Monterey County Health Officer
Interim Health Officer and Director of Public Health Bureau
Caroline Kennedy, MD
Health Officer responsibilities include technical, scientific, and medical oversight of public health programs relating to preservation and protection of the public health. The Health Officer enforces orders and ordinances of the Board of Supervisors pertaining to public health and sanitary matters, orders quarantine and enforces regulations, statutes, and rules prescribed by the State Department of Health.
Opportunities for Public Health to Enhance Early Childhood Development
Nobel Laureate in Economics, James J. Heckman, emphasizes the return on investment from early childhood development. “The Heckman Equation” identifies birth to five years of age as “a critical time to shape productivity, when the brain develops rapidly, building the foundation of cognitive and character skills necessary to succeed in school, health, career and life.”[1] Noting that “skills beget skills,” an emphasis on early childhood development results in benefits not only to the individual, but to taxpayers including reduced welfare and crime and increased tax revenue.
