MEDELL BRIGGS-MALONSON
Chief of Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for the UCLA Hospital and Clinic System
UCLA Health
Dr. Medell Briggs-Malonson, MD, MPH, MSHS is the chief of health equity, diversity and inclusion for the UCLA Hospital and Clinic System. She is also an associate professor of emergency medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She is responsible for the implementation and oversight of organizational structures and initiatives that promote inclusivity and equity among UCLA Health staff, patients, and communities.
During her tenure as Chief of Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Dr. Briggs-Malonson has been instrumental in making sure that UCLA Health incorporates equity into the values and practices of UCLA Health. She helped to design UCLA Health’s vaccine distribution model to ensure equitable access based on social vulnerability. In addition, she led a team of multidisciplinary professionals to design and implement an extensive three-part required training for all 32,000 staff, faculty, and learners to understand and combat racism, microaggressions, and implicit biases in the work and clinical space.
Dr. Briggs-Malonson also implemented new policies, reporting structures, and review teams to address allegations of discriminatory behavior. To promote greater representation within the workforce, Dr. Briggs-Malonson helped to redefine the search committees for organizational leaders to ensure appropriate membership representation and to assess each candidate’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Under Dr. Briggs-Malonson’s direct leadership, UCLA Health launched the new Homeless Healthcare Collaborative, which deployed medically equipped vans throughout Los Angeles to care for people experiencing homelessness. Since its launch in January 2020, the Homeless Healthcare Collaborative has accrued over 6,000 encounters providing health care and social service referrals throughout Los Angeles county.
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