Shireen Malekafzali, San Mateo's first health equity director, the goal is the well-being of employees and residents.
Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
The San Mateo County will have its first Director of Health Equity, a position to be filled by Shireen Malekafzali, who currently serves as Health Equity Officer and Senior Manager of Health Policy, Planning and Equity for County Health.
Malekafzali will begin his new role later this month and said he looks forward to working with county, city and community leaders on the path toward implementing equity.
"Starting the journey in partnership, with clear objectives and a shared language will help us build the trust and infrastructure needed to support the success of the journey," Malekafzali said.
"When equity is achieved, we will ensure that all people can reach their full potential in San Mateo County, regardless of race, ethnicity, immigration status, income, zip code, ability, gender, sexual orientation or age," he added.
County Administrator Mike Callagy said the new position will help his office reach out to all departments and bring an equity lens to issues such as housing, employment, transportation and food access.
"Equity must be woven into every aspect of how the County provides for all of our residents, and in particular those who are our most vulnerable. The COVID-19 pandemic shed a brighter light on our structural biases and disparities and showed us that we must do better," he said.
Callagy said Malekafzali will expand on the work he spearheaded for seven years at County Health, building diverse partnerships, advocating for policies, providing leadership and strategically engaging the community to empower all voices.
Malekafzali's 20-year career includes policy, teaching, research and coalition building work across the country. He holds a bachelor's degree in environmental studies and a master's degree in public health.
Both she and Callagy said the role of the chief equity officer and countywide accountability are more critical than ever to ensure that government institutions do not unknowingly perpetuate inequities by maintaining the status quo.
"To truly be a government of the people and for the people, we must continually strive to understand how we can do better. Equity cannot be expressed in the way we administer a program or resource, but in all the ways we hold ourselves accountable and define successful governance," Malekafzali said.
The equity director position is the second newly created position in the county whose goal is to improve the well-being and outcomes of both employees and residents.
In late 2020, the County Administrator's Office also hired Nicole Westercamp as its first wellness director and tasked her with implementing systemic measures to foster employee self-care and emotional wellness.
