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A LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

As we approach the end of the calendar year, our academic year is just getting started. Thirty-one students started in our MHA program on September 21st. And our brand new EMPH cohort started the program at the end of August. They will be the special cohort that graduates just as Los Angeles will be buzzing with the 2028 Olympics. It’s hard to believe that our very own UCLA campus will be transformed into Olympic Village. Exciting times ahead.

Our second-year EMPH students started their Applied Consulting Projects over the summer, working to address issues on transitional housing, youth programming, and mental health services facing organizations including CRI-Help, Mass Liberation, UCLA Health, ROWI Teen & Parent Wellness Centers, and city governments including South Pasadena and Carson. They submitted their project proposals in the beginning of August, and we are looking forward to Session 7 on Friday, November 20, where they will present their findings during class to both cohorts. If anyone is interested in attending, please reach out. I’d also like to express our appreciation for the preceptors who have been working with our students. Thank you to Michael Whittiker, Ryan Welter, Melissa Snyder, Joelle Kirtley, Phil Loos, Brandon Fernandez, and Erin Quinn.

We are officially underway with the EMPH admissions season for the Fall 2027. The UCLA Graduate Application Portal is now open. Referrals are appreciated, and we would welcome candidates from within your network.

Congratulations to our MHA students who just completed their coursework for their MHA degrees this Summer Quarter. This is our first group of students who will be participating in Commencement 2027 next June! It will come as no surprise that planning is already underway for this much celebrated event.

Don’t miss our Faculty Spotlights on Dr. Julie Elginer and Dr. Sophie Snyder this quarter. We are immensely grateful for their contributions to the Executive Programs.

We welcomed Dr. Kaveh Houshmand Azad to our faculty in August. He’s teaching HPM 416 Improving Systems in the EMPH program. Currently the Associate Administrator of the Keck Operating System and Continuous Improvement at Keck Medicine of USC, Dr. Houshmand Azad has more than 25 years of experience improving systems across large and complex health organizations.

I hope everyone has a productive fall quarter. Very much looking forward to connecting with you again in the new year with our Winter Newsletter in January. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to me anytime. I love hearing from all of you who make up our wonderful UCLA Executive HPM community.

All my best,

Kyle Sullivan, MSW
Executive Director, Executive Programs in HPM