Honorees

LACMA, in partnership with the Patient Care Foundation, carefully vetted and selected individuals and organizations throughout Los Angeles County whose work and outcomes are positively impacting the lives of LA County residents and improving healthcare in our local communities. By honoring them, we will add to our 7-year history of honoring LA County’s best, who are helping to pave the way for improved healthcare delivery and access in Los Angeles County.

HEALTHCARE CHAMPION OF THE YEAR

BARBARA FERRER, Ph.D., MPH, MEd

PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR, LOS ANGELES COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH

This award is given to a physician, researcher, policymaker, advocate, philanthropist or other who has led initiatives to improve healthcare in Los Angeles County through increased patient access to care and treatment, advanced public health education, emboldened physician engagement in underserved communities, promotion of professional development for current and future physicians, and whose contributions have shaped the future of healthcare.

About Dr. Barbara Ferrer:

Barbara Ferrer is a nationally‐known public health leader with over 30 years of professional experience as a philanthropic strategist, public health director, educational leader, researcher, and community advocate. She has a proven track record of working collaboratively to improve population outcomes through efforts that build health and education equity.

Most recently, Dr. Ferrer served as the Chief Strategy Officer for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, where she was responsible for developing the strategic direction for critical program‐related work and providing leadership to the foundation’s key program areas: Education & Learning; Family Economic Security; Food, Health & Well‐Being; Racial Equity; Community Engagement; and Leadership Development.

Prior to working at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Dr. Ferrer served as the Executive Director of the Boston Public Health Commission, where she led a range of public health programs and built innovative partnerships to address inequities in health outcomes and support healthy communities and healthy families. During her time as Executive Director, Dr. Ferrer secured federal, state, and local funding for critical public health infrastructure and community‐based programs. Under her leadership, the City of Boston saw significant improvements in health outcomes, including a decrease in the rates of childhood obesity, smoking, and infant mortality.

Dr. Ferrer has also served as Director of Health Promotion & Chronic Disease Prevention and Director of the Division of the Maternal & Child Health at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. As a headmaster at a district high school in Boston, she led efforts to significantly improve high school graduation rates and ensure that every graduating senior was accepted to college. Dr. Ferrer received her Ph.D. in Social Welfare from Brandeis University, a Master of Arts in Public Health from Boston University, a Master of Arts in Education from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and a Bachelor of Arts in Community Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

INDEPENDENT PHYSICIAN LEADERSHIP AWARD

TONI JOHNSON CHAVIS, MD, MPH, FAAP

CHIEF MEDICAL DIRECTOR- MANAGED CARE AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
OMNICARE MEDICAL GROUP

This award is given to a physician for their exemplary contributions to the medical profession through active leadership in professional organizations, dedicated service to patients, fostering healthy communities, and performing a medical specialty in a successful practice.

About Dr. Toni Johnson Chavis:

Dr. Toni D. Johnson Chavis (Greene), was born in Los Angeles, CA and attended Compton High School, (Compton, CA). She completed her undergrad studies at Stanford University and received her medical degree at University of California Davis (Davis, CA). Her residency, fellowships and other developmental studies were performed at UCLA (master’s in public health), USC-Pediatric Pavilion, and Martin Luther King Hospital, Los Angeles, CA (Fellowship).

Dr. Johnson Chavis has operated three primary care sites (two Pediatric/ adolescent) since the early 1980’s, in South Los Angeles communities. She practices at St. Francis Hospital, Lynwood, CA and Long Beach Memorial Millers Children’s Hospital. In 1994, she was the pioneer and chief executive officer of a unique California based delegated IPA (Independent Physicians Association) Omnicare Medical Group (Lynwood, CA).

At Omnicare Medical Group, Dr. Johnson Chavis managed over 350 primary care and specialty care provider contracts, approximately 50,000 Members and several Health Plan Contracts (Local and State). Omnicare medical group provides care for all product lines (Medicaid, Medicare, Commercial, etc.) yet has a knack for the Medicaid and Managed Care population in vulnerable populations.

Currently, Dr. Chavis continues to serve as a Lead Physician in her three primary care clinic sites (which are PCMH recognized), Medical Director/ Managed Care Consultant for Alta Med: Omnicare Medical Group, and Chief Executive Officer for a state recognized Community Clinic.

In all of Dr. Chavis’s endeavors she has engaged, transformed and promoted the value of strengthening the primary care health delivery models. She has spearheaded many quality initiatives, innovative programs and clinical data tools which have been adopted and utilized by local health plans, private practice providers, and medical groups.

HOSPITAL PHYSICIAN LEADERSHIP AWARD

DONALD W. LARSEN, MD, MBA, MHA, FACHE

CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, PROVIDENCE SAINT JOHN’S

Awarded in recognition of exemplary contributions to the medical profession through active leadership in professional organizations, dedicated service to patients, fostering healthy communities, and performing a medical specialty or research in a hospital.

About Dr. Donald W. Larsen

Dr. Don Larsen is a C-suite physician executive with 30 years of experience spanning complex academic medical centers, large community health systems, acute care hospitals, and research institutes.

A Board-certified interventional neuroradiologist, Dr. Larsen received his medical degree from Chicago Medical School, an MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business, and an MHA from the USC Price School of Public Policy. He completed his residency in diagnostic radiology and a fellowship in vascular and interventional radiology at Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center, as well as fellowships in neuroradiology and interventional neuroradiology at the University of California, San Francisco.

Following a highly successful clinical career—during which he also held faculty positions with USC Keck School of Medicine, UCSF School of Medicine, and University of Miami Miller School of Medicine—Dr. Larsen was selected to serve as the Medical Director of the USC Care Medical Group. His contributions resulted in a promotion in 2009 to Chief Medical Officer of Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Hospital. As the two hospitals’ first CMO, he led initiatives that had a measurable effect on patient satisfaction, safety, costs, and quality.

In 2013, after playing a key role in USC’s acquisition of Verdugo Hills Hospital, Dr. Larsen was appointed the first CMO of this community hospital to ensure a successful integration. He was soon recruited by Providence St. Joseph Health to be the CMO of a community hospital in transition with a new owner and executive leadership team.

Since 2015, Dr. Larsen has concurrently served as the CMO of Providence Saint John’s Health Center and Executive Director of John Wayne Cancer Institute. For both organizations, his focus is on engaging caregivers, improving care, and expanding capabilities to better serve the community.

Fueled by an inner calling to improve healthcare delivery and innovation, Dr. Larsen is passionate about making a significant and meaningful impact to health. His clinical experience, leadership strengths, and business acumen combine to make him particularly effective in steering the evolution of forward-looking healthcare organizations.

Dr. Larsen lives in Pacific Palisades, California, with his wife, Linda, and two children.

INNOVATION AWARD FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE

L.A. CARE HEALTH PLAN

Awarded to a healthcare facility, organization or institution for facilitating access to health services, education and information at a community or neighborhood level that eliminates barriers to transportation, language or health insurance with a focus on vulnerable populations in underserved communities.

QUALITY IN MEDICINE AWARD – HEALTH SYSTEMS

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PERMANENTE MEDICAL GROUP-KAISER PERMANENTE

Awarded to a health system in recognition of operation or maintenance of health facilities that promote and facilitate patient care resulting in high patient satisfaction and quality of medical care, health improvement, and operational cost savings.

About Kaiser Permanente’s Clinical Quality Programs:

At Kaiser Permanente, our vision for Quality is to be the leader in achieving the best possible health for patients and members and revolutionizing the way health care is provided. To achieve this, we leverage our unique combination of care and coverage. We are committed to developing and delivering evidence-based approaches for integrating and measuring care to advance quality that is meaningful for our patients, members, consumers, and communities.

One of the ways we achieve this is through a market-leading Quality-led initiative called Complete Care.

Led by the Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Complete Care is the overarching philosophy that supports the culture of how we deliver care at Kaiser Permanente. It creates a standardized infrastructure and evidence based approach to disease management and preventive care services comprised of integrated systems, programs, and people which come together to help us focus on each person as a whole—with a goal of aligning the resources of the organization around the needs of the patient.

Leveraging the power of the electronic health record system, Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect® and our Southern California Permanente Complete Care Program’s homegrown technological portfolio or support tools, face-to-face visits with clinicians and staff are more efficient and allow more time to address all the needs of the patient instead of focusing on one chief complaint. Complete Care includes the practice of “Proactive Office Encounters” and the use of the Online Personal Action Plan.

Proactive Office Encounters ensure that no matter where patients access care, we are able to address all of their health care needs through a personalized, evidence-based approach. Using electronic checklists customized to each patient, support staff to address “care gaps”—such as the need for screenings and other preventive care.

The online Personal Action Plan (oPAP) changes the way patients interact with their health care system and allows them to take control of their health—truly becoming part of their own care team. Utilizing this tool, patients can quickly review and take the appropriate actions to close care gaps, as well as receive health education and other information relative to their health.

We are incredibly proud of the clinical Quality we provide and the supportive systems of care we deploy to ensure the 4.5 million Kaiser Permanente members we serve throughout Southern California receive the highest quality of care.

INNOVATION AWARD FOR HEALTHCARE DELIVERY

THE CEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL NETWORK

Awarded in recognition of providing an exceptional patient experience with personalized and proactive care while demonstrating high levels of satisfaction among physicians, nurses and other workers, as well as effective financial performance.

About Cedars-Sinai Medical Network:

Cedars-Sinai is a national leader in providing high-quality, patient-centered healthcare encompassing primary care as well as specialized medicine and conducting research that leads to life-saving discoveries and innovations.

Since its beginning in 1902, Cedars-Sinai has evolved to meet the healthcare needs of one of the most diverse regions in the nation, continually setting new standards in quality and innovation in patient care, research, teaching and community service.