CenCal Health has announced the additions of Chief Medical Officer Lowell Gordon and Chief Operating Officer Paul Jaconette to its staff.

Gordon recently moved to California from New Mexico, where he served as the medical director for the New Mexico Human Services Department, which houses the Medicaid program. He participated in policy development for several of the governor’s initiatives, including improving health-care access through adoption of telehealth technology and facilitation of health insurance for low-income adults.

Before Medicaid, Gordon served in various roles, including CFO of a nonprofit primary care clinic, executive director of a physician-hospital organization, health care consultant with Ernst & Young and medical director of an HMO. He is a board certified pediatrician and earned a master’s degree in business administration from UC Berkeley.

Before joining CenCal Health, Jaconette led Sansum Clinic, the largest nonprofit, multispecialty health-care organization between Los Angeles and San Francisco. He worked there for 18 years.

Jaconette is active in the community and a number of professional associations. He serves on the boards of the California Association of Physician Groups, the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics, the Santa Barbara Region Chamber of Commerce and the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce. He is also an active member of the Medical Group Management Association, the American College of Medical Practice Administrators and the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara.

Jaconette earned a bachelor’s degree from UCSB and a master’s degree in health care administration fromYale University in New Haven, Conn. He completed an administrative fellowship at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, Utah.

— Krista Morley is the community relations and special projects manager for CenCal Health