For Immediate Release
July 18, 2006

Contact: Howard Sutter
 (714) 834-2178

Eric G. Handler, M.D., M.P.H., Appointed Orange County Health Officer

(Santa Ana) – The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted today to appoint Eric G. Handler, M.D., M.P.H, to serve as the County Health Officer effective August 1, 2006.

“I am excited to be returning to my home state of California and for the opportunity to serve the residents of Orange County in promoting healthy people and families, healthy communities and environments through compassionate care, education and prevention,” Dr. Handler said.

Dr. Handler’s excellent qualifications were the key to his selection, according to Health Care Agency Director Julie Poulson. “Dr. Handler, who is Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, brings to this important position broad experience gained through a balanced career in clinical, academic and administrative roles,” Ms. Poulson said.

Most recently, Dr. Handler has served as Chief Medical Officer for the Boston Regional Office of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He was the Director of Pediatric Rehabilitation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1986-1989 and served as the Medical Director for the Nisonger Center, a university affiliated program at Ohio State University, from 1989 - 1994. In addition, he was an Associate Professor at Columbus Children's Hospital and taught in the College of Medicine at Ohio State University for seven years.

His public health experience includes serving as the Deputy Secretary for Children's Medical Services in the Florida Department of Health from 1996-2000. Children's Medical Services provided comprehensive coordinated care to 60,000 children with special needs throughout the state of Florida. From 2000 - 2003 he was the Chief Medical Officer for the Florida Department of Children and Families.

A native of Los Angeles, Dr. Handler received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and his Medical Degree from Chicago Medical School. He returned to California for his Pediatrics internship and residency at L.A. County-U.S.C. Hospital and completed a Pediatric Rehabilitation fellowship at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital. Dr. Handler received his Masters in Public Health from UCLA in 1985 and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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