County Health Director Ray Bullick to retire.

Monterey County Health Director Ray Bullick will retire in February, after years of overseeing changes large and small in health care on a local and national level. 

Bullick anounced the news with Health Department staff in an email Monday afternoon. 

"I have enjoyed immensely working here in Monterey County and especially with a Board [of Supervisors] and [County Administrative Officer] that has been supportive of the direction we are moving in health," he wrote.

"I could go on and on about a number of wonderful staff in the department that have made my work not only rewarding but enjoyable however time does not permit."

Bullick has presided over a large department of 800-plus employees with varied responsibilities, ranging from testing wild animal brains for rabies to inspecting restaurants for food safety and running medical clinics to crafting big-picture policy plans for the provision of health care.

Under Bullick's watch, the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, took effect.

The Weekly reported in 2012 on Bullick's and other county leaders' lagging behind other California counties when it came to implementing a so-called "bridge plan" to provide coverage to the uninsured as the Covered California exchange was established. They eventually did launch a popular, if imperfect system, cakked ViaCare. 

More recently, Bullick's team worked with grassroots health-care advocates to provide limited coverage of lab services and prescription drugs to undocumented immigrants, who do not benefit from expanded health insurance coverage under Obamacare. 

During his tenure as county health director, Bullick has also attracted critics.

His departure comes just as the county is facing at least seven potential lawsuits by current and former employees who claim he's created a hostile work environment and unfairly retaliated against them. 

At least two of those complaints come from the office of the Public Guardian, which has faced tough questions from Superior Court judges about improper billing in recent months.

Bullick became the Public Guardian himself in 2011, and just two weeks ago appointed an interim public guardian to oversee that department while searching for a full-time replacement. 

One claim against the county comes from the former county crisis supervisor in the Behavioral Health division, where abrupt personnel changes last spring shook long-standing relationships between SWAT Team members and social workers who assist them when responding to dangerous situations and confronting suspects who may be mentally ill or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 

Addressing serious concerns about inadequate mental health care, Bullick successfully advocated for the budget to hire new social workers. 

Bullick was not immediately available for comment Monday afternoon, but indicates in his email to staff that he and his wife plan to move back to Visalia, where Bullick worked at the Tulare County Health Department before moving to  Monterey County in 2010.

"Trust me when I say we are not moving for the weather," he wrote. 

Bullick plans to stay through Feb. 24. 

"In the meantime I will make a special effort to get around to all the offices of the department to get updated on your great work," he wrote Monday to employees.   "You’re the best."