News Releases

Medical Board of California Selects Kristina D. Lawson, J.D. as Board President

Physician Health and Wellness Issues are Key Priorities for Lawson.

Published: Friday, June 07, 2024

SACRAMENTO — The Members of the Medical Board of California (Board) elected Kristina D. Lawson to serve as Board President on May 24, 2024. Lawson succeeds Dr. Randy W. Hawkins, M.D. Lawson previously served as Board President from November 2020 to August 2023.

"I am honored that my colleagues chose me to serve as President once again," Lawson said. "The Board continues to tackle challenging and important topics that advance our mission to protect consumers. I am passionate about our upcoming work to develop a physician health and wellness program that will support our licensees with mental health challenges, including substance use disorders. Although dangerous doctors should not be seeing patients, it is critical that all physicians have access to effective treatment and support so that they can continue to provide safe and appropriate care."

"Further, the Board is reexamining the questions it asks applicants to determine whether they have a disorder or condition that impairs their ability to safely treat their patients," Lawson continued. "It is important that our application questions promote public safety, while avoiding inadvertently discouraging physicians from seeking treatment when they need it. I look forward to engaging with national and state experts and the public on this effort. Collectively, these two projects support consumer protection by helping to ensure that the physicians we rely upon have the support they need to perform their critical work. It is a privilege to lead this vital consumer protection agency, especially at this time."

Ms. Lawson was first appointed to the Board in 2015 by Governor Edmund G. Brown and was most recently reappointed by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2022. She is Managing Partner and chief executive of Hanson Bridgett LLP, a California law firm with six offices throughout the state. Lawson also serves as the Chair of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Bay Area Council, an organization of more than 300 influential employers committed to working with public and community leaders to keep the San Francisco Bay Area the most innovative, globally competitive, inclusive, and sustainable region in the world. She was a member of the Walnut Creek City Council from 2010 to 2014 and served as Walnut Creek's Mayor in 2014. Lawson earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Santa Clara University School of Law, and a B.A. from the University of Arizona.

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The mission of the Medical Board of California is to protect health care consumers and prevent harm through the proper licensing and regulation of physicians and surgeons and certain allied health care professionals and through the vigorous, objective enforcement of the Medical Practice Act, and to promote access to quality medical care through the Board's licensing, policy, and regulatory functions.