June 15, 2007

WADA APPOINTED PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR

Dr. Takashi M. Wada, Pasadena public health officer, has been appointed director of the Pasadena Public Health Department, City Manager Cynthia J. Kurtz announced today.

As public health officer, Wada has provided overall medical direction and guidance for the department and has been responsible for policy development, community health planning, bioterrorism/ public health emergency preparedness, supervision of department clinics and programs, and enforcing local and state public health orders, ordinances and statutes.

The acting public health director since March, Wada will oversee 103 employees and a Fiscal Year 2008 budget of nearly $13 million. He also will continue with his medical responsibilities as health officer.

“With his expertise and professionalism, Dr. Wada has proven he can perform the role of department director,” said Pasadena City Manager Cynthia J. Kurtz. “He has earned the respect of staff and the community.”

Prior to coming to Pasadena Public Health Department in 2004, Wada was a staff physician at Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles, UCLA Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture, and the Venice Family Clinic. Also at UCLA he was a clinical instructor at the School of Medicine, faculty advisor at the Latino Student Health Project and the Chicano Medical Student Association, and instructor in the Community Outreach for Prevention and Education (COPE) medical course. He has been a volunteer physician at clinics in Los Angeles and has worked internationally in Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru.

Wada graduated from UCLA with a medical degree in 1994 and a master’s degree in public health in 2002.

Pasadena Public Health Department, one of only three municipally operated public health departments in California, has been serving the needs of the community for more than 100 years. The department provides traditional public health services including maternal and child health, environmental health, communicable disease control, vital records maintenance, health promotion and policy development.

The department also provides limited primary care services such as HIV/AIDS outpatient medical services, child health and immunization clinics, prenatal clinic services and adult travel immunizations.

Located at the 1845 N. Fair Oaks, the Pasadena Community Health Center is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and every other Friday.
For more information visit www.cityofpasadena.net/publichealth or call (626) 744-6055.