Palmer brings strength to Fallbrook Healthcare District

Highly intelligent. Warmly enthusiastic. Superbly educated. Insightful. Driven. A perfect fit. These are just a few words and phrases that describe Bobbi Palmer, the new executive director of Fallbrook Healthcare District.

The district received a substantial number of quality applicants when they recruited for the position being vacated by the retiring Vi Dupre. In selecting a replacement for Dupre, board members knew her shoes would be hard to fill.

"I feel very fortunate," Palmer said. "I knew Vi because we have both been members of the Association of California Healthcare Districts (ACHD) and met at meetings. I have great respect for her."

Palmer had served the past seven years as the CEO of the Los Medanos Community Healthcare District in the East (San Francisco) Bay area, which provided resources for multiple communities.

Active in all aspects of her specialized career field, Palmer served on the board of the ACHD and was the education committee chair. With a master's degree in social work, she admitted she has a passion for connecting with and helping children.

"I did clinical work with children in the past and I really enjoy connecting with young people," said Palmer. She has also lent her multi-level expertise to Fortune 500 companies.

She has a significant background in workforce development as well, which is a real human resource benefit for the community.

In meeting with Palmer, a warmth of humanity is very evident as is her determination to make business matters successful. The gifts this woman possesses are multiple.

"I am both a right-brain and left-brain thinker," she explains. Evidence that by the fact that in addition to the master's degree in social work, she holds a master's degree in business.

"In my business degree, the focus was finance, strategies, and marketing," she said.

Growing up in Kansas City, Missouri, Palmer said, "I knew I would eventually be doing something helping people. I knew God would put me in a position to influence influencers."

She said her career path has "morphed" along the way and her experiences have continued to lead her to rewarding opportunities.

"I am a good listener," she said. "While it is important for us to design cost-effective ways to accomplish goals, my job is to listen and facilitate things. That is what we need as a community."

To her credit, she has served on the California Special Districts Administration as a member of both the fiscal and legislative committees, which has demonstrated her many talents.

Ready for a change in locale, Palmer said pursuing the position with the Fallbrook Healthcare District position seemed right. "My husband and I felt this would be a place we would enjoy. I like to describe Fallbrook as 'peace without distraction.'"

"It's a quality of life situation," she said. "I feel that I can be innovative here and the village atmosphere brings back nostalgic memories for me from my childhood."

Collaborative efforts are what energize Palmer, she said, understanding that the healthcare district must maximize the benefit it can achieve with its approximately $1.5 million annual budget funded by property tax revenue.

Since a special study was recently commissioned by the district in order to help determine current community health needs following the closure of Fallbrook Hospital, Palmer has hit the ground running, putting on paper what she calls her "First Draft Thinking."

With large-size pieces of paper affixed to her office wall, Palmer is well on her way to mapping ideas and potential connections to meet those needs with new strategies. And she said she feels the full support of the board of directors.

"We have a dynamic team in the Fallbrook Healthcare District board of directors," said Palmer.

In embracing Fallbrook as her new home, Palmer feels she is in the right place at the right time.

"I feel that God has molded me to be in a position for children, families, and the community – to be a voice," she said.