The California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) has announced the selection of 30 health professionals for the ninth class of its Health Care Leadership Program. The program equips talented professionals with the skills needed to positively impact health care policy and delivery in California. Sponsored by CHCF, the program is administered by the Center for the Health Professions at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

“These leaders bring a broad range of experience as medical directors, administrators, and supervisors, as well as diverse fields of expertise including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, clinical informatics, public health, and business,” said Mark D. Smith, M.D., M.B.A., president and CEO of the California HealthCare Foundation. “In the nine years that we’ve supported this effort, we’ve been impressed with participants’ sustained commitment to improve the quality and efficiency of health care in California,” said Smith.

Over the course of two years, fellows convene in seminars led by nationally recognized health care and leadership development experts and faculty associated with UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. The program addresses health care issues from business, leadership, and public policy perspectives. Participants learn to build and lead teams, manage complexity and change, understand and use financial management tools, and respond to the changing health care environment.

“The CHCF Health Care Leadership Program was and continues to be a transformational experience for me” said alumna Susan Ehrlich, M.D., M.P.P., CEO of the San Mateo Medical Center. “As a public hospital CEO and practicing primary care physician, I am deeply committed to improving the health of our communities and the quality, cost, and experience of health care. Through its network of fellows and alumni, I believe the program will make improvements of these types at every level of health care policy and operations throughout the state.”

CHCF Health Care Leadership Program Class of 2009-2011

Afshan Baig, M.D.

Chief Medical Officer, Clinica de Salud del Pueblo

Brawley

Thomas Barber, M.D.

Associate Physician-in-Chief, Kaiser Permanente

Oakland

Laurie Bauer, B.S.N., M.S.P.H.

Quality and Compliance Officer, Ravenswood Family Health Center

East Palo Alto

Patricia Bellas, M.D., M.P.H.

Associate Medical Director, The Children’s Clinic

Long Beach

Lisa Benaron, M.D.

Medical Director, Far Northern Regional Center

Chico

Christine Castano, M.D.

Lead Physician, HealthCare Partners

Arcadia

J. Craig Collins, M.D., M.B.A.

Member, SCPMG Board of Directors; Surgical Residency Program Director; Assistant Chief of Surgery, Kaiser Permanente

Los Angeles

Edwin Feliciano, M.D.

Medical Director, Santa Barbara County Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Services

Santa Barbara

Susan Fernyak, M.D., M.P.H.

Deputy Health Officer, Director, Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, San Francisco Dept of Public Health

San Francisco

Khim Fugate, M.H.A., B.S.N.

Chief Nursing Officer, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center

Colton

Paul Giboney, M.D.

Associate Medical Director, Clinica Msr. Oscar A. Romero

Los Angeles

Dawn Harbatkin, M.D.

Medical Director, Lyon-Martin Health Services

San Francisco

Richard Isaacs, M.D.

Physician-in-Chief and Chief of Staff Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento, The Permanente Medical Group

Sacramento

Janet Kiely, R.N., B.S.

Healthcare Administration, CNO/COO, Healdsburg District Hospital

Healdsburg

Claudia Landau, Ph.D., M.D.

Chief of Geriatrics and Palliative Care, Alameda County Medical Center

Oakland

Roscoe Marter, M.D.

Vice President/Regional Medical Director-Santa Clarita Valley, Facey Medical Group

Valencia

Laura McComb, B.S.N.

Corporate Patient Safety Officer, Community Medical Centers

Fresno

Barak Mevorak, M.D.

CEO, Advanced Medical Review

Los Angeles

Sandra Moody, B.S.N., M.D.

Medical Director, Home Based Primary Care/Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, SF VA Medical Center/University of California, San Francisco

San Francisco

Danielle Myers, M.D.

Associate Medical Director, Golden Valley Health Centers

Merced

Jamie Phillips, B.S.N., M.H.A.

VP Regional Operations, HealthCare Partners Medical Group

Arcadia

Michelle Schneidermann, M.D.

Medical Director, SFDPH Medical Respite; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCSF/SFGH and SFDPH Medical Respite

San Francisco

Hani Sefain, Pharm.D.

Chief, Pharmaceutical Procurement, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services

Los Angeles

Susan Smarr, M.D.

Physician-in-Chief, Santa Clara Medical Center, The Permente Medical Group/Kaiser Permanente

Santa Clara

David Sofen, M.D.

Regional Medical Director, Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group

Santa Cruz

Paul Subar, D.D.S., Ed.D.

Assistant Professor/Director, Special Care Clinic and Hospital Dentistry Program, University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry

San Francisco

Kenneth Tai, M.D.

Medical Director, North East Medical Services

San Francisco

Lucila Tarin, M.D.

Chief Medical Officer, University Muslim Medical Association

Los Angeles

Ana Valdes, M.D.

Medical Director, St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic

San Francisco

Kamille Wright, B.S.N., M.S.

Associate Hospital Administrator II, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services

Los Angeles

About the Center for Health Professions at UCSF

Since 1992, the Center has been dedicated to transforming health care by delivering Leadership programs to empower change agents at every level and within all sectors of the health care system; and internationally recognized, unbiased research to help health care decision makers understand today’s workforce issues and design actionable strategies to solve them.

About the California HealthCare Foundation

CHCF is leading the way to better care for all Californians, particularly those whose needs are not well served by the status quo. We work to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford.

CHCF informs policymakers and industry leaders, invests in ideas and innovations, and connects with changemakers to create a more responsive, patient-centered health care system.

CONTACT INFORMATION

CHCF Communications Officer

California HealthCare Foundation