Meeting Overwhelming COVID-19 Testing Need in Marginalized Communities in Los Angeles County

Marginalized communities were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with increased cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. As the County COVID-19 testing lead, I worked to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 testing in marginalized communities across Los Angeles County.

Hail underdogs! (My commitment to gender equality in healthcare leadership)

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.

Representation and Inclusion in a Community Health Center

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.

Overcoming Financial Barriers to Medication Access with Drug Manufacturer Copay Coupon Programs

Remove barriers to medication access, improve a patient’s therapeutic outcomes by preventing under treatment, and increase overall patient care affordability by implementing KP approved drug manufacturer copay coupons electronic claims processing at KP National Specialty Pharmacy (KPNSP).

Amplifying Health Care Workforce Diversity through Community Empowerment: Capacity Building for Alliance in Mentorship/MiMentor

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.

Managing Mental Health Crises on the Telephone (an interim report from my leadership journey)

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?

Birth-Centered Outcomes Research Engagement (B-CORE) in Medi-Cal

Objective: The project will use deliberative democracy methods to engage stakeholders most impacted by pregnancy-related death in Medi-Cal to generate solutions and design interventions to support equity in maternal health outcomes for Medi-Cal-covered births.

Leadership and Advocacy for Black Maternal Health Outcomes

Black birthing mothers and their babies are dying in one of the most progressive and wealthiest cities of the country. I engaged San Francisco’s city officials and the Department of Public Health leadership to do something about health inequities and improve disparities impacting Black/African American birthing people. I had the opportunity to present data on preterm birth, infant mortality and poor maternal health outcomes, address social determinates of health, and advocate for new funds with recommendations to close the gaps.

A Toolkit to Advance Racial Health Equity in Primary Care Improvement

The California Improvement Network (CIN) is focused on effectively integrating equity into health care improvement projects. Informed by its Racial Health Equity Workgroup and developed in partnership with HealthBegins, this practical toolkit is designed to help health care organizations — including those that provide, pay for, or support primary care — to increase the primary care improvement efforts that center racial equity.

Workshop – Confronting Racism Denial: Tools for Naming Racism and Moving to Action

Racism is a major driver of health inequities in the United States. For most of our 30 years, Healthforce Center at UCSF has been working to advance health equity by building pipelines of diverse health leaders, strengthening the cultural competency of clinicians, and centering equity in quality improvement efforts.