As we step into summer, we find ourselves in a season of reflection on both the challenges impacting health research and the momentum building from our department's strategic plan, which is leading us to build on our strengths and deepen our impact across our missions. Across the UCLA Department of Medicine (DoM) and through our clinical partnerships, we witness meaningful efforts to advance patient-centered care, build stronger collaborations, and support the well-being of our teams.

Amid shifting national conversations and evolving policy landscapes, our focus remains clear - delivering high-quality, accessible care that meets people where they are. Whether through our regional partnerships, faculty development, or staff engagement programs, we are reminded that the strength of our system lies in the relationships we build and the values we uphold every day.

This year, the DoM Office of Community Engagement and Inclusive Excellence (CEIE) has centered its efforts to advance our DoM strategic plan around practical solutions to build an even stronger internal community while continuing to expand our external safety-net partnerships. To this end, we are reconnecting with our clinic partners through clinical regional lunches, supporting creative faculty-led initiatives through small grants, and encouraging open dialogue about how together we can do better.

Our work through the DoM Strategic Plan isn’t about buzzwords or mandates. It’s about listening, showing up, delivering care, conducting research, and providing education with purpose and integrity. We thank everyone for continuing to model that spirit across your teams and communities.

As always, we welcome your feedback, collaboration, and ideas as we refine the community engagement pillar of our DoM Strategic Plan over the upcoming months.

"Consider the rights of others before your own feelings.
Consider the feelings of others before your own rights."

- Late UCLA Bruin Coach John Wooden

DoM CEIE Faculty Utibe Essien, MD, MPH Named ACP Fellow

Dr. Utibe Essien, a leading researcher at the Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation at the Greater Los Angeles VA Hospital, has been named a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP). As associate vice chair of the DoM Office of Community Engagement and Inclusive Excellence, Dr. Essien focuses on disparities in cardiovascular care. 

The FACP designation recognizes Dr. Essien’s outstanding contributions and ongoing dedication to the internal medicine profession.

Congratulations, Dr. Essien!

DoM Chair Commends CEIE Staff Moira Ann Desphy, MPH, for Her Leadership

For Moira Ann Desphy, MPH, giving back is more than a job - it’s her mission. As the program manager at the UCLA Center for Asian Health and multiprogram coordinator for the department of medicine, Moira lives out the Filipino principles of kapwa (shared identity) and bayanihan (uplifting community).

Read the full story and watch how Moira champions kapwa and bayanihan.

This quarter, we are highlighting DoM staff member Chad Villaflores! Before joining UCLA, Chad worked in the aerospace industry, supporting a variety of complex systems. His background in systems engineering laid the foundation for a transition into healthcare, which he pursued by completing a Master’s in Healthcare Systems Engineering at Loyola Marymount University. This program gave him the tools to merge his technical expertise with a growing interest in healthcare, opening the door to work that could directly impact patient care and outcomes on a large scale.

Building Momentum in LGBTQ+ Health: Don’t Miss What’s Next

February’s Gender-Affirming Care Conference brought together 100+ clinicians, researchers, and community leaders to spotlight best practices and community-driven models in gender-affirming care. The energy continues on June 26 at DoM Grand Rounds, where Drs. Emery Chang, MD, Ethan R. Payton, MD, and Delaney Marguerite W. Rawson, MD, MPH will present "Research as Advocacy: Building Capacity and Clinical Care Options for LGBTQ+ People.

Looking ahead, the LGBTQ+ Health Grand Rounds series returns with a sharp focus on critical issues like cardiovascular health and addiction in gender-diverse communities. Be part of this vital dialogue - email for more information.

Women in Medicine: Growing Together, Leading Forward

On International Women’s Day, we proudly hosted our inaugural Women in Medicine Networking Conference - an energizing day of connection, mentorship, and empowerment for faculty at every career stage. Thank you to all who made it a success!

Keep the momentum going at our next Lunch & Learn on August 6, featuring Jodi Friedman, MD who will lead a dynamic session on Academic Advancement for Educators. 

Our Clinical Regional Lunches are designed to bring together faculty and clinic leadership across the UCLA Department of Medicine to foster connection, collaboration, and communication. These gatherings create a valuable space for regional teams to share best practices, highlight innovative strategies, and align on common goals that advance patient-centered care and community health.

A key feature of this year's lunches has been the introduction of our Small Project Grants initiative. These grants aim to empower regional teams to develop and implement low-cost, high-impact projects that address local needs and enhance care delivery. By investing directly in the creativity and expertise of our clinical teams, we hope to spark innovation and support sustainable improvements at the ground level.

At the heart of these lunches is a commitment to building stronger relationships across our diverse clinical sites. Through meaningful conversations, we aim to strengthen regional partnerships, celebrate local successes, and support the collective mission of delivering equitable, high-quality care to the communities we serve.

For details, contact Camila De Leon at ccdeleon@mednet.ucla.edu.

Staff Recognition Nominations

The Office of Community Engagement and Inclusive Excellence is proud to align with the values outlined in the DoM Strategic Plan. As part of our ongoing efforts to celebrate and uplift our community, we are spotlighting staff members throughout the year on our internal platforms.

We’d love your input! Who do you believe embodies the mission, goals, and core values of the DoM Strategic Plan?

Nominate them by completing this brief survey!

Please note: Nominations aren’t limited to managers - you’re encouraged to nominate colleagues or even yourself!

Doc & Talk Series Celebrates Autism Awareness, AANHPI Heritage, & LGBTQ+ History

This spring, the UCLA Department of Medicine’s Office of Community Engagement and Inclusive Excellence (DoM CEIE) hosted a special edition of its Doc & Talk Series, spotlighting two powerful films that celebrate diversity and deepen understanding.

In honor of Autism Awareness Month, the series featured Understanding Autism by acclaimed filmmaker Scott Steindorff, who shared his journey of being diagnosed with autism as an adult. His candid reflections sparked meaningful conversations about neurodiversity, stigma, and inclusion in healthcare and beyond.

To celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, the series also screened Grace Lee’s Off the Menu: Asian America. The film offered a delicious and heartfelt exploration of identity, culture, and community through food.

Join us for the next screening in celebration of Pride Month on June 24, from 12 to 1 p.m., featuring Beyond Stonewall – Exploring LGBTQ+ History.

By pairing film with open dialogue, the Doc & Talk Series continues to create space for learning, connection, and a deeper appreciation of unique perspectives - core values that support the department’s commitment to respectful engagement and service excellence.

 

 

 

 

 

Oronce CIA, Nguyen KH. Health equity demands data disaggregation—uncovering Pacific Islander mortality gaps. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Jun 2;8(6):e2514259. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.14259. PMID: 40478577.

Barajas CB, Roby DH, Stimpson JP, Ponce NA, Lazalde GE, De Trinidad Young ME, et al. Equity in health care access, utilization, and experiences for Latino children in California by parental citizenship and household language, 2021–2022. Acad Pediatr. 2025 May 22:102856. doi:10.1016/j.acap.2025.102856. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40412762.

Madera A, Schrodt C, Mendizabal A. Disparities in Huntington's disease care and research. Curr Opin Neurol. 2025 May 21. doi:10.1097/WCO.0000000000001376. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40395201.

Bishop RA, Tarleton C, Braslow JT, Castillo EG. Barriers and delays to healthcare at time of death: qualitative analysis of Los Angeles County death records of people experiencing homelessness. BMC Public Health. 2025 May 14;25(1):1772. doi:10.1186/s12889-025-22509-6. PMID: 40369455; PMCID: PMC12077044.

Bradley AS, Bonner TJ, Youssef MR, Burton BN, Warner DO, Faloye AO, et al. Perioperative health care disparities in the United States: a systematic review. Anesth Analg. 2025 May 3. doi:10.1213/ANE.0000000000007510. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40323058.

Wang K, Hernandez AM, Penate V, Abhat A, Casillas A. Digital health implementation among older adults: health technology navigators' perspectives. Am J Manag Care. 2025 May 1;31(5):e125-e131. doi:10.37765/ajmc.2025.89736. PMID: 40387720.

Higashi RT, Thakur B, Repasky EC, Casillas A, Steitz BD, Hogan TP, et al. Digital health technology use among Spanish speakers in the US: a scoping review. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 May 1;8(5):e2510386. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.10386. PMID: 40372754; PMCID: PMC12082372.

Vanneman ME, Roberts ET, Li Y, Sileanu FE, Essien UR, Mor MK, et al. Experiences with VA-purchased community care for US veterans with mental health conditions. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 May 1;8(5):e2511548. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.11548. PMID: 40397443; PMCID: PMC12096262.

Thorpe RJ Jr, Bruce MA, Wilder T, Jones HP, Thomas Tobin C, Norris KC. Health disparities at the intersection of racism, social determinants of health, and downstream biological pathways. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2025 Apr 29;22(5):703. doi:10.3390/ijerph22050703. PMID: 40427819.

Baker C, Bueno S, Carrillo L, Flores E, Hing M, Kaur G, et al. Medical education as liberatory praxis: experiences from the UCLA "structural racism and health equity" curriculum. Soc Sci Med. 2025 Jul;376:118094. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118094. Epub 2025 Apr 17. PMID: 40294563.

Golestaneh L, Kim RS, Roach C, Norris KC, Fox AD, Melamed ML, et al. Effect of peer mentorship on hospitalizations among patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2025 Apr 15. doi:10.1681/ASN.0000000709. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40232855.

Gholami M, Kintzer E, Wong M, Smith D, Depp C. Implementation and impact of a diversity supplement repository. J Clin Transl Sci. 2025 Apr 10;9(1):e85. doi:10.1017/cts.2025.70. PMID: 40384750; PMCID: PMC12083204.

Alicic RZ, Duru OK, Jones CR, Kornowske LM, Daratha KB, Reynolds CL, et al. Incidence of chronic kidney disease among adults with prediabetes in the CURE-CKD registry, 2013–2020. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2025 Jun;27(6):3536-3541. doi:10.1111/dom.16365. Epub 2025 Apr 2. PMID: 40171884.

Ponce NA, Becker T, Shimkhada R. Breaking barriers with data equity: the essential role of data disaggregation in achieving health equity. Annu Rev Public Health. 2025 Apr;46(1):21–42. doi:10.1146/annurev-publhealth-072523-093838. Epub 2025 Jan 30. PMID: 39883940.

Keller MS, Essien UR. Disparities in high-risk medication use—implications for health equity and deprescribing practices. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Apr 1;8(4):e254768. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.4768. PMID: 40227691.

Shannon EM, Blegen MB, Orav EJ, Li R, Norris KC, Maggard-Gibbons M, et al. Patient-surgeon racial and ethnic concordance and outcomes of older adults operated on by California licensed surgeons: an observational study. BMJ Open. 2025 Mar 3;15(3):e089900. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2024-089900. PMID: 40032373; PMCID: PMC11877244.

Oronce CIA, Pablo R, Shapiro SR, Willis P, Ponce N, Mafi JN, et al. Racial and ethnic differences in low-value care among older adults in a large statewide health system. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2025 Mar;73(3):900–909. doi:10.1111/jgs.19369. Epub 2025 Feb 3. PMID: 39898412; PMCID: PMC11907755.

Chauntry AJ, Whittaker AC, Puterman E, Seeman T, Teychenne M, Turner AI, et al. Chronic psychological stress and cardiovascular disease risk: when to use single biomarkers versus allostatic load. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2025 Feb 8:S0033-0620(25)00026-X. doi:10.1016/j.pcad.2025.02.005. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39929421.

Manosalva C, Quiroga J, Hidalgo AI, Alarcón P, Ansoleaga N, Hidalgo MA, et al. Corrigendum: Role of lactate in inflammatory processes: friend or foe. Front Immunol. 2025 Jan 27;16:1553925. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2025.1553925. PMID: 39931059; PMCID: PMC11808222.

Olson-Kennedy J, Wang L, Wong CF, Chen D, Ehrensaft D, Hidalgo MA, et al. Emotional health of transgender youth 24 months after initiating gender-affirming hormone therapy. J Adolesc Health. 2025 Jan 16:S1054-139X(24)00566-4. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.11.014. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39818652.

We’re excited to share updates from all divisions in the UCLA Department of Medicine! Connect with us to feature your news and highlights in the next edition of our quarterly newsletter.

We’re also calling for DoM Community Spotlights! Help us showcase DoM members who are addressing health disparities and advancing health on our social media accounts. If you or someone you know could be highlighted, email us.

Don’t forget to visit our website and follow us on Instagram to stay updated!