SFHSS Interim Director's April 2025 Message

Spring is a great time for new beginnings and I’m truly honored to have been entrusted by the San Franciso Health Service Board to serve you as Interim Director of the San Francisco Health Service System (SFHSS). My name is Rey Guillen and I have held the role of SFHSS’ Chief Operating Officer for the last three years. Before SFHSS, I spent over 20 years managing the employee benefits programs for several California municipalities, including serving in similar roles in the Counties of San Mateo and Santa Clara.

Both my parents were public servants. My dad was a public school administrator and my mom was a school librarian. The great healthcare I received as a kid was provided through the employee benefits packages of the school districts they worked for. Like my parents, I have dedicated my entire career to public service. Throughout my career, I relied on the employee benefits packages of the cities and counties in which I have worked to support the health and well-being of myself, my wife, and our three, now grown, children. I know firsthand how important it is for me to work hard to protect the quality, reliable health benefits that you and your family depend on.

April is National Minority Health Month—a time to raise awareness about health disparities affecting racial and ethnic minority communities and encourage action to improve health outcomes.

As a Latino, I am all too aware that Hispanic Americans and other minorities face significant health disparities compared to other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Heart disease and lung cancer robbed me of both my grandfathers when I was a teenager. They were only in their mid-sixties. My father, on the other hand, is now 77 and going strong in his retirement. He has beat the odds, in part, due to his public-sector health care benefits. He gets all his annual wellness exams, immunizations, and cancer screenings. He has lived long enough to see all six of his grandchildren grow into adults and make him a great-grandfather twice over.

I encourage you to learn more about different cultural backgrounds and perspectives to support our diverse communities. Most importantly, please use your health benefits and get your annual exam and preventive screenings scheduled. They are covered at no cost, so we can all enjoy a long and healthy life.

Rey Guillen, SFHSS Interim Director