
In a move that beckons a notable change within the San Francisco Department of Public Health, Director Dr. Grant Colfax has decided to step down from his position, marking the end of a nearly six-year stretch dedicated to public health advancement and crisis management for the city. In his departing words, Dr. Colfax highlighted his tenure as a period of considerable transformation and progression within the department, citing the battle against COVID-19 and the Mpox outbreak, the fentanyl crisis response, and advancements in health equity and infrastructure as key accomplishments, as reported by the City and County of San Francisco.
Dr. Colfax's career, spanning back to an internship at Zuckerberg San Francisco General in 1993, has been punctuated by a series of impacts on public health, which includes his time as a national HIV/AIDS advisor under President Barack Obama and his instrumental role during San Francisco's heightened times of challenge, such as the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Throughout my tenure we produced results, increased accountability and improved health equity while driving change," Dr. Colfax acknowledged the progress made under his leadership, as cited by the City and County of San Francisco.
The city has seen not just a navigated public health crisis under Dr. Colfax but also a strategized overhaul of mental health and substance use services; the department celebrated the introduction of hundreds of new treatment beds, expanded access to medications like buprenorphine and methadone, and progressed telehealth services, all of which combined to improve public health metrics. "Dr. Colfax is an extraordinary public health leader," remarked Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, acknowledging his community-centered, data-driven approach as beneficial for all residents of San Francisco. San Francisco experienced a more than 20% decrease in overdose deaths in 2024 compared to 2023, a clear testament to these aggressive policy implementations, as cited by the City and County of San Francisco.