Governor appoints Cambria psychiatrist as medical director of Coalinga State Hospital

Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Cambria resident Jeffrey Billett as the Medical Director of Coalinga State Hospital in the Department of State Hospitals.

Billett is no stranger to the field of psychiatry, having served as a Psychiatrist in the Clinical Operations Advisory Council at the Department of State Hospitals since 2019. He's also been running his own private practice as a psychiatrist for more than 30 years.

Billett held a few other positions in the state hospital system. He served as a Staff Psychiatrist at Atascadero State Hospital in 2018-2019, and held various roles at Patton State Hospital from 2017-2018, including Staff Psychiatrist, Senior Psychiatrist and Acting Medical Director.

Billett also held several positions at the Department of State Hospitals, Stockton from 2013-2017, including Senior Psychiatrist, Chief Psychiatrist, and Acting Medical Director. He's also a member of the University of California, Riverside Clinical Faculty and the Northern California Clinical TMS Society.

Billett's credentials include a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Santa Clara University, as well as a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of California, Davis.

Billett's appointment doesn't require Senate confirmation and comes with an annual salary of $360,804.