson in Santa Barbara County during COVID-19, Do-Reynoso was a steady voice of reason on local broadcast news for the past 2½ years of the pandemic, providing daily briefings to media outlets and the public. Consequently, she became a well-recognized and highly regarded figure in the community, receiving the following awards and recognition, among others:
2022 Women of Achievement Award, Association for Women in Communications
2022 Public Policy Leader of the Year BRAVO Award, NAWBO
2021 Heroes of Hospice, Hospice of Santa Barbara
2021 Woman of the Year, California Assembly District 37
2020 Hero Award, Santa Barbara Independent
“Those who know Van best, know that she is creative, resilient, collaborative, and aspirational in her pursuit of health equity for all, which aligns with CenCal Health’s vision,” said Marina Owen, CenCal Health CEO. “In this reimagined executive role, Van will focus on expanding access to care, providing excellence in provider service, improving the patient experience, and strengthening community collaboration. I couldn’t ask for a better partner in the years to come.”
More information on CenCal Health is available at cencalhealth.org
About CenCal Health
CenCal Health is a community-accountable health plan that partners with over 1,500 local physicians, hospitals and other providers in delivering patient care to nearly 220,000 members – about one in four residents of Santa Barbara County and one in five residents of San Luis Obispo County. A public agency, the health plan contributes approximately $50 million a month into the local economy, primarily through payments to healthcare providers who serve its membership. Established in 1983, it is the oldest Medicaid managed care plan of its kind in the nation. View its annual Community Report at cencal2021.org
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Media Contact: Sheri Mobley (805) 845-5627, 213 509-9816 sheri@seamlesspr.com
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