An educational program was delivered that led to improved confidence handling difficult interactions involving resident trainees (and faculty) with patient (and others). The prototype was developed and tested in 2020, feedback was incorporated and a 2nd prototype was tested in 2021. A survey of participants showed trends of improvement in communication and facilitation, increased effectiveness with implementation of new skills, and increased self-awareness.

I wanted to encourage professional growth, increase operational contributions, and improve staff retention for the medical assistants in ambulatory care across the organization. This project was personally important to me because 90% (525 out of 584) of the medical assistants in Stanford Health Care are women and women of color. The goal of the project was to develop a fair, realistic, and inclusive promotional ladder to incentivize medical assistants in the ambulatory care setting at Stanford Health Care.

As a woman leader, I felt lonely. Other leaders looked nothing like me and I did not know if I belonged. Moreover, I was not alone; women leaders all across the United States felt this way. Of course, I decided to do something about it and founded an organization ‘PWL’ where women physician leaders have a safe space, a community to be authentically themselves as healthcare leaders. Our ultimate goal is to get 50-50 gender equity in healthcare leadership through advocacy work and empowerment of women physicians.

I knew I wanted to improve diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at CommuniCare Health Centers (CCHC) shortly after I became CMO. I have been passionately committed to cultural humility and DEI efforts throughout my career, and I brought this passion with me when I joined CCHC. This particular project is a piece of a larger effort at CCHC, in which I am participating with a team of colleagues, to improve DEI at CCHC.

My project aims to address the six-fold disparity in the California Latinx physician workforce to the populations they serve. This workforce mismatch contributes to health care disparities by diminishing access to care for marginalized populations as well as the delivery of culturally and linguistically sensitive care. This issue hits at the heart of why I pursued medicine over 20 years ago; a desire to provide service to our most vulnerable populations.

The CHIP was a focal point of the CHCF program, but my true CHIP came through learning about myself as a leader during challenging times. Fueled by burning questions and supported by mentors, friends and family, I managed to thrive during the past two years. Given all the crises in the world, and given my personal and professional investment in mental health, what could I do to contribute? How might we improve our communities’ health and wellbeing?

Project Goal: After completing a series of role clarification exercises in the first half of 2020, our teamlets, made up of primary care providers and medical assistants, will report an improvement in role clarity, in their teamlet relationship, and that they have the tools and training to succeed in their role; a more equal sense of personal job responsibility; and reduced burnout.

Project Goal: To create a 10% increase in women physician leaders who have solid networks and mentoring to help them continue to progression their leadership journeys.

Project Goal: Increase manager engagement by investing in their professional development, create a forum for managers to collaborate, share, and grow their leadership skills, and cultivate manager self-efficacy by involving them in the project design from day one. 

Project Goal: To establish a multi-disciplinary team doing virtual care to improve physician access, growth and joy of medicine in clinic.