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News Release — March 5, 2004
MEDICAL BOARD OF CALIFORNIA
March 5, 2004
Medical Board Executive Committee Appoints
New Interim Executive Director
SACRAMENTO—The Executive Committee of the Medical Board of California (MBC) has appointed Dave Thornton, former MBC chief of enforcement, as the board's new interim executive director. The appointment is effective immediately. Thornton succeeds former Executive Director Ron Joseph, who was appointed last month by Governor Schwarzenegger as chief deputy director of the Department of General Services.
Thornton worked for the board for 29 years, until he retired as chief of enforcement in July 2003. Most recently he has been serving as the board's consultant to the enforcement monitor created by SB 1950 (Figueroa) of 2002. Thornton began his career with the board in 1974 as an investigator working in Southern California. He worked his way up through the investigative ranks, culminating in his appointment as chief of enforcement in 2000. His decades of experience in public service make him an excellent choice as the interim manager of day-to-day operations at the Medical Board, which is dedicated to patient protection.
The Executive Committee also convened a selection committee of members Lorie Rice and Mitchell Karlan, M.D. to assist in the recruitment and appointment of a permanent executive director. They will work with the Department of Consumer Affairs' Personnel Office and others to make the best choice possible. A decision is expected by June.
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The mission of the Medical Board is to protect healthcare consumers through the proper licensing and regulation of physicians and surgeons and certain allied healthcare professions and through the vigorous, objective enforcement of the Medical Practice Act.
If you have a question or complaint about the healthcare you are receiving, the Board encourages you to visit its Web site at www.medbd.ca.gov or for questions call the Consumer Information Line at (916) 263-2382, or with complaints call (800) 633-2322.
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