About the Paul Torrens Health Forum at UCLA FSPH

The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and Center for Healthcare Management at UCLA are pleased to present the Paul Torrens Health Forum. Named in honor of Dr. Paul Torrens who devoted his career to bridging the academic and practice worlds, this free, public program provides a venue to debate and discuss critical issues in public health. Featuring a panel of experts and a robust question and answer session, the Paul Torrens Health Forum draws a knowledgeable and engaged audience who cares deeply about the future of public health.

To join the Paul Torrens Health Forum invitation list and receive information about upcoming sessions, please email lerskine@ucla.edu.

ABOUT PAUL TORRENS

Dr. Paul Torrens was Professor Emeritus of Health Policy and Management and founder of the Paul Torrens Health Forum at UCLA, a speaker series featuring healthcare leaders and professionals exploring critical issues in public health. For more than 40 years at the Fielding School, Dr. Torrens patiently guided, mentored, and advised generations of students, helping many shape distinguished careers in public health. A physician by training, he had a long career in both healthcare management and policy.

Throughout his career, Dr. Torrens was committed to bridging the academic and practice worlds and has helped create a community of people who care deeply about health. Thanks to his leadership, the Paul Torrens Health Forum is a premier source of discovery and conversation on the prevailing health issues of the day. Nowhere else on campus can you find such a critical venue for the Fielding School community to engage in dialogue on the present challenges in public health and to discuss the path ahead.

Past Sessions

Agendas of the Health Forums are available below.
Recordings of the Health Forums are available several days after the event on UCLA Fielding’s YouTube page.

We will have a newly inaugurated President. What are his Administration’s plans for healthcare policy and services? Will consideration be given to proposals for a single-payer system?  What is the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)? What is their position on Medicare expansion? Bundled payments? Managed care medical groups under the delegated care model?  Value-based care? Vaccine promotions, restrictions, mandates? Reduction in food additives? How about funding for Social Determinants of Health and community support services?

Featured Speakers:
Charles Bacchi, President & CEO, California Association of Health Plans
Dustin Corcoran, CEO, California Medical Association
Frank Matricardi, Principal, Executive Healthcare Consulting  
Tom Priselac, President and CEO Emeritus, Cedars-Sinai

Charles Bacchi, President & CEO, California Association of Health Plans
Charles Bacchi is the President & CEO of the California Association of Health Plans (CAHP), representing 41 health plans providing coverage to over 28 million Californians.  For the last 19 years, Mr. Bacchi has served in leadership positions at CAHP, leading the Association’s advocacy before the California Legislature, the California Health Benefit Exchange, Department of Health Care Services, and the Department of Managed Health Care. A veteran of California’s political community, Mr. Bacchi has nearly 31 years of experience in California’s legislative, advocacy, and trade association arenas. Bacchi played a prominent role as the health plan voice on a range of issues, including the translation of the ACA into state law, the start-up of Covered California, and the expansion of the state’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal.

Dustin Corcoran, MBA, CEO, California Medical Association
Dustin Corcoran is the Chief Executive Officer of the California Medical Association (CMA), representing more than 50,000 physicians committed to protecting public health and advancing the practice of medicine. Since 1988, Mr. Corcoran has been a passionate advocate for California’s physicians and their patients. He began his career at CMA as the membership coordinator for the political action committee and then became a legislative advocate under renowned lobbyist Steve Thompson. Mr. Corcoran succeeded Thompson as Vice President of Government Relations, managing CMA’s legislative program. In 2009, he became Senior Vice President, overseeing daily operations of CMA, and ultimately became CEO in February 2010. Most recently, he co-chaired the Proposition 35 campaign to increase equitable access to health care in California. Prop 35 was overwhelmingly approved by more than two-thirds of California voters in the 2024 election. He earned an MBA from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and resides in Sacramento with his wife, Glenda, and their two children.

Tom Priselac, President and CEO Emeritus, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Health System
An advocate for improving quality and access in healthcare throughout his career, Thomas M. Priselac developed strategic and operational innovations to foster high-quality, safe and efficient care for patients. Under his leadership, Cedars-Sinai earned an international reputation for quality care, community service, research and education while evolving from a community hospital to a major health system founded by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to better serve the people of the Los Angeles region. Priselac holds the Warschaw/Law Endowed Chair in Healthcare Leadership at Cedars-Sinai. He joined Cedars-Sinai in 1979 and, until his retirement in 2024, served as President and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center beginning in 1994, and also as President and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Health System from its formation in 2017.

Moderator: Frank Matricardi, DrPH, MPH, FHFMA, Principal, Executive Healthcare Consulting
Dr. Frank Matricardi advises C-Suite executives in medical groups, hospitals, and health plans on managed care strategy, and contract negotiations. He consults with providers of specialty services and new medical technologies like electronic health records to develop relationships with hospitals, health plans, and community health centers (CHCs). For more than thirty-nine years, Frank has worked in health services and managed care. As a senior health plan executive, he managed state/Federal government relations, developed and managed Medicare and Medicaid risk programs in multiple states, and solved disputes with providers. Frank has a Doctorate in Health Services Administration, and a Master of Public Health from UCLA Fielding School of Public Health (FSPH). He is a Fellow of the Healthcare Financial Management Association.  He has chaired and serves on the boards of FSPH Health Policy and Management Alumni, HFMA-SoCal, and Venice Family Clinic. He serves on the Advisory Board and is a shareholder of LifeBook, a personal healthcare information technology start-up.

These three CHCs have developed innovative and effective partnerships with hospitals, health systems, community, and government organizations in the areas of primary and specialty care, including behavioral health. Among other outcomes, they have reduced hospital Emergency Department visits from CHC patients, and strengthened pediatric access, and streamlined inpatient scheduling. Their programs include partnerships in the areas in the social determinants of health (SDOH) areas of food security and distribution, patient transportation, and housing placement. The steady progress of CHCs in providing comprehensive care to needy populations is a model for ambulatory care delivery in California and nationally. Panelists will outline their work in these areas.

Featured Speakers:
Remí de la Rocha, President and CEO, AltaMed Health Network
Dr. Frank Matricardi, Principal, Executive Healthcare Consulting
Dr. Mitesh Popat, CEO and Acting Medical Officer, Venice Family Clinic (VFC)
Ms. Audrey Simons, CEO, San Fernando Community Health Center (SFCHC)    

Remí de la Rocha, President and CEO, AltaMed Health Network
Remí de la Rocha serves as President & CEO of AltaMed Health Network (AHN). In 2007, Remí joined AltaMed Health Service Corporation to establish its first IPA. Today, AltaMed’s IPA has approximately 100,000 lives across Los Angeles and Orange County and over 200 PCPs and 1,800 specialists.  Over his tenure at AltaMed he led their Managed Care Program, helping grow their Managed Care lives from 40,000 lives in 2007 to 390,000 lives in 2024. In addition to his role as AHN’s President and CEO, Remí also oversees AltaMed’s management service organization, Altura Management Services Organization.
Remí de la Rocha holds an MBA and a B.S. in Business Administration, Management, both from California State University, Los Angeles

Panelist: Dr. Mitesh Popat, CEO and Acting Medical Officer, Venice Family Clinic (VFC)
Dr. Mitesh Popat became chief executive officer of Venice Family Clinic on December 12, 2022. He came to LA from Marin Community Clinics in Marin County, CA, where he was CEO for five years. Dr. Popat has been a practicing physician and senior leader at community health centers throughout his career. Before leading Marin Community Clinics as CEO, he served as its chief medical officer. Prior to his tenure at Marin Community Clinics, Dr. Popat served as associate medical director of La Clínica de la Raza in Vallejo, CA.
Dr. Popat holds a Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, and a Bachelor of Arts in economics and Bachelor of Science in biological sciences from the University of California, Irvine. He served in the Stanford-O’Connor Family Medicine Residency Program in San Jose, and completed a two-year Health Care Leadership fellowship with the California Health Care Foundation and University of California, San Francisco.

Panelist: Ms. Audrey Simons, CEO, San Fernando Community Health Center (SFCHC)
As CEO of the San Fernando Community Health Center (SFCHC) since 2013, Audrey Simons has spearheaded the organization’s transition from a community hospital to a state-of-the-art Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Under Simons’ leadership, the SFCHC has experienced unprecedented growth. Projects in 2023 included a Mobile Medical Service designed to serve unhoused persons at safe parking areas and shelters, and in 2024 the buildout of 1500 square feet of commercial space within the footprint of HOLOS Communities Corazón Del Valle project in Panorama City.
Simons is actively involved in several community/civic organizations, including serving on the Board of Directors for the Valley Cares Community Consortium, The Valley Economic Alliance, and the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County. She holds a Master of Science degree in health administration and a Bachelor of Science degree in dental hygiene. She worked for nearly 30 years as a Registered Dental Hygienist in the San Fernando Valley.

Moderator: Frank Matricardi, DrPH, MPH, FHFMA, Principal, Executive Healthcare Consulting
Dr. Frank Matricardi advises C-Suite executives in medical groups, hospitals, and health plans on managed care strategy, and contract negotiations. He consults with providers of specialty services and new medical technologies like electronic health records to develop relationships with hospitals, health plans, and community health centers (CHCs). For more than thirty-nine years, Frank has worked in health services and managed care. As a senior health plan executive, he managed state/Federal government relations, developed and managed Medicare and Medicaid risk programs in multiple states, and solved disputes with providers. Frank has a Doctorate in Health Services Administration, and a Master of Public Health from UCLA Fielding School of Public Health (FSPH). He is a Fellow of the Healthcare Financial Management Association.  He has chaired and serves on the boards of FSPH Health Policy and Management Alumni, HFMA-SoCal, and Venice Family Clinic. He serves on the Advisory Board and is a shareholder of LifeBook, a personal healthcare information technology start-up.

CalAIM, The California Department of Health Care Services' (DHCS) five-year initiative to improve quality of life and health outcomes of the Medi-Cal population through a population health approach, prioritizing prevention and whole-person care, provides health care and affordable housing providers with a unique funding opportunity, including Enhanced Care Management, to collaborate in expanding medical and social services.  Join the Torrens Forum to hear from L.A. Care Health Plan, Jamboree Housing, Kaiser Permanente and Venice Family Clinic and learn more about the new CalAIM provider funding and the opportunities it presents to collaborate in providing affordable housing and needed health care and social services to our most vulnerable populations.

Panelist: John Baackes, Chief Executive Officer, L.A. Care Health Plan
John Baackes is Chief Executive Officer of L.A. Care Health Plan, the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan serving over two million members in Los Angeles County. Mr. Baackes works with L.A. Care’s Board of Governors to set the strategic vision while overseeing the day-to-day operations.
Before joining L.A. Care, he served as president of AmeriHealth Caritas VIP Plans, overseeing the Medicare Advantage business unit.
John currently serves as Chairman of the Board for Charles Drew University. He sits on the boards of America’s Health Insurance Plans, California Association of Health Plans, Local Health Plans of California, Project Angel Food, and Urban Voices Project.
Mr. Baackes holds a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

Panelist: Michelle Gaskill-Hames, President, Southern California and Hawaii Regions, Kaiser Permanente
Gaskill-Hames joined Kaiser Permanente in 2016 and for 6 years served in a progression of leadership roles in the Northern California market, including senior vice president and area manager for both Redwood City and Greater Southern Alameda, interim regional chief nurse executive, and senior vice president of health plan and hospital operations. She also served as the Northern California incident commander for Kaiser Permanente’s COVID-19 response.
In February 2022, Gaskill-Hames was named chief operating officer and chief strategy, growth, and experience officer for Southern California and Hawaii. She was appointed interim president for the combined regions in April 2023 and assumed the role permanently in September of 2023.
Gaskill-Hames serves on several professional and community boards, including the California Hospital Association executive board, the Integrated Healthcare Association executive board, the boards of the national Healthcare Standards Institute and the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco. She serves on the CEO Council of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, the Southern California Leadership Council, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ Business Cabinet.
She holds a master’s degree in health services administration and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Michigan. She also has a project management certification from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Panelist: Dr. Coley King, Director Homeless Services, Venice Family Clinic
Coley King began his medical training at the College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kansas City, Missouri. Dr. King has been practicing family medicine at Venice Family Clinic for more than 15 years, and he is the architect of their renowned street medicine program. Under his guidance, this specialized program has grown to nine teams of providers and, in some instances, a psychiatrist, who work with partners at local social services agencies to address the needs of people who are currently unhoused.
The community he serves includes many less fortunate individuals who have suffered from illness, addiction, and plain bad luck. He has developed a curriculum to formalize the training in street medicine that he has provided to countless residents over the past 15 years. Dr. King strives to understand their predicament as he would his own and to help them achieve their best. He is humbled and fortunate to be able to serve these patients.

Panelist: Talesha Payne, Vice President Jamboree Housing
Talesha Payne, VP of Community Impact, is responsible for designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating housing-based programs and services for special populations. She also leads the development of CalAIM service strategies and health system relationships to enhance Jamboree's ability to provide services to our residents and communities. Talesha is a strong advocate for Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), which offers long-term rental subsidies and Intensive Case Management Services (ICMS) to individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness and have disabilities, chronic medical conditions, and/or behavioral health conditions. She believes, to be effective, supportive housing programs must meet the unique needs of the communities they serve, providing culturally responsive and equitable services. Talesha is a member of the Orange County Continuum of Care Board and Housing for Health Orange County Board. 

Moderator: Mark Costa, Board Member, Illumination Foundation
Mark is the Vice Chairman of the Illumination Foundation, an Orange County based non profit organization providing Recuperative Care, Shelter and Permanent Supportive Housing to over 800 individuals each day within the Los Angeles, Orange and Inland Empire Counties. He is also a founding Board Member of Be Well Orange County, an innovative Mental Health organization serving all resident of Orange County, including the unhoused.  Now retired, Mark had a 42 year Health Care career, serving in senior leadership roles within the Kaiser Permanente and Little Company of Mary, Providence organizations. He is a graduate of the UCLA School of Public Health and has served on many health care associated boards including, United to End Homelessness, the Hospital Council of Southern California and the California Hospital Association.

The initiatives and policies created in Sacramento directly impact healthcare providers and the patients they care for. Our panelists will address some of these issues including cost shifts from the public to the private system, increased access for Medi-Cal patients, expanded coverage for the undocumented, an increased minimum wage, and efforts to impact healthcare affordability.

Featured Speakers:

Dustin Corcoran, MBA

Dustin Corcoran is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the California Medical Association (CMA), a non-profit professional organization of nearly 50,000 physicians dedicated to protecting public health and promoting the science and art of medicine. As CEO, Mr. Corcoran has the responsibility for the overall supervision, direction, and control of the business and staff of CMA. Mr. Corcoran has advocated tirelessly for California physicians and the patients that they serve since 1998.

Louise McCarthy, MPP

Louise McCarthy is the President & CEO of the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC), where she represents the interests of LA area community health centers and those they serve. Before joining CCALAC, Ms. McCarthy was the Assistant Director of Policy for the California Primary Care Association, where she worked on statewide legislative, regulatory and administrative issues impacting California’s community health centers. Ms. McCarthy is a board member of the California Primary Care Association (CPCA), California Health Plus Advocates, and Urban Voices Project. She holds a Masters in Public Policy and is a Senior Fellow at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.
CCALAC has completed two related projects: Creating Jobs Amidst Workforce Shortage (brief, infographic) and Expanding Access to Care for All (brief, infographic).

Tom Priselac, MPH

Tom Priselac has served as President and CEO of Cedars-Sinai since 1994 and was also named President and CEO of the Cedars-Sinai Health System when it was formed in 2017. Throughout his career, Mr. Priselac has been a leader in the development of strategic and operational innovations to foster high-quality, safe and efficient healthcare. An author and invited speaker on policy issues regarding the delivery and financing of healthcare, Mr. Priselac has served the healthcare field in various roles during his career at Cedars-Sinai. He is a past Chair of the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees and past Chair of the Association of American Medical Colleges. The holder of the Warschaw/Law Endowed Chair in Healthcare Leadership at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Mr. Priselac also serves as an adjunct professor at the UCLA School of Public Health.
Tom’s recent Health Affairs article examines the cost shift from public to private payers.

Moderator:

Paul Viviano, MPA

Paul S. Viviano is a healthcare leader and a prominent advocate for the cause of child health regionally and nationally. He has led Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) as President and Chief Executive Officer since late 2015. Under his leadership, CHLA has been named a top children’s hospital nationally on U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Rolle and globally by Newsweek magazine. The hospital is home to one of the largest pediatric residency and fellowship training programs in the country and advances care and research discoveries for children that are widely adopted as best practices in pediatric care.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) promises to dramatically shift how we develop medicine, treat patients, and manage the commercial side of healthcare.

Artificial intelligence holds great promise to help medical professionals gain key insights and improve health outcomes. AI holds the promise of addressing healthcare problems such as chronic illness, workforce engagement, and hospital readmissions. These factors are leading healthcare organizations, insurance companies, and pharma and life sciences organizations to think critically about their AI strategies. AI could change the mountain of unstructured healthcare data that goes unused by facilitating searches and queries.

Please join us in person for networking and a conversation. This event will not be livestreamed but will be available following the event on the FSPH YouTube channel.

Featured Speakers:

Sam King, MPH, MBA, CPHIMS, CPHQ, FHIMSS, FHFMA

Sam is currently the Chief Operating Officer for Medical Intelligence 10, a unique artificial intelligence in medicine startup, and serves as Chief AI Evangelist and Strategic Adviser for AI Med. Sam is a seasoned healthcare executive, faculty member, and consultant with 30 years of experience in health IT, healthcare finance, big data analytics, artificial intelligence and continuous quality improvement, serving as COO, CIO, VP of Analytics, Senior Director, Director of Medical/Healthcare Informatics, etc. for payers, hospitals, medical groups, and startups.

Susan Kum, MPH

Susan, MPH '14, is Vice President of Technology Enablement at Greater Good Health, a senior-focused value-based care organization. In this role, she oversees IT infrastructure, the clinical technology stack, the data warehouse, and IT security and compliance. Prior to her role at Greater Good Health, Susan worked in product management, innovation, strategy, and operations roles at past organizations such as Landmark Health, Alignment Health, and Kaiser Permanente. 

Paul Lukac, MD, MBA, MS

Paul is Lead Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Ambulatory Physician Informatist at UCLA Health. He co-leads the Health AI Council, which is responsible for the governance of AI models deployed at UCLA Health. Additionally, Dr. Lukac has contributed to the development and use of multiple AI models at UCLA Health and has presented and spoken nationally on the governance and ethical use of AI in healthcare. As a physician informaticist, Dr. Lukac’s interests include clinical decision support and workflow optimization. He is proud to be a “Double Bruin” and a recent graduate of UCLA’s Clinical Informatics Fellowship.

Moderator:

Erin McInerney-Prichard, MBA, MA

Erin has spent 17 years within the healthcare ecosystem, including the pharmaceutical sector, health policy, and management consulting. She has partnered on AI-driven interventions for the past 9 years with health systems, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and companies within the health technology, digital health, remote monitoring, and wearable drug delivery sectors. In her consulting capacity today, she works on public private partnerships (PPPs) that leverage AI and emerging technologies in pursuit of the quadruple aim. Additionally, Erin currently serves on the board of directors for a chronic disease management startup, Ayuda Health, and as the Executive Director of a 501(c)(19) organization dedicated to providing resources, research and advocacy for US veterans seeking access to both traditional and emerging mental health treatments. 

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 PAUL TORRENS HEALTH FORUM AT UCLA