At its Jan. 30 special session meeting, members of the City of Alameda Health Care District (AHCD) appointed Jeff Cambra to its Board of Directors. Cambra will fill the remaining two years of former Board of Director Mike William’s term after he moved out of the area at the end of 2021.

“I am honored to serve my community as a member of the Health Care District’s board of directors,” said Jeff Cambra in a press release after his appointment. “I am eager to work with my fellow directors and the hospital staff to let the community know about their hospital and the many services offered.”

The Board of Directors are comprised of five elected officials, but because a seat was vacated the vacated seat was selected by the remaining AHCD Board of Directors. Alameda residents who expressed interest in the position were required to submit a letter of interest, answer four questions, and a curriculum vitae for the board to review.

“As a publicly owned hospital, it was important to have people on the board that reflect the Alameda community, and we had five very well qualified candidates,” said Executive Director Debi Stebbins.

At the public appointment meeting, each applicant had five minutes to introduce themselves to the board and then respond to questions from individual board members. Questions focused on an applicant’s background in a medical profession and the state mandated seismic upgrades required of all hospitals by 2030.

Each board director assigned points to each of the five candidates using a ranked choice voting procedure. After the long process, the board selected Cambra.

“Cambra has a working knowledge of Alameda Hospital, the Creedon Advanced Wound Care Center, and the facilities of the Alameda Health System as a member of the public,” commented Board President Dr. Robert Deutsch. “He also brings a community perspective to the board that allows the District to better represent Alameda residents.”

Cambra has served on multiple civic organizations including the City of Alameda Open Government Commission, Rotary Club of Alameda, the Community Learning Center Schools board, which operates Alameda Community Learning Center and Nea Community Learning Center and more. Cambra is a mediator and attorney based in Alameda.

AHCD operates Alameda Hospital and its associated facilities South Shore Rehabilitation, Park Ridge Rehabilitation and the Kate Creedon Advanced Wound Center. AHCD oversees the collection of the district parcel tax and ensures it is used for the purpose for which it was established, namely, ensuring the provision of acute care services and an emergency department serving Alameda.

AHCD was formed in 2002 after Alameda Hospital’s Board of Directors proposed a ballot measure in Alameda that also implemented a $298 per parcel tax on Alameda property owners to defray operating costs and capital needs of the hospital.
Other board members include Gayle Godfrey Codiga, Stewart Chen and David Sayen. The board meets periodically for meetings that are open to the public. To see the Board’s meeting schedule, visit https://alamedahealthcaredistrict.org/meetings/#current-schedules-meetings. The AHCD is located at 1402 Park St.