Last week, Dr. Raul Pino, Orange County’s top public health official, was placed on administrative leave by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office.
In the middle of a pandemic. Just a few weeks after Orange County hit its all-time high for COVID-19 infections, with hospitalization rates climbing. This is when DeSantis decided to bench a trusted and passionate voice for public health in Florida’s fifth-largest and fastest-growing county.
Throughout his tenure, Pino has been a staunch advocate for Central Florida’s struggling low-income residents as well as its fast-growing minority population. He’s been adamant about making health information accessible to native Spanish-speaking residents, and built critical partnerships with local leaders that allowed him to expand the Health Department’s reach.
