Thirty-two clinicians have been selected for the 26th cohort of the CHCF Health Care Leadership Program, each one bringing years of experience working in California’s health care system. Over the next two years, they will build the leadership and management skills to strengthen safety-net institutions and improve care across the state.
Each year since its launch in 2000, the program has accepted up to 32 clinically trained professionals through a competitive process. Applicants must live and work in California and have at least five years of leadership experience. Fellows stay in their current roles throughout the program, applying what they learn where it matters most.
Experts from private and public sectors guide fellows through the complex policy and operational challenges facing California’s health care system. With help from these mentors, each fellow develops a health care improvement project that addresses a specific problem or opportunity to transform care delivery. Nearly 700 clinicians have completed the program, and many stay connected through an active alumni network that is committed to improving care for Californians.
Healthforce Center at UCSF has led the training since the beginning, working with nationally recognized experts in health care and leadership development. Last year, to commemorate 25 years of the fellowship, Healthforce published a report looking at the program’s impact since inception.
Cohort 26 will launch in December, with fellows reflecting our state’s rich diversity across race, ethnicity, geography, and professional disciplines.
It’s a privilege to be part of CHCF’s longstanding commitment to this fellowship. I look forward to learning from this talented group and seeing how they put their ideas into action to improve care across California.
The Incoming Fellows of Cohort 26
Here are the new fellows (in alphabetical order) with their organizational affiliations and a link to their LinkedIn profiles, if available:
Angelica Almeida, PhD, Chief Integrative Office, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center
Adrian Jacques Ambrose, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, Mentava
Fiorella Arcidiacono, RN, MSN, Clinical Informaticist, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
Shital Arya, MD, MBA, Executive Medical Director, Huntington Health Physicians
Nicolas Barcelo, MD, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Contra Costa Health Plan
Enrico Castillo, MD, Medical Director for Clinical Innovation and Strategy, Behavioral Health Services, San Francisco Department of Public Health
Kimberly Ceci, MD, MPH, Interim Co-Chief Medical Officer, LifeLong Medical Care
Vincent Chong, MD, Co-Director of the Safe Harbor Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
Jessica Eng, MD, Medical Director, On Lok Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
Amir Fathi, MD, MBA, Chief of Medical Education and Research, Community Medical Centers
Lauren Fein, LMFT, Director of Behavioral Health, Santa Cruz County Office of Education
Laphonsa Gibbs, MBA, LCSW, Director, Children’s Behavioral Health Service Line, Alameda County Health
Ryan Graddy, MD, Associate Primary Care Director, Los Angeles General Medical Center
Carrie Guilfoyle, MSN, AGNP-C, Chief Medical Officer, Hill Country Community Clinic
Omar Guzman, MD, MPP, Assistant Medical Director, Kaweah Health
Sunita Hassamal, MD, Associate Medical Director/Public Health Medical Officer III, California Department of Health Care Services
Lakisha Holton, DNP, Correctional Healthcare Services Administrator, San Joaquin County Health Care Services Agency
Mohamed Jalloh, PharmD, Director of Health Equity, Partnership HealthPlan of California
Shatae Jones, LCSW, MSW, Director, Community Health Strategy, Alameda Alliance for Health
Nicole Kanter, BSN, MPH, Executive Director Health Services, Gold Coast Health Plan
Emilia Kodiath, DDS, Chief Dental Officer, Ampla Health
Nancy Maguire, PhD, Director of Integrated Care Management, Behavioral Health Service Line, Sutter Health
Audra Robertson Meadows, MD, MPH, Professor and Vice Chair of Culture and Justice, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, UC San Diego School of Medicine
Ana Karina Melgar, MD, Program Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, AltaMed
Matthew Morris, MD, Medical Director, Partnership HealthPlan of California
John Moua, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Community Health Partners
Scott Nass, MD, MPA, Chief Medical Officer, Transgender Health and Wellness Center
Megha Shah, MD, MPH, Director, Office of Health Assessment and Epidemiology, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Shunling Tsang, MD, MPH, Deputy Public Health Officer and Chair of the Department of Family Medicine, Riverside University Health System
Sabrina Villalba, MD, Senior Medical Director, Clinical Excellence and Physician Development, WelbeHealth
Christopher West, PhD, MSN, Medical Director and Medical Informatics Director, Arcata Community Health Center (Open Door Community Health Centers)
Maritza Wilson, MD, Director, Advanced Practitioner Training Academy, Neighborhood Healthcare