Barbara Johnston, the Executive Director of the Medical Board of California, is resigning as of the end of this week.

Johnston, the first woman to serve as Executive Director, had been on the job since August 2007.

In an email to her staff, first reported in a Los Angeles Times’ blog, Johnston wrote that she was moving to the private sector.

The Medical Board has been under fire for being slow to investigate disciplinary concerns and to process license applications. The California Medical Association has sued the state for furloughing medical board staff and transferring $6 million from the Board to the state.

According to a report on the California HealthWatch web site, the Medical Board is undergoing an independent, comprehensive review of its organization. This review does not come from an outside agency, but rather was urged by present members and staff of the Board.

Among her accomplishments were implementing a telemedicine pilot program in partnership with the UC Davis Health system. The Board hopes to have her replacement in place by the fall.