FRESNO COUNTY – The county has a new leader in public health, and local leaders feel confident in her ability to serve the community.
On Dec. 9, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the appointment of Dr. Trinidad Solis as the new county health officer, effective immediately after the approval. Bringing extensive expertise in both medicine and leadership, Solis will be overseeing critical responsibilities relating to county health.
“As someone that was born and raised in Fresno County, it’s an honor for me to serve the community that helped shape me,” Solis said during the board meeting. “I look forward to working with our partners to increase access to healthcare, including addressing the shortage of healthcare providers in our region.”
As Fresno County’s new health officer, Solis’ duties will include: assisting in the development of health policies, directing and evaluating medical oversight of public health programs, issuing health advisories and warnings on outbreaks and threats to the community, serving as the county registrar of Vital Statistics, maintaining communication with local hospitals and healthcare providers and many others, with a larger list available through Item 8 on the Dec. 9 board agenda.
Solis has served the Fresno County Department of Public Health since 2020, working as a public health physician. During that time, she played a key role in local COVID-19 mitigation efforts before being promoted to Deputy Health Officer in 2022, where she assisted with the department’s response to disease outbreaks.
During the board’s comments, Supervisors Brian Pacheco and Buddy Mendes shared that they worked with Solis during the pandemic, and cited her as an instrumental part in getting the vaccine to the region’s workforce.
“(Solis) is a reasonable person and brings a great deal of compassion and knowledge to that, and I’m wholeheartedly in support of her appointment today,” Pacheco said.
Mendes echoed Pacheco’s assessment when commenting on his experience with Solis, stating that her level of professionalism was “unbelievable.”
In 2023, Solis helped develop and currently coordinates the Rural Mobile Health Program, which works to provide more accessible healthcare to farmworkers and those living in local rural communities. The program received the California State Association of Counties Challenge Award for innovation in 2024.
Solis herself has also earned her fair share of accolades, such as the National Hispanic Medical Association’s “Physician of the Year” award in 2023. That same year, she was also selected for the de Beaumont Foundation’s 40 Under 40 in Public Health Class of 2023, which recognizes leaders across the nation who work to strengthen their communities.
With deep ties to the county and a passion for equal healthcare access to all, the board expressed confidence in Solis’ ability to fulfill her new duties.