Health Officer for Public Health — Seattle & King County

Sandra J. Valenciano, M.D., M.P.H.

Dr. Sandra J. Valenciano (she/her) is the Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County. She serves as the department's primary medical expert, provides leadership on scientific and medical matters that shape department policy and practice, and fosters strong relationships with the healthcare community. Dr. Valenciano is a board-certified physician (MD) in internal medicine and holds a Master of Public Health. She is passionate about public health, addressing health inequities, and advocating for underserved populations.

Prior to arriving at Public Health – Seattle & King County, Dr. Valenciano served as Medical Director and District Health Director/Chief Executive Officer for DeKalb Public Health, overseeing all operations and delivering public health services for over 780,000 residents in DeKalb County, Georgia’s fourth-most populous county, where more than 130 languages are spoken.

During her tenure, Dr. Valenciano served as the Incident Commander during the COVID-19 pandemic overseeing COVID-19 operations and ensuring equitable vaccine access for all residents. She also led a restructuring of the health department leading to improved operational efficiency, redefined the vision, mission and core values incorporating the voices of staff across the agency, and led the development of a bold 5-year strategic plan focused on equity, efficiency, and engagement. She is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine and supervised Emory Preventive Medicine residents during their rotations within the health district as well as Emory Rollins Epidemiology Fellows.

Dr. Valenciano served as an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officer in the Respiratory Diseases Branch within the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) where she led domestic outbreak responses, evaluated national infectious disease surveillance systems, analyzed global immunization data, and collaborated with both domestic and international partners.

Dr. Valenciano received her bachelor’s degree in Community Health from Brown University, her Master of Public Health degree from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and her Doctor of Medicine from Boston University School of Medicine. A board-certified physician in Internal Medicine, she completed her medical training in the Yale Primary Care Internal Medicine Residency Program and completed the Emory Preventive Medicine Residency Program and is board eligible in Preventive Medicine.