Having led the San Francisco Department of Public Health over the last six years during several global health pandemics and a continued decline in local HIV cases, AIDS expert Dr. Grant Colfax is resigning next month. He is the second high-profile gay leader of a city agency to depart in recent months as newly sworn in Mayor Daniel Lurie reshapes the local bureaucracy.
Colfax announced Thursday that his last day will be February 7. A news release from the health department said SFDPH Deputy Director Dr. Naveena Bobba will serve as acting director until Lurie names a permanent replacement.
"I have had the privilege to serve the people of San Francisco, working to protect and promote the health of all San Franciscans," stated Colfax. "Throughout my tenure we produced results, increased accountability and improved health equity while driving change. From Covid-19 to Mpox, the fentanyl crisis, to hiring a record number of nurses and passing two infrastructure bonds, we have built a stronger department."
He added of his tenure, "We have accomplished much in the past six years, and there is no doubt that the dedicated, hardworking and compassionate staff at DPH will continue to deliver for San Francisco."
Former mayor London Breed had tapped Colfax to lead the sprawling local health department in 2019 following the resignation the year prior of lesbian former health director Barbara Garcia. She quit in 2018 after questions were raised about a contract granted to her wife's employer.
For nearly four decades a gay or lesbian person has overseen the city's public health department. It remains to be seen if another LGBTQ community member will be selected to succeed Colfax by Lurie, who also must name a permanent successor to gay former director of transportation Jeffrey Tumlin, who resigned as of January 1 leading the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
"As Director of Health, Dr. Colfax contributed to saving lives of San Franciscans during one of our city's most challenging times. His dedication and work to the health and wellbeing of our city's communities is remarkable," stated Lurie. "His leadership has enabled to our recovery, and I thank him for his service to our city."
Congressmember Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) praised Colfax as "an extraordinary public health leader."
"From our city's COVID response, to saving Laguna Honda hospital, to expanding primary care and treatment for substance use disorders, Dr. Colfax has led with a data driven, community-centered focus that benefits all San Franciscans," she stated.
She was referring to mismanagement at Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center that led federal and state regulators to cite it for safety concerns and require the facility to move all 700 patients out in 2022. Two years later the facility had regained its certification and welcomed back its patients, as local CBS affiliated KPIX5 reported at the time.
As the city's health director, Colfax continued to treat and support patients living with HIV/AIDS at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. Under his watch, San Francisco recorded the lowest rate of HIV infections ever in 2023, at 133, and has had a dramatic reduction in syphilis and chlamydia rates, noted the news release.
"Dr. Colfax has provided exceptional leadership, guidance, and unwavering support to the department, his vision and strategic thinking were key to enhancing and expanding DPH's ability to provide quality and life-saving care across San Francisco," stated San Francisco Health Commission President Dr. Laurie Green.
Colfax graduated from Harvard College in 1987 and from Harvard Medical School in 1993. He completed his medical residency at UCSF and then was hired by DPH in 1997 to direct its HIV clinical prevention studies.
Between 2007 and 2012 Colfax had been San Francisco's HIV prevention director, a position in which he instigated sweeping changes to how the city addressed the epidemic. He was an early advocate for a number of policies once viewed as controversial, such as rapid HIV testing and treatment on demand in order to lower patients' HIV viral loads so they are less likely to transmit the virus.
Those prevention approaches are now pillars of San Francisco's Getting to Zero strategy aimed at reducing the number of new HIV cases by 90 percent come 2020. Colfax was also an early supporter of another part of the strategy, PrEP, the once-a-day pill that has proved effective at keeping people HIV negative when taken as prescribed. He did so at a time when many questioned its merits as an HIV prevention tool.
Colfax, who grew up in Mendocino on a goat farm, left northern California in 2012 to lead the White House Office of National AIDS Policy in the Obama administration. Two years later the nonprofit Programs for Appropriate Technology in Health, or PATH, hired him to lead its HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis program in its South San Francisco office.
In 2015, the Sausalito resident became the health and human services director for Marin County. He served in the role until taking over leadership of SFDPH.
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