Dr. Wilma Wooten, San Diego County’s public health officer and the face of the county’s COVID-19 response, announced her retirement Tuesday after 23 years of service.
He spent 17 of those years as the county's chief physician.
“Throughout his career, Dr. Wooten has prioritized the prevention and control of infectious diseases, protection from environmental hazards, and injury prevention,” county officials said in a statement. “He has promoted healthy choices and lifestyles, strengthened emergency preparedness, and fought to eliminate health disparities in traditionally underserved communities.”
In May, Wooten was honored by the California Department of Public Health with its highest honor — the Beverly A. Myers Award for Excellence in Public Health, presented annually for outstanding leadership and dedication in all aspects of public health.
“The adversity of COVID not only built her character. It revealed her character,” CDPH Chief Deputy Director Susan Fanelli said during the awards presentation in Sacramento in May. “Throughout her life, Dr. Wooten has broken barriers and served as a role model for young people, particularly Black American girls, who want to pursue careers in medicine and science.”
Wooten was at the forefront of San Diego County’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, appearing before the media and the public several times a week to provide updates on the spread of cases and best prevention measures.
In that role he often faced sharp criticism from members of the public who disagreed with the county's COVID response. He said part of being a public official is working with people who disagree with you.
“Be sure to share the ideas you think are good with those who are supportive of you, as well as those who are reluctant, opposed to, or affected by your important policy, practice, or program,” Wooten said. “And don’t be upset about things you can’t change.”
Wooten joined the county in 2001 and in 2007 was appointed public health officer for the county's 3.3 million residents.
“I wanted to do something that had a greater impact on population health, and I saw that working in the public health department was an opportunity to realize that interest,” Wooten said in a recording released by the county.
She was born in rural Alabama and attended high school during segregation. She was the first person in her family to go to college. She graduated from Spelman College in Atlanta, a historically Black college and university, with a degree in biology, then received a master's degree in public health from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where she also completed a doctorate at the School of Medicine. Her residencies were held at Georgetown in Washington, D.C., and at UC San Diego Health.
“I am proud of our response to the major public health incidents and threats we have faced over the past two decades,” Wooten said.
Wooten said he looks forward to traveling and keeping busy in his retirement.
