Health System Executive of the Year Finalists
Ari Kalechstein
President and CEO
Executive Mental Health
In response to the need for quality mental health care for older adults, Ari D. Kalechstein, Ph.D. and his company, Executive Mental Health (EMH) work to ensure that these members of society of have access to the care that they need and deserve. Dr. Kalechstein has built a mental healthcare business that has generated approximately $8 million per year in revenue, serves thousands of patients a year, and been a key partner to over 200 skilled nursing facilities throughout California. Over the past seven years, despite the challenges of the pandemic, Kalechstein and his team increased the footprint of EMH’s clinical psychology services from 20 to 138 skilled nursing facilities in California. EMH serves over 2,500 residents annually with quality continuum of care via in-person and telehealth clinical consultations. He also envisioned and led the company’s Telehealth program, which now covers more than 60% of all consultations.
Olusheyi Lawoyin
Chief Operations Officer
Watts Healthcare Corporation
Olusheyi (Sheyi) Lawoyin has dedicated her career and life to ensuring health equity for the most vulnerable populations in the United States and globally. For nearly two decades, she has served at several organizations that provide comprehensive care to some of the most medically underserved communities – including Watts Healthcare Corporation, where she is currently the Chief Operations Officer. This work has been informed by her background in global and community health, including work in strengthening the role of health systems in the delivery of care to underserved populations. Of note has been her work with community partners at the local and state levels in leading efforts at Watts Healthcare to improve access to care and health outcomes. This has been done by working with colleagues to build system capacity and contributing to new knowledge on the socio cultural drivers of health outcomes and innovative ways to increase access to care.
Chico Manning
System Vice President of Enterprise Supply Chain
PIH Health
Chico Manning MHA is the system vice president of enterprise supply chain at PIH Health‚ a nonprofit, regional healthcare network comprised of PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital, PIH Health Whittier Hospital and PIH Health Downey Hospital; 37 medical office buildings; more than 90 clinics; and a multi-specialty medical group. PIH Health serves more than three million residents in Los Angeles County, Orange County and the San Gabriel Valley region. In his position, Manning is responsible for the overall strategic direction and tactical execution for all aspects of supply chain management at PIH Health. Manning’s career spans over 30 years of progressive experience in supply chain sales, sales operations, manufacturing, fleet, and distribution. Since joining PIH Health in 2016, Manning has made invaluable contributions to the enterprise and played an integral role in the evolution of the Enterprise Supply Chain organization for PIH Health.
Simon Nazarian
Chief Information Officer
Optum Health – Care Delivery
As chief information officer of Optum Health – Care Delivery Technology West, developing structure and alignment is Simon Nazarian’s mission. Previous attempts to organize a centralized and cohesive technology team proved unsuccessful for different reasons. However, in late 2021, Nazarian applied vision, strategy and a heart for people to develop a new, successful approach. He evaluated how the organization operates, interacts, collaborates and innovates, with a focus on improving productivity and efficiency to better serve patients and providers. As a testament to Nazarian’s success, Optum Health – Care Delivery has increased its ability to deliver quality outcomes related to six major technical platforms. Other functional areas have started mimicking his approach across the country and throughout Optum. Serving as a flagship program, Nazarian’s work is already providing a platform for obtaining sustainable results and leading through significant and complex organizational change.
Hospital/Medical Center CEO of The Year
Edward Mirzabegian
Chief Executive Officer
Antelope Valley Medical Center
Edward Mirzabegian, MHA is the chief executive officer of Antelope Valley Medical Center (AVMC) in Lancaster. In addition to this 420-bed acute care hospital, Mirzabegian has served as CEO for over 25 years in seven states and with 28 different hospitals. Mirzabegian is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and is a frequent speaker on a variety of healthcare and hospital leadership issues. He has an open-door policy and encourages the same of his leadership team. He empowers, mentors, and provides guidance to his team, allowing them to lead the day-to-day operations of the hospital. He focuses on cultivating staff and physician partnerships while improving the hospital’s operational and financial performance. Since his return to AVMC, the hospital has grown to be the largest acute care hospital in the Antelope Valley, serving over 220,000 patient visits a year.
Roger Sharma
President & CEO
Emanate Health
Roger Sharma, the president & CEO of Emanate Health, oversees the largest health care system in the San Gabriel Valley, a nonprofit health system providing high quality care to underserved, low-income communities. This includes three hospitals: Inter-Community Hospital in Covina, Queen of the Valley Hospital in West Covina and Foothill Presbyterian Hospital in Glendora. The system also includes Emanate Health Home Care, the multispecialty Emanate Health Care Center, and a network of clinics throughout the service area. Under Sharma’s leadership, Emanate Health has expanded and elevated the services, programs, and resources offered to the communities it serves. Sharma understands the needs of the communities and has steered the strategic direction of the organization accordingly. For example, the Emanate Health Medical Pavilion, a medical arts building which will house the new cancer center, infusion center, clinics, and other services, will open this year and bring these services to the area.
Paul S. Viviano
President & CEO
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Paul Viviano is a healthcare leader and a prominent national children’s health care advocate. For more than four decades, he has led academic health care systems, nonprofit community health care organizations and for-profit providers health care services that have delivered excellence in clinical care, research and medical education. Under Viviano’s stewardship, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles provides leading-edge pediatric care for more than 700,000 patient visits, performs nearly 16,000 surgeries and admits more than 17,500 children for inpatient care annually, all in a unique healing environment dedicated to the care of children. This marked growth is a testament to Viviano’s drive for excellence along every metric of success. Under Viviano’s leadership, CHLA has become the leading pediatrics facility in Los Angeles County, marked by a 66% growth in market share and market leadership in cancer, heart, neurosciences and orthopedics; and is the largest pediatric facility in California.
Phil Wong
Chief Executive Officer
Gateways Hospital and Mental Health
Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Center has provided high quality mental health care and services to residents of Los Angeles County for seven decades. For the past six years, Gateways has thrived under the leadership of its current CEO, Phil Wong, PsyD. Navigating a complex and ever-changing landscape of mental health practices and protocols the desperate need for which was magnified by the pandemic Dr. Wong has successfully leveraged contracts with the State and County to provide a spectrum of care that includes outpatient, residential and inpatient treatment, and covers children from ages six and up to adults through the age of 64. Under Dr. Wong’s stewardship, Gateways serves more than 1,700 patients per year. Patients access care through multiple access points, including the school districts, the Department of Child and Family Services, and the judicial and correctional systems. Services are provided regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.
Hospital/Medical Center Executive of The Year Finalists
Don Matthewson
Vice President, Treasury and Financial Strategy
City of Hope
Don Matthewson assumed the role of vice president for treasury and financial strategy at City of Hope in 2019 after serving in both the higher education and arts fields. His current responsibilities include managing the enterprise’s cash, debt, liquidity, and investment portfolios, as well as directing the enterprise financial strategy. Matthewson’s many years of working as an investment banker and closing complex financial transactions prepared him for his achievements at City of Hope. Under Matthewson’s leadership, City of Hope developed and implemented a multi-billion-dollar financial strategy in support of their strategic vision to democratize cancer care and to rapidly translate research and discovery into the clinical care setting. The financial strategy supported the successful acquisition of Cancer Treatment Centers of America, completed in February 2022, the development and opening of the new Orange County campus, and the expansion of the main campus in Duarte.
Darlene Scafiddi
Executive Vice President, Patient Care Services
Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center
In her role as the executive vice president of patient care services, Darlene Scafiddi, MSN, RN, NEA-BC works directly with more than 3,700 associates to ensure Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center (PVHMC) is delivering safe, high-quality care to more than 25,000 patients each year. She is known as a “nurses’ nurse.” Her contributions to the hospital puts patient care at the center of everything she does.Celebrating more than 40 years of service at PVHMC, Scafiddi began her legacy as a nurse in the hospital’s medical/surgical unit in 1979. She has also served in the Telemetry Units, Intensive Care Units, and Cardiovascular Units, where she developed and honed her skills in nursing leadership and patient care. Scafiddi has since held several leadership roles at the hospital, including the current role for the past two years, where she continues to improve patient care services and associate engagement.
Richard Shemin
Chief, Cardiac Surgery
UCLA Health
Dr. Richard Shemin, MD is currently the chief of the division of Cardiac Surgery, vice chair of the Department of Surgery at UCLA, and a distinguished professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine. Dr. Shemin has become a leader and innovator in cardiac surgery. As an innovator, he is a pioneer of less invasive procedures for aortic valve replacement, aortic aneurysm replacement and robotic mitral valve repair. Through these innovations, Dr. Shemin has increased patient recovery, care, and safety after critical life-saving procedures improving quality standards. He has been a crucial member at UCLA Health and has helped grow UCLA’s already impressive reputation as a world-renowned cardiothoracic surgery center. Dr. Shemin has also been successful in bringing several clinical trials to UCLA as a principal investigator, including the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Partner III trial that continues to revolutionize aortic valve stenosis treatment.
Joi Torrence-Hill
Chief of Operations, USC Norris Cancer Hospital
USC Norris Cancer Hospital
Joi Torrence-Hill serves as chief of operations at USC Norris Cancer Hospital, part of Keck Medicine of USC. In this role, she is responsible for managing the coordination of a wide variety of strategic, fiscal, operational, and technical initiatives to ensure the delivery of high value, high-quality cancer-related services within the hospital to achieve strategic and operational goals. Additionally, Torrence-Hill is a partner with administrative and clinical leaders to foster and grow USC Norris service excellence, develop tumor-based clinical programs, support integration of clinical trials and cell therapy into the clinical service environments, and establish the business, planning and delivery of existing and new precision therapies for patients. Torrence-Hill recently celebrated her two-year anniversary at USC Norris Cancer Hospital, and in that short space of time, has overseen many advancements and innovations. Under her leadership, the hospital has continued to be ranked among the top cancer centers in the nation.
Trusted Advisor of The Year Finalists
Hunvey Chen
Regional Leader of Healthcare
HOK
Hunvey Chen is responsible for the strategic direction of HOK Los Angeles’ Healthcare Practice. She is also a member of HOK’s Global Management Board. Chen has played a key role in expanding HOK’s presence in the Southern California region, with project commissions under her tenure such as; The Mark Ridley-Thomas Behavioral Health Center, City of Hope Orange County at Five Point Gateway Hospital, VA Long Beach Inpatient & Outpatient Mental Health and Community Living Center, Universal Health Services Inland Valley Replacement Hospital and Rancho Spring Expansion, Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Hills Medical Office Building and a 100-acre confidential land use plan for a healthcare campus. With just over 1.2 billion dollars’ worth of projects currently in design and construction under her management, Chen is a highly respected leader within the healthcare architecture community. She is also a dedicated advocate for diversity and believes that every idea and voice is important.
Stan Chu
Director of Healthcare
Gensler
Stan Chiu has served the healthcare industry in design and leadership roles in projects ranging from the 2 million square foot Gonda Building for the Mayo Clinic through the $6 billion California Prison Receivership Program to the new Orange County Healthcare Campus in the OC Great Park. Chiu is the director of healthcare for Gensler’s Southwest Region where he is developing a practice across six offices and 900 staff. He served multiple leadership positions before Gensler, including managing principal, vice president and as a member of boards of directors. Chiu has committed deeply to incorporating “Lean” into both the delivery of healthcare and the delivery of projects. As principal he has led multiple innovative projects, including the Spring Valley Hospital tower, completed four weeks ahead of schedule, returning almost $1 million in savings to the client.
Kathryn Edgerton
Member
Mintz
Mintz member Kathryn Edgerton is known for providing practical, business focused guidance to health care providers and businesses who serve them, including hospitals, physician organizations, behavioral health providers, telemedicine providers, laboratories, home health providers, and medical spas. With a focus on addiction treatment and behavioral health, Kathryn has counseled over 100 addiction treatment providers on day-to-day health care operations. In addition, Edgerton counsels clients on compliance with the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act of 2018 (EKRA), the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, the physician self-referral and payments law (Stark Law), California unfair competition law, and other health care regulatory laws and regulations. Edgerton applies her deep healthcare regulatory knowledge when representing clients in state and federal government investigations and in response to investigations by insurance companies.
Eric Klein
Partner
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton
Eric Klein is one of the nation’s most active physician group, health plan and hospital M&A and joint venture lawyers, having advised on over 90 hospital merger, acquisition and/or joint venture projects, over 85 health plan merger and acquisition projects, and many of the largest physician services transactions nationally, including a majority of all major managed care physician group transactions in the Western U.S. in the past 10 years. Klein is highly sought after by clients for his creative solutions and deal-making ability, using deep industry knowledge, entrepreneurial solutions, sophisticated negotiation skills and effective legal processes to meet the complex business and legal needs of both established and emerging companies. Among Klein’s recent significant healthcare deals was the $8.9 billion VillageMD acquisition of Summit Health-CityMD. He represented VillageMD for what was the largest physician organization transaction of 2022.
Outstanding Health Care Innovator of The Year Finalists
Nanaefua Afoh-Manin
Founder and Chief Medical & Innovation Officer
Shared Harvest Fund
As the founder of Shared Harvest Foundation, Dr. NanaEfua Afoh-Manin, affectionately known as, “Dr. Nana,” wears many hats. In her clinical role, she serves as a clinical instructor and emergency medicine physician. As an advocate, she is passionate about mental and financial wellness. She is also the executive producer for docufilm series, VERCIS Film Project, a series that captures the voices, experiences and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the mental health for providers, as well as burnout and suicide amongst physicians of color. As a social entrepreneur and thought leader in health equity, Dr. Afoh-Manin co-founded Shared Harvest Foundation, an empathy driven telehealth and health care staffing platform. She believes that health is a human right and has helped organizations and government agencies design programs that close the equity gap by addressing student loan debt and other financial, social and political determinants of health.
Steve Chen
Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs
USC Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Steve Chen, associate dean of clinical affairs at the USC Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, is also the founder of California Right Meds Collaborative, a pharmacist-led initiative created at USC to improve health outcomes in local communities, decrease health care and medication costs, improve physician access, and reduce avoidable hospitalizations. The CDC recently featured the California Right Meds Collaborative in its Field Notes publication, which spotlights success and innovation in health programs across the country. Under Chen’s stewardship, pharmacists in the California Right Meds Collaborative program – which partners with several health plans, including L.A. Care Health Plan and Inland Empire Health Plan – provide clinical services to Medi-Cal, Medicare and Covered California patients in Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire who have persistently uncontrolled health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma.
Deborah Ferrington
Chief Scientific Officer
Doheny Eye Institute
Deborah Ferrington, PhD, is Doheny Eye Institute’s chief scientific officer (CSO) and holds the Stephen J. Ryan-Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation Endowed Presidential Chair. Dr. Ferrington’s illustrious career includes 20 years of experience in academic research, and she is internationally recognized for her ground-breaking research on age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness among the elderly. With limited and largely ineffective treatment options available to most AMD patients, there is an urgent need for new therapeutic strategies, which has been the focus of Dr. Ferrington’s research. Her laboratory’s investigations in human donor eyes led to the novel finding that defects in the mitochondria, which make the energy required for cells to function, is an early pathological event in AMD. These initial discoveries linking the mitochondria and AMD led Dr. Ferrington to focus on identifying drugs that improve mitochondrial function as a treatment for AMD.
Inderbir Gill
Founding Executive Director, USC Urology
Keck Medicine of USC
No one has ever performed a bladder transplant in humans. But that may be about to change. Urologists with Keck Medicine of USC have launched a clinical trial to perform the world’s first human bladder transplant. Inderbir Gill, MD, who is the founding executive director for USC Urology, part of Keck Medicine, is the principal investigator of the clinical trial and leading the transplantation efforts. Led by Dr. Gill, the trial is actively screening potential participants for this first-ever type of transplantation and it is possible this historical surgery may take place as soon as the next few months. During the procedure, the patient’s diseased bladder will be removed and replaced with a healthy bladder from a deceased donor. Transplantation is a lifesaving treatment option for conditions affecting many major organs, and transplanting a bladder could be a historic step in improving lives.
Impact Hospital or Hospital System of The Year Finalists
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Founded in 1901, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is a pediatric academic medical center built around its mission of creating hope and building healthier futures for children. Today, the organization is fulfilling that mission by offering transformative compassionate care, educating tomorrow’s healthcare professionals and making life-changing discoveries. The hospital is heralded as leader among children’s hospitals nationally and regionally, led by more than 8000 team members and 1,000 medical staff providers. Yearly, the hospital performs nearly 16,000 surgeries, manages 700,000 patient visits and admits more than 17,500 children for inpatient care. Factoring in CHLA’s affiliations and partnerships, including its Pediatric Care Network and its collaboration with AltaMed, one in five children in Los Angeles County are impacted by CHLA’s care. CHLA has become the leader for delivering pediatric care in Los Angeles County, marked by a 66% growth in market share and market leadership in cancer, heart, neurosciences and orthopedics.
Emanate Health
Emanate Health is a nonprofit health care system comprised of three hospitals Inter-Community Hospital (ICH) in Covina; Queen of the Valley Hospital (QVH) in West Covina; and Foothill Presbyterian Hospital (FPH) in Glendora, Emanate Health Home Care, the multispecialty Emanate Health Care Center, and a network of primary and specialty care clinics. Emanate Health hospitals have been serving the communities for over 100 years. Emanate Health has been dedicated to serving the most vulnerable communities over the years. These communities face challenges with obtaining health insurance coverage. As such, Emanate Health’s payor mix is largely comprised of government payors, and both ICH and QVH are designated Disproportionate Share Hospitals that serve a disproportionate share of low-income and medically vulnerable patients. Emanate Health is also a member of Private Essential Access Community Hospitals. Emanate Health provides these communities the access to high quality health care.
Keck Medical Center of USC
Keck Medical Center of USC, which consists of Keck Hospital of USC, a 401-bed acute care hospital, and 60-bed USC Norris Cancer Hospital, as well as other Keck Medicine patient care areas on the Health Sciences Campus, is a tertiary/quaternary medical center focused on treating critically ill surgical patients. The medical center has the highest acute care patient volume in the entire country and is the largest transfer center in the region. The research-based medical center also offers hundreds of groundbreaking clinical trials, as well as surgical innovations that provide patients with the most leading-edge therapies available. Keck Medicine’s USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, which has existed for 50 years, is one of the eight original comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute and has renewed this distinction every year. During the pandemic and beyond, the medical center’s quality and safety remained its foundational strengths.
St. Francis Medical Center
With a legacy of providing compassionate, quality care for more than 75 years, St. Francis Medical Center (SFMC), a member of Prime Healthcare, is dedicated to providing vital health care services to the community of Southeast Los Angeles. Its programs and services support the primary objectives of nurturing healthy children and families, fostering self-sufficiency, enhancing individual and community well-being, and achieving excellence in facilities and technology. SFMC is a 384-bed general acute care hospital and Level II trauma center with an average daily census of 260 patients, 16,700 annual inpatient admissions, 20,400 outpatient visits, a staff of 1,700 members and 450 affiliated physicians. Its primary service area comprises approximately one million people in the communities of Lynwood, Compton, and Southeast Los Angeles. SFMC’s healthcare team cultivates enduring relationships with local leaders and develops partnerships with area businesses and organizations that share a commitment to building sustainable health and wellness.
Educational or Institutional Program of The Year Finalists
Cal Poly Pomona, Department of Architecture
The Department of Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona operates the Healthcare Architecture Initiative, a people and sustainability-centered specialization that is the first architecture program of its kind on the West Coast. Since its inception in 2011, more than 300 alumni have completed healthcare seminars and studios offered by the program. More than 20% of this group work directly in the design and construction of healthcare architecture projects. Dramatic healthcare coverage changes, technological advances in medicine and longer lifespans continue to alter the landscape of the health, wellness and healthcare industry and those shifts drive the rapid evolution in design for facilities and the built environment. Cal Poly Pomona architecture students who have completed the program are prepared to anticipate and address consumer preferences through holistic approaches in design, reduction of building and repair costs through sustainable practices, and re-adaptive reuse and repurposing.
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) has emerged as a leading institution in healthcare education and community service, making it an exceptional candidate for the 2023 Los Angeles Health Care Award in the category of Educational or Institutional Program of the Year. CDU’s relentless pursuit of social justice, health equity, and its dedication to fostering diversity have propelled it to the forefront of transforming healthcare education and addressing health disparities in underserved populations. CDU’s ongoing mission to cultivate diverse health professional leaders who are dedicated to social justice and health equity serves as the cornerstone of its educational programs. With the introduction of the CDU four-year MD program, the institution is pioneering a groundbreaking initiative that not only offers a comprehensive medical education but also nurtures a diverse group of doctors who will bring a unique perspective to the profession.
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA is a groundbreaking community of problem solvers, caregivers, innovators and life-long learners with a noble mission: to heal humankind by delivering leading-edge research, education, patient care and community engagement. In addition to becoming one of the most applied-to and selective medical schools in the country, its community has uncovered breakthrough discoveries that have changed the practice of medicine, including the development of the computerized tomography (CT) scan, the invention of the first tissue typing test for transplantation, the development of multiple cancer drugs (including Herceptin, Gleevac and Xtandi), the invention of the Guglielmi coil for brain aneurysms, and the development of a new genetic therapy to cure “Bubble Baby” disease. This year, the DGSOM has received $559 million National Institutes of Health research funding and currently has 36 National Academy of Medicine members and 20 National Academy of Sciences members.
Keck Medicine of USC
To address the many health care disparities faced by transgender individuals, Keck Medicine launched the Gender-Affirming Care Program in late 2022 to meet the comprehensive needs of the transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse community. Services include everything from routine health care, such as preventive cancer screenings, yearly checkups and flu shots, to gender-affirming hormone therapy and surgery. Dr. Roberto Travieso serves as the surgical director of the program. The program is comprised of physicians from several disciplines to address the specialized needs of this underserved population in a safe and supportive environment. This includes family medicine, plastic surgery, gynecology, urology and otolaryngology. Specialists in voice, occupational and physical therapy are also available to patients. A nurse navigator coordinates care with the providers to ensure patients receive seamless treatment. The physicians and program staff have collectively received more than 600 hours of gender-affirming sensitivity and inclusivity training.
Outstanding Community Outreach Finalists
Center for Health Care Rights
Founded in 1984, the Center for Health Care Rights (CHCR) is a nonprofit health care advocacy organization whose mission is to improve consumer access to high-quality health care services. Central to its mission is a commitment to provide free, high-quality Medicare and health insurance education, counseling, informal advocacy, and legal services to Los Angeles County residents. CHCR runs the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) for the city and county of Los Angeles. In addition to providing one-on-one counseling to thousands of Los Angeles County Medicare beneficiaries each year in person and via its telephone helpline, CHCR’s HICAP community education programs are designed to help community members understand all things Medicare. Recognizing the fact that the Medicare population in LA is truly diverse, CHCR has developed a variety of Medicare and other health insurance community education factsheets in English and translated into other languages.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
The history of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is a story of exceptional leaders advancing and transforming a community in support of the health of children. True to its mission, the hospital has been creating hope and building healthier futures since 1901. CHLA devotes its resources to the immediate community surrounding the East Hollywood campus – ranging from workforce development programs and education, volunteer activities for neighborhood clean-ups, food produce distributions to local program sponsorships to address food insecurity, including support of local community gardens. CHLA Team members and leaders come together to engage with the community in three intertwining efforts: “Well Communities,” spurring local economic growth and environmental initiatives supporting wellness; “Well Families” to improve infant, child, adolescent and young adult health in underserved communities; and “Working Well” to help people imagine their futures as health professionals in CHLA’s unique healing environment.
Heal One World
Heal One World (HOW) is addressing the ever pressing need for selfcare in the inner city. There is an endless cycle of pain, anger, stress and depression which will keep oneself trapped in income and social status situations, without seeing forward movement. There is a lack of power one feels when presented with few resources and limitation in health and wellness. HOW holds several daily classes in person as well as online, and special workshops that allow people to discover Meditation, Yoga, Tai Chi and Energy Healing. The classes are free and taught by dedicated volunteers making the organization truly community based. Its volunteers are from the community and make all participants feel welcome. The removal of formalities and making the activities accessible to all people regardless of their size, color, income or age has made the classes effective in community change and positive impact on the community.
UCLA Health Homeless Healthcare Collaborative
The UCLA Health Homeless Healthcare Collaborative (HHC) is a direct-in-community program to offer efficient, equitable and high-quality health care for people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. Its team of doctors, nurses and social workers provides free health care, clothes and hygiene kits, and referrals to housing and social services directly to our unhoused neighbors. The HHC began at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when UCLA Health Quality Management Services and the UCLA Health Office of Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion began analyzing data on past emergency room visits by patients experiencing homelessness. UCLA Health’s analysis showed that more than 85% of those visits were due to primary or urgent care conditions that can be prevented or treated in the community. The mission of the UCLA HHC is to promote greater health equity and improved clinical outcomes for people experiencing homelessness (PEH) in Los Angeles.
Outstanding Collaboration of The Year Finalists
100 Black Men of Long Beach Inc. (with Health and Wellness Action Group and City of Hope)
The 100 Black Men of America organization began in New York in 1963 when a group of concerned African American men began to meet to explore ways of improving conditions in their community. The group eventually adopted the name, “100 Black Men, Inc.” as a sign of solidarity. These men envisioned an organization that would implement programs designed to improve the quality of life for African Americans and other minorities. The Long Beach chapter, 100 Black Men of Long Beach Inc., recently collaborated with Health and Wellness Action Group and City of Hope to reach out to participants and attendees at the KJLH 102.3 FM Women’s Health Expo which hosted over 15,000 people throughout the entire day at the Long Beach Convention Center. Information on cervical, breast, and prostate care and prevention were shared with attendees.
Keck Medicine of USC and Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Cancer Program
In February 2022, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital and Keck Medicine of USC announced a collaboration to build a world-class, full-spectrum cancer program and bring advanced health care services directly to the Santa Clarita Valley and surrounding areas. The collaboration launched with the opening of a USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center Radiation Oncology clinic on the Henry Mayo campus with state-of-the-art technology and a calming, patient-focused atmosphere. Patients also had access to breast and colorectal surgeons. Since its launch, the collaboration has made significant strides for patients, community physicians and the Santa Clarita community at large. The program now includes surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology and urology services. The program’s nurse navigator assists patients in coordinating financial assistance, transportation, nutrition services, social work, fitness, rehabilitation, palliative care, home health and emotional support services. Henry Mayo and Keck Medicine also started a monthly series of lectures and a cancer educational symposium.
New Impact Health Care Product or Service of The Year Finalists
Dermavant Sciences
Since its establishment in 2015, Dermavant’s mission has been to develop novel treatments and make healthier skin a reality for the millions of people who struggle with chronic skin conditions. Driven by a passion for helping patients with plaque psoriasis, the goal is to develop treatments that doctors want to prescribe, and patients want to use. Dermavant developed and launched VTAMA (tapinarof) cream, 1% − the first and only steroid-free topical medication in its class in the US to treat adults with plaque psoriasis. VTAMA cream, which received FDA approval in May 2022, is not only a testament to the company mission but has quickly made an impact among physicians. Within two months of receiving FDA approval, VTAMA cream became the #1 prescribed branded topical treatment for plaque psoriasis in adults – an accolade it maintains today. VTAMA cream has over 135,000 prescriptions written with over 9,800 unique prescribers.
MOBI Technologies Inc.
MOBI Technologies has established itself as a leader in offering customers the latest health tech devices without compromising quality. MOBI’s commitment to providing high-quality products ensures that healthcare professionals and patients can rely on their devices for accurate measurements, reliable performance, and durable construction. Moreover, MOBI Technologies’ dedication to offering these products at a value price makes them accessible to a broader range of healthcare providers and individuals, ultimately promoting affordability and widespread adoption of telemedicine. MOBI offers a comprehensive suite of health tech devices known as MOBI Home Clinic. This suite encompasses a range of devices designed to monitor various aspects of health and well-being, all of which seamlessly integrate and work within a single smart app. This cohesive ecosystem allows healthcare professionals and patients to access and manage their health data conveniently, promoting holistic care and facilitating comprehensive health monitoring.
Nudj Health
Nudj Health, a Pasadena-based health service that partners with physicians to deliver lifestyle interventions to patients, is on a mission to integrate mental health and lifestyle interventions with physicians providing care to their patients. In the US, 29% of adults with a medical condition also have some type of mental health disorder and close to 70% of behavioral health patients have a medical co-morbidity. Nudj Health provides critical infrastructure to physicians’ offices to help patients make healthier lifestyle choices once they leave the examining room. Providers can prescribe lifestyle interventions to their patients using evidence-based, Medicare-approved pathways centered around six interconnected lifestyle areas: stress management, physical activity, sleep quality, social support, behavioral risks and nutrition. Nudj provides these services via telehealth. By extending the provider’s services to care for patients, Nudj helps patients make healthy changes that improve physical and mental health while decreasing their disease burden.
Predictive Technologies Inc.
PredictView Technologies recognized the changes in attitude and growing openness to discuss and address mental health care early on. Coupled with an increase in mental health issues and the impact on everyday lives, PredictView was determined to take action to develop a solution to assist therapists and those in need of therapeutic outreach. PredictView developed a preventative online wellness solution in the form of an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that offers therapists/health care providers a preventative therapeutic tool to evaluate consenting patients’ social media content for signs of behavioral issues such as depression, anxiety, and substance use. The technology’s Mental Health Predictive Intelligence Platform (mPIP) provides an AI engine trained to recognize behavioral signals from text and images posted on social media. When such issues are detected, mPIP transmits behavioral signals to the Online Therapy Platform for immediate evaluation by a therapist.
