News & Updates

Debbie Sanchez Amador

Sarah Johnston

Congratulations to this year’s Ruth Pease Award winners: Debbie Sanchez Amador, a care coordinator at the Miller Wellness Center, and Sarah Johnston, an LVN at Pittsburg Health Center.

A nominator wrote this about Debbie: “You know how there’s always that one person everyone goes to, who knows what to do? She’s that person. She supports us at Miller Wellness and that in turn helps us support our patients. She has never said, ‘That’s not my job.’ She will always do whatever she can to help a colleague or a patient.”

A provider who works with Sarah wrote that she “always shows up early to prepare for clinics, independently calls patients based on their needs, sets up for clinics after reviewing charts and patient needs, has excellent clinical sense when someone needs additional assistance, and even follows up the next day if needed. Sarah knows my patients and their stories well, providing excellent continuity for my panel when my clinic has been covered by another physician, or when she sees them in a specialty clinic.”

The annual award is given by medical staff to a non-physician who exemplifies the dedication of Ruth Pease, a longtime county nurse.

Debbie and Sarah will be honored at the Medical Staff Picnic at the end of September.

I would like to thank the Board of Supervisors for entrusting me to serve as the next Chief Executive Officer of Contra Costa Health. I look forward to working with you.

My work is guided by a commitment to health equity, evidence-based care, and partnering with the communities we serve. This includes a background in public health, clinical medicine, policy and research. Most recently I served as Director of Health in San Francisco.

This is an important time for Contra Costa Health. While challenges lie ahead, I am confident we will continue to provide dignified, high-quality care and services for all Contra Costa residents, particularly the most vulnerable.

I thank Dr. Ori Tzvieli, the executive team, and all of you for your tireless work on behalf of our patients, clients and community. I am excited to listen, learn and work alongside you as we advance the mission of Contra Costa Health.

With gratitude and anticipation,

Grant Colfax, MD
Chief Executive Officer
Health Director, Contra Costa County

I want to take a moment to share my gratitude for the opportunity to serve as interim CEO of Contra Costa Health for the past six months. It has been an honor to work alongside such a dedicated and compassionate team.

As you may have heard, the Board of Supervisors has appointed Dr. Grant Colfax as our new Health Director. Dr. Colfax brings a wealth of public health leadership experience, and I look forward to working with him as we continue our mission to provide safe, accessible, and high-quality care and services for all who live in Contra Costa County.

I will continue to serve as your county Health Officer and I intend to remain actively engaged in the work we are doing together, from advancing health equity to improving how we operate as a department. Our priorities and our commitment to the community remain unchanged.

Thank you for everything you do every day for the people who we serve. I am proud of the progress we have made together, and I am excited about the work still ahead.

With Deep Gratitude,

Ori Tzvieli, MD

Contra Costa County Health Officer
CEO and Health Director (Interim)
Contra Costa Health

We’re pleased to welcome Dr. Grant Colfax as the new Director of Contra Costa Health, effective Aug. 19. Dr. Colfax brings decades of experience in public health leadership and a deep commitment to equity, innovation and community-centered care.

We also extend our gratitude to Dr. Ori Tzvieli for his steady leadership as interim director. He will continue serving as our County Health Officer.

Read the announcement: contracosta.ca.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=4993

National Health Center Week (Aug. 3-9) is a moment to recognize and celebrate the incredible impact that clinics, both our own at CCH and those of our community partners, have every day in our community.

Our ambulatory care clinics form the cornerstone of our county’s health safety net. Every weekday we serve nearly 1,900 patients, providing everything from primary care and obstetrics to dental services and chronic disease management, with many medical and surgical specialties. Our numbers speak volumes about the trust placed in us and the essential role we fill in Contra Costa County.

Health centers are the anchor points that tie us to the community. They do more than offer high-quality care. They signal that safe, accessible, culturally responsive healthcare and services are available in neighborhoods where they are needed most. Our care also reaches far from a traditional doctor’s office – such as our school-based, shelter-based and mobile clinics.

That accessibility is more crucial than ever. Our physical footprint translates directly into health equity, ensuring that Medi-Cal and CCHP members, uninsured people, and marginalized populations receive care without barriers.

We are also proud of how many of our Health Centers have earned “Committed to Care Excellence” recognition from the national organization, Age-Friendly Health Systems: Antioch, Bay Point, Concord, Martinez, Pittsburg and West County. It’s just one example of how we combine evidence-based practices with patient-centered compassion.

To everyone who makes it happen, from front-desk staff to providers, care coordinators, nurses, social workers, support staff and administrators – thank you. It's your dedication that turns appointments into meaningful connections, screenings into long-term relationships, and care into a statement that everyone counts.

As National Health Center Week unfolds, I hope you feel a real sense of pride in what we accomplish together.

With deep appreciation,

Ori Tzvieli, MD

Contra Costa County Health Officer
CEO and Health Director (Interim)
Contra Costa Health

Dear CCH Team,

Many of you have asked how best to support patients and clients in this uncertain political moment, especially those worried about immigration enforcement.

At last week’s Board of Supervisors meeting, about 100 protestors attended to speak out during the Sheriff’s annual disclosure about how his office interacts and shares information with Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE). The public is paying close attention – so is CCH, and the people we serve.

At Contra Costa Health, our mission is to provide health care. Our staff do not assist with enforcement actions. We do not allow access to nonpublic areas of our facilities without a valid judicial warrant. To ensure safety, our staff are also instructed not to physically intervene if agents do enter without consent. The guidance in our earlier training video remains in effect.

CCH safeguards sensitive information within our health system and adheres to state and federal privacy laws, such as HIPAA. However, most of our services are funded by Medi-Cal and, as part of program operations, our local Medi-Cal data is shared with the State of California. The state, in turn, is required to share certain eligibility information with the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This includes names, addresses, dates of birth, and other identifiers.

We now know that the CMS have shared patient information with immigration enforcement. This is beyond our control, but we know it can raise concerns for our patients about their privacy and safety. The state of California has joined a lawsuit against this data sharing.

When patients ask, please be transparent. CCH will protect their information within our system. It is important for them to know that disenrolling from Medi-Cal will not protect their information. Cancelling coverage now may only result in the loss of essential healthcare services. For patients concerned about visiting our facilities, it is also important to share how to receive other kinds of care, such as telehealth or mobile clinic services in their area.

For those with questions about their rights or immigration status, our Employment & Human Services Department maintains an excellent Immigration Resources web page. I encourage us all to familiarize ourselves, so we can familiarize people in our care.

We remain committed to our mission: to care for and improve the health of all people in Contra Costa County with special attention to those who are most vulnerable to health problems. It is critical that patients should be able to seek and access medical care without fear.

Thank you for continuing to care for our community with compassion and integrity.

With Appreciation,

Ori Tzvieli, MD

Contra Costa County Health Officer

CEO and Health Director (Interim)

Contra Costa Health

As we are getting ready for the upcoming Board of Supervisors agenda, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge our Finance Procurement team, and especially the Grants & Contracts unit, for handling the unseen work that keeps Contra Costa Health running.

With the change in the fiscal year and the necessary management of our department’s many, many agreements and financial obligations, this is one of the busiest times of year for Finance. Next week alone, the Board will review 80 items (!) submitted by our team. That, following 56 just last week.

Individually most of these are routine administrative transactions. Collectively, they are the stuff that makes up Contra Costa Health. Every service contract, software license, and staffing agreement keeps us moving forward – and our G&C team is processing an incredible 455 contract renewals as we speak, tied to the June 30 end of the last fiscal year.

Of course, this work would not be possible without the partnership and collaboration of dedicated staff across all branches and divisions. Your responsiveness, preparation, and attention to detail keep this complex process running smoothly.

We often highlight the work of our frontline staff, as we should, but this is a moment to also celebrate the quiet brilliance of the teams who secure the tools, people, and partnerships that keep us working.

Thank you to the entire Procurement team, everyone in Grants & Contracts and all of Finance, for that matter, for the long hours, precision, and professionalism you bring to this work.

Your efforts may happen behind the scenes, but they are essential to fulfilling our mission, to care for and improve the health of all people in Contra Costa County, with special attention to those who are most vulnerable.

With Gratitude,

Ori Tzvieli, MD MS | He/Him

Chief Executive Officer and Health Director (Interim)

Health Officer, Contra Costa County

Congress last week passed House Resolution 1, the sweeping federal budget bill that includes significant cuts to Medicaid. Combined with changes in the state budget, these cuts could result in more than 50,000 Contra Costa residents losing healthcare coverage over the next several years.

Our health department is anticipating budget reductions of up to $200 million per year, which will be gradually implemented, with the most significant impacts beginning in 2027. This will directly impact our community.

At a time when our patients need a strong community healthcare system the most, we will be challenged by the loss of thousands of insured patients and hundreds of millions in revenue, as funding for outpatient and emergency care is reduced or eliminated. We also expect that many of our clients will be affected by reductions to CalFresh (SNAP), deepening hardship for the communities we serve.

Despite these challenges, our mission remains unchanged. We must care for those who need us most. We are actively planning for these impacts – improving efficiency, strengthening partnerships, and aggressively advocating for the resources we need to keep our community healthy.

That includes working closely with the Employment & Human Services Department to help ensure as few residents as possible lose coverage. We are also creating a cross-divisional working group to reinforce the basic health care program – our county program that helps serve the medical needs of those with no insurance.

I want you to know that leadership is fully aware of the stress these changes cause on all of us – both our community and our staff. I also want you to know that at least for the immediate future, we do not anticipate layoffs or large-scale, budget-related reductions in service.

Contra Costa Health employees are the beating heart of our county’s healthcare system, and your work matters now more than ever. We are committed to supporting you and protecting the vital services our community depends upon, no matter the challenges.

With Appreciation,

Ori Tzvieli, MD MS | He/Him

Chief Executive Officer and Health Director (Interim)

Health Officer, Contra Costa County

• View the 2025 PIT count summary

• Homelessness decreased by more than 30% in Central, East and West County.

• Temporary and permanent housing beds increased by 34% since 2023.

• Substantial local progress, including a 60% drop in Martinez, 46% in Richmond and 40% in Antioch.

These results underscore the importance of the services we provide to support some of our community’s most vulnerable residents.

CCH is working hard on many fronts to create more housing opportunities. In recent years, we’ve opened two Homekey facilities, including El Portal Place, which began welcoming residents in October. We know the work is far from over, but we also know it’s making a difference.