Effective May 16, 2008, John F. Schunhoff, Ph.D., will be appointed as Interim Director and Robert G. Splawn, M.D., will serve as the Interim Chief Medical Director for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.

Dr. Bruce Chernof, Director and Chief Medical Officer, recently announced his resignation from County service effective May 15, 2008. Mr. Schunhoff and Dr. Splawn will serve these posts to ensure that the mission and responsibilities of this highly critical department are carried out without interruption. The Chief Executive Office is working with the Department of Human Resources to identify a highly qualified recruitment firm to conduct a nationwide search to identify candidates for the permanent position as Director of the Department of Health Services.

In these positions, Mr. Schunhoff and Dr. Splawn will operate in a collaborative manner and function as a team to address various critical issues facing the department. The Chief Executive Office will be working closely with both individuals to ensure that the County and the Department of Health Services move forward with critical initiatives, such as the Financial Stabilization and Deficit Reduction Plans, reopening Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital, the LAC+USC Replacement Project, and restructuring departmental programs and services.