After graduating as a basic physician in 1988, Sjaak de Gouw worked for 14 years in the field of research and consultancy in healthcare. He has been Director of Public Health at the Regional Health Service Hollands Midden since 2002. Convinced that national cooperation is essential for the proper functioning of RHS’s, he was a board member of RHS Nederland from 2004 to 2007 and has since then been active in more than twenty committees, national boards and other consultation structures in the field of public health. His areas of focus are (scientific) research, infectious disease control, STD-AIDS, safety and integrated municipal health policy.
In 2012 he obtained his doctorate at the University of Twente with a study on the effectiveness of government policy in the field of overweight, nutrition and exercise.
He has administrative experience in the world of housing corporations, sports and healthcare.
Sjaak lives in Leiden, is married and has three children.
