Network

Alumni & Networking

The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health Executive Programs in Health Policy and Management is at the center of an extensive network of colleagues, alumni, and friends who work in all aspects of healthcare in California, the country, and across the globe This network forms an important resource for both students and alumni — and extends into collaborations with leading healthcare organizations.

The classroom uses case studies, field projects, guest lectures, and mentorships to expose students to the diversity of healthcare endeavors — public and private, for profit and not for profit, community-based and entrepreneurial, direct service delivery, cutting-edge technology — that make up Southern California’s dynamic healthcare marketplace.

ExecHPM Spotlight

Cozzette Lyons-Jones, MD, MPH
UCLA EMPH Graduate, Class of 2018

Dr. Cozzette Lyons-Jones has been selected as a 2025 UCLA Fielding School of Public Health Hall of Fame inductee. Nominated by Jessie Lee Sherrod and EMPH Professor Avram Kaplan for her demonstrated contributions to the field of public health, Dr. Lyons-Jones was selected from a highly accomplished pool of alumni as a Hall of Fame Award inductee.

An accomplished Physician Executive with a diverse background spanning over 20 years in healthcare and managed care, Dr. Lyons-Jones serves as Chief Medical Officer at Watts Healthcare Corporation, a historic FQHC in Los Angeles.

Dr. Lyons-Jones graduated from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health Executive Master of Public Health Program (EMPH) in Health Policy and Management in 2018. She earned her Bachelor of Science from Cornell University and her Doctor of Medicine from the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo in 1997.

Congratulations, Dr. Lyons-Jones!

Read more about her outstanding career accomplishments on ph.ucla.edu.

Kaylie Alexander

Kaylie Alexander, EMPH Class of 2018, recently landed a new job at Elevation Health Partners. Kaylie's new title is Operations and Quality Improvement Consultant, in which she works as a coach on the LA Practice Transformation Network project. In regards to her experience in the EMPH program, Kaylie notes: "The EMPH program was essential for me moving to this role. First, one of my classmates sent me the job listing- I would not have known about it without networking through EMPH. Second, I learned so much in the program that it prepared me for a role as a consultant. I feel in this role you have to have a broad understanding of health care policies and I definitely have that after the EMPH experience."

Leon Cristobal

Leon Cristobal, EMPH Class if 2019, was chosen by Kaiser Permanente as one of the Challenge Possible Idea Lab Accelerators. Out of 2,194 total applicants, Leon's idea for Kaiser's Challenge Possible has gone forward. Congratulations, Leon- the 2019 cohort is proud to have you.

Samuel Gonzalez

Samuel Gonzalez, EMPH Class of 2018, has been promoted in his organization, Gilead Sciences! Samuel, a former HCV Community Specialist, has been promoted to Opinion Leader Programs Operations Manager.
Regarding his experiences, Samuel notes: "I was hesitant to go back for a second master's degree, specifically because I was already tracking toward the goals that I had planned. However, being part of the EMPH Program opened my eyes to so many other possibilities. I made so many new friends and colleagues that I know I can count on to guide me in my career, and that is the most invaluable part of the EMPH Program."

Lalima Hoq

Lalima Hoq, MD (EMPH Class of 2004) has been elected Clinical Chief for the Division of General Internal Medicine at Cedars Sinai for 2019. Congratulations to Lalima Hoq, EMPH alumna, on her recent success and election to Clinical Chief for the Division of General Internal Medicine at Cedars Sinai! Lalima is the first woman to be elected for this position, and we are incredibly proud and happy to congratulate her on this success.

Lisa Nickle

Lisa Nickle, RN, MPH- New Position at Anthem
MPH alumna, Lisa Nickle, started a new position with Anthem. She says: "it was thru an EMPH alumni connection, that I learned about and was hired into a position at LACare, while attending the EMPH program. One year later, it was due to another alumni connection (and my experience at LACare), that I learned about and was hired into my current position at Anthem! So-I would say that the EMPH, for me, has a pretty good ROI! This was one of the primary reasons I chose to attend UCLA EMPH program; I was banking on the UCLA alumni network". Congrats, Lisa!

News & Events

Stay connected with ExecHPM news, upcoming events, collaborations, and alumni updates.

Hosted by the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health’s Health Policy and Management Alumni Association (HPMAA), the “Leaders of Today, Leaders of Tomorrow” Annual Dinner honors outstanding leaders in healthcare and raises funds to support student scholarships, as well as for programs and services that support students and the graduate network. The annual event is held at the UCLA Luskin Conference Center. The date for the 2026 event is TBD.

The Paul Torrens Health Forum is an established gathering where practitioners and academics discuss timely public health issues affecting the industry.

Named in honor of EMPH Founding Director, 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.

The Center for Healthcare Management brings together academic researchers, students, seasoned executives, practitioners and other health experts, as well as interdisciplinary academic healthcare management resources to advance healthcare management.

By actively involving healthcare organizations as collaborative partners with academic faculty, the center generates practical, relevant knowledge via evidence-based management scholarship that allows companies to act in a landscape fraught with uncertainty and change.

This UCLA collaboration between research and practice is also a rich source of inspiration for curriculum content for its executive, traditional, and customized degree and non-degree programs. At the individual course level, the healthcare management cases developed by the center’s partners provide rich materials for classroom discussion.

The UCLA Health Policy and Management Student Association (HPMSA) is the professional student organization for the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Fielding School of Public Health. Through philanthropic, social, and professional development programs, HPMSA strives to support students in their personal and professional growth. HPMSA works in partnership with the Health Policy and Management Alumni Association (HPMAA) to prepare its members for future leadership positions in administration, policy, and public health.