Hello to all of my colleagues,

I hope you’re all doing well and looking forward to the coming holiday season. I’m always surprised at how fast time flies, and while it’s only October, I think it’s a good time to reflect on all that we’ve accomplished so far this year, even while we’re looking forward to all the good that is yet to come. 

Our team has already achieved a great deal this year, and I want to reiterate my pride in our progress toward our goals. I won’t restate all that has happened. Instead, I want to focus on what we will continue to focus on as we move forward.

As always, our number one goal is to improve the health of individuals in Inland Southern California. We do this by expanding access to critical, high-quality specialties and developing innovative and accessible healthcare programs and services that will transform healthcare delivery for all. Our areas of focus continue to be:

• Exploring new ways and locations where we can increase ambulatory access to the community
• Expand services through the development of new technology and recruiting new physicians to the Inland Southern California market 
• Expand training and education for our clinical staff 
• Develop additional clinical education partnerships (MA/NP/LVN) with community organizations
• Engage in pediatric and translational research to improve the health of the community
• Develop additional clinical programs that will enhance our ability to address community health issues 

This is only a high-level overview of what we are doing - you can read more of my thoughts here.

I remain focused on working with the UCR School of Medicine (SOM) to do all that through training and retaining physicians dedicated to our region. The truth is when other organizations step backward, UCR Health steps forward. When no other healthcare provider wanted to step up, we took the initiative to assume ownership of Hulen Place Clinic for the unhoused and underserved. It is the responsibility of all of us to take care of those who deserve quality health care.

But building all of this, making all of this happen, requires money and assistance from the community. I hope you’ll consider attending the upcoming UCR School of Medicine 10th Anniversary Gala and Education Building II Grand Opening. The festivities will take place on October 21. It’s an excellent opportunity to network with your colleagues and meet some of our future physicians. All the proceeds will benefit the Mission Scholars Program, ensuring that we’re training the best and brightest to return and practice in our local community. The only way we will address the physician shortage is to develop innovative programs such as the Mission Scholars to keep our brightest at home. So have fun, get dressed up, and enjoy live music and dancing – all for a good cause. Purchase tickets here. 

What else is going on? Plenty. On September 26, we held a ribbon cutting for Education Building II. On September 12, Hulen Place opened, and we are seeing patients every Tuesday and Thursday. This clinic will provide medical care closer to where patients are located, specifically focusing on primary care. We will add behavioral health at Hulen Clinic in the next 90 days.

We also anticipate that we will be able to provide outreach and extended care management services to the Medi-Cal and uninsured populations and include connections from and through our student-run UCR Street Medicine program. 

I remain very proud of UCR Health and the UCR School of Medicine. Together, we supply needed care and services to those most in need. It’s our legacy as one organization, one people, dedicated to one another and all others. 

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote, “Darkness cannot drive out Darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” We have far too much Darkness in our world, and we cannot wait for what others do. Instead, be the light, be the first to step forward, and be the change you want to see in this beautiful world we live in. 

Thank you for everything you’ve done and everything we will do going forward. Let’s look to the future together. With each of us focused on being the light for others, there are no limits to what we can do together.