Jim Wood, a dentist and former California Assemblymember who chaired the Assembly Health Committee for eight years (and represented the North Coast 2nd District from 2014–2024), has been elected to the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) board of directors, effective March 2026.
He brings both clinical and policy experience: over 25 years in general dentistry, local government (Healdsburg City Council and mayor), and a decade in the Assembly focused on health care. As a legislator he led efforts to create the California Office of Health Care Affordability, supported Medi-Cal expansion to all income-eligible Californians regardless of immigration status, and worked on access, cost, and workforce issues, especially in rural and underserved areas.
CHCF board chair Elizabeth Gibboney and CEO Sandra R. Hernández cited his policymaker-and-provider perspective, his focus on rural health challenges, and his practical, values-aligned approach. Wood called it an honor to join the board and advance the foundation’s health-equity mission.
