Former Novato Exec Picked by Governor for State Health Care Role

Gov. Jerry Brown has appointed the former executive director of Novato-based Marin Community Clinics to a state health care leadership role.

John Shen, who led the clinic from 2007 until this year, takes over as chief of the Long Term Care Division at the Department of Health Care Services. The appointment, announced Aug. 11, does not require state Senate approval.

Shen, of Berkeley, worked as a health care consultant for Marin and Contra Costa counties for four years. In his last job, the 61-year-old Berkeley resident was executive director of the Marin Community Clinics, an independent nonprofit that has served the community for 38 years. According to the clinics’ website, it works to improve the health of patients by providing “high-quality, cost-effective, culturally sensitive, patient-centered” health care.

Shen’s background includes working with health care providers, policy makers and federal and state agencies to design integrated service delivery systems, build operational infrastructures and implement strategic business plans, according to his official biography from the Marin Community Clinics. Before joining the clinics, he was consulting independently with health care clients such as Marin County Department of Health and Human Services, Marin Senior Access, Coastal Health Alliance in West Marin and Southwest Community Health Center in Santa Rosa.

Shen previously served as in several leadership roles with On Lok, a San Francisco nonprofit for the elderly, and as geriatric planning director at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.

Shen, a Republican, is to earn $122,196 as chief of the Long Term Care Division at the Department of Health Care Services, state officials said.

— Bay City News Service contributed to this report.