SACRAMENTO , Calif. (AP) - California's first female surgeon general has resigned. She said Wednesday that three years after taking office, she is putting "the care of myself and my family" first.
Gov. Gavin Newsom had appointed Dr. Nadine Burke Harris to the $200,000-a-year post in January 2019 as part of his administration's effort to "help the youngest Californians," his office said at the time.
She founded the Center for Youth Wellness and at the time led the (San Francisco) Bay Area Research Consortium on Toxic Stress and Health in collaboration with UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals. Newsom's office called her a national leader in pediatric medicine.
She focused on addressing stresses that could escalate into health problems, "like adverse childhood experiences and toxic stress - and used the Surgeon General's platform to reach young families across the state."
Since then, she has spoken publicly about gun violence, juvenile justice and, most recently, the dangers and stresses of the coronavirus pandemic, helping school children cope with the resulting mental health issues.
Burke Harris alluded to the stresses in a statement, saying her priority now is taking care of herself and her family.
"I have always said that self-care is not selfish. It's not just something I say. It's words I live by," she said.
She added, "Being the first California health secretary in the biggest public crisis in a century was a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
Her last day will be Feb. 11, three years to the day after she took office.
California Secretary of Health Dr. Mark Ghaly praised her for her tenacity in building her office during the pandemic while focusing government attention on improving the health of young children, addressing health disparities and distributing vaccines against the coronavirus.
Newsom said Burke Harris' leadership in promoting equity, mental health and early childhood development "has been instrumental in advancing the health and well-being of Californians," and he pledged in a statement to "continue this important work."
Dr. Devika Bhushan, chief health officer in the Office of the Surgeon General, will serve as acting surgeon general.