EMPH Alumni Spotlight: Natalie Yragui’s Journey in Healthcare Innovation

Natalie Yragui (EMPH ’20) has a knack for turning complexity into clarity. As a Business Consultant at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine (KPSOM), Natalie serves as a strategic thought partner to executive leadership, ensuring the institution stays ahead of operational risks and emerging trends. Her ability to navigate the intricacies of healthcare administration was forged during her time in the UCLA Executive MPH program, where she and her teammates, Aneliese Castro and Sarah Gettings, won the 2020 EMPH Sinaiko Business Plan Competition.

Today, Natalie remains a vital pillar of the UCLA community, having spent the last three years co-mentoring the next generation of healthcare leaders.

In this spotlight, Natalie shares how the EMPH program sharpened her strategic lens and why she continues to invest in the success of current student teams like SafeBite Technologies (EMPH Students Emily Brown, Maite Medina, RN, and Trishna Singh) and AccessLink Health (EMPH Students Marina Martinez, Maya Camacho, and D’Artagnan DeBow, MD, MBA).

What does your day-to-day look like as a Business Consultant in the Office of Administration & Finance and the Office of People, Communications, and Development at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine?

“In my role as a Business Consultant, I work closely with the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Advancement Officer, and their respective leadership teams to help them stay ahead of operational risks, emerging issues, and strategic decisions. My day‑to‑day is focused on anticipating what’s coming next and ensuring leaders have the clarity they need to make informed decisions.

On any given day, that might look like meeting with leadership across the medical school, developing or refining key deliverables such as budget materials, strategic planning documents, or status updates, and pulling together input from multiple teams to surface risks, trade-offs, or decision points early. I stay closely connected to what’s happening across the organization and help translate that complexity into clear, actionable insights so leaders can act proactively rather than reactively.

I often serve as a thought partner, helping pressure‑test ideas and connect dots across the school. What I enjoy most is that no two days look exactly the same. The work requires both structure and adaptability, and it’s deeply rooted in strengthening how the two Offices operate so they can better support the students, staff, and faculty who make up the KPSOM community.”

How did winning the Business Plan competition in 2020 shape your approach to healthcare operations and strategy?

“Winning the Business Plan competition in 2020 with Aneliese Castro and Sarah Gettings was a valuable experience that gave me the opportunity to work through what it really takes to move an idea from concept to something that could work in practice.

Writing the business plan and preparing to present to a panel of judges pushed me to think more deeply about feasibility including how the introduction of an innovative product might operate within an already complex healthcare system and how proposed efficiencies could affect patients, staff, and communities. It reinforced the importance of not only having a strong idea, but being able to clearly communicate its purpose, key considerations, and potential impact.

That perspective continues to guide my work today. I’m intentional about asking thoughtful questions, staying grounded in outcomes, and shaping solutions that are both forward‑thinking and realistic.”

You and Aneliese have been incredible mentors to our current students this year. Thank you! What was the most rewarding part of working with the student teams, SafeBite and AccessLink?

“Having been a few years removed from our own Business Plan experience and now mentoring together for the past three years, it’s been especially meaningful to stay connected with Aneliese and give back to a program that shaped us both. This year, SafeBite and AccessLink came in incredibly prepared, with strong ideas, early drafts of business plan concepts, and a clear sense of where our support could add value.

Working with both teams as they translated those ideas into a compelling presentation, navigated competing priorities under real deadlines, and thought through potential areas of friction was a true pleasure. The most rewarding moment was being in the room for their final presentations and seeing how confident and grounded they were after months of hard work!”

Anything else you’d like to share?

“Shoutout to my incredible Class of 2020!”