As we enter Open Enrollment season, I want to take a moment to reflect on how far we've come together and recognize the people who make our progress possible.

Every fall, families across our region consider an important question: Where will I get care? At UCR Health, we want the answer to be simple: quality care, backed by UC expertise, close to home.

Over the past year, we've made meaningful strides toward that goal. We've strengthened relationships with health plans, expanded our physician network, developed new clinical partnerships, and invested in making UCR Health more accessible throughout Inland Southern California. These accomplishments reflect the dedication, collaboration, and hard work of our entire team.

Stronger Together

One of our greatest strengths is our ability to work together. I want to personally thank our Internal Medicine and Family Medicine physicians for their continued partnership in expanding access and strengthening patient care.

As our organization grows, collaboration across our clinical and administrative teams becomes even more important. Our shared goal is to create a health system that patients can navigate with confidence, where care is coordinated, accessible, and connected at every step.

We're also extending these connections beyond our own walls. A new clinical affiliation with a primary care physician organization, along with additional physician partnerships on the horizon, will improve care coordination and expand access to our specialty services. These relationships will allow more patients to benefit from UCR Health's expertise while maintaining the trusted relationships they've built with their existing physicians.

Growing Our Reach

I'm excited to share another important milestone in our growth: UCR Health has signed a lease for a new clinical location in Corona, and construction is underway.

With an anticipated opening in early 2027, this location will bring primary and specialty care together under one roof, making it easier for patients in one of our region's fastest-growing communities to access the services they need.

This expansion represents more than a new location. It's another step toward ensuring that families across the Inland Empire have access to high-quality, coordinated care closer to home.

We're also exploring new opportunities for our community to become more involved in our mission. UCR Health is developing an ambassador program and advisory committee that will allow community members to share their perspectives, champion our work, and contribute to conversations about our future growth. I look forward to sharing more as these initiatives develop.

Quality You Can Measure

As we expand, we must remain focused on what matters most: the quality of care we provide.

I'm proud to share that in September, our teams closed 99 hypertension care gaps against a goal of 65, achieving 152% of our target. This accomplishment demonstrates what we can achieve when our physicians, clinical staff, and supporting teams work toward a shared goal.

Closing care gaps helps ensure patients receive recommended screenings, tests, and treatments while improving the coordination of their care. Behind every number is a patient receiving the attention and follow-through they deserve.

This month, our quality focus turns to Diabetes Optimal Care. By prioritizing point-of-care A1c testing, along with same-day urine albumin and eGFR testing when appropriate, we can address multiple care needs in a single visit, reduce unnecessary return trips, and make care more convenient for our patients.

As we approach the end of the calendar year, every patient visit is an opportunity to make a meaningful difference.

Looking Ahead, Together

A stronger physician network, expanding clinical partnerships, a new location in Corona, measurable improvements in quality, and new opportunities for community engagement are all part of a larger vision for UCR Health.

As patients review their options this Open Enrollment season, I want them to recognize what makes UCR Health special: academic expertise, compassionate physicians, coordinated care, and a growing network rooted in the communities we serve.

Most importantly, I want to recognize each of you for the role you play in bringing that vision to life. Whether you provide direct patient care, support our clinical operations, or work behind the scenes, your contributions are essential to our success.

I'm proud of what we've accomplished together, and I'm even more excited about what lies ahead. The work we do today will help shape health care throughout Inland Southern California for years to come.

Thank you for your continued dedication to UCR Health, our patients, and one another.

All My Best,

The post Message from the CEO – UC Expertise, Close to Home appeared first on UCR Health.

Greetings, UCR Health Team,

As UCR Health continues to grow, one of our most important priorities is ensuring that growth translates into a better experience for our patients.

For too many people throughout Inland Southern California, accessing healthcare can still mean long waits for appointments, complicated scheduling processes, or traveling outside their communities to receive the care they need. As the UC health system serving this region, we have both an opportunity and a responsibility to help change that.

Our focus this month is clear: Same-week appointments.

At UCR Health, our goal is straightforward: whenever clinically appropriate, patients should be offered an appointment within 10 days of contacting us.

Achieving that goal requires more than simply adding appointments. It means looking closely at the entire patient experience and finding new ways to make connecting with UCR Health simpler, faster, and more convenient.

One important part of that work is expanding online appointment scheduling, giving patients greater flexibility in how and when they connect with our physicians. We are also continuing to strengthen our patient access processes and digital capabilities so patients can more easily navigate their care.

These improvements are part of a larger commitment to creating a healthcare experience that is responsive to the needs of the communities we serve.

Technology alone is not the answer. What matters is how we use it to remove barriers, improve communication, and help patients receive the right care at the right time. Combined with the dedication of our clinical and administrative teams, these efforts are moving us closer to a more connected and patient-centered health system.

There is still work ahead, but every improvement brings us closer to the kind of organization we are building—one known not only for outstanding academic medicine, but also for exceptional access and service.

Thank you to everyone across UCR Health who is helping make that possible.

With gratitude,

The post Message from the CEO – September 2026 Access & Technology appeared first on UCR Health.

Greetings, UCR Health Team,

There are moments in the life of an organization when you can feel momentum beginning to build. I believe UCR Health is experiencing one of those moments.

When I accepted the opportunity to lead UCR Health, I believed we had a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create something truly transformative for Inland Southern California—an academic health system that combines exceptional physicians, innovative research, outstanding education, and compassionate, patient-centered clinical care to improve the health of our communities. Building the Future of healthcare for the Inland Empire.

Every day, that vision becomes a little more real.

What excites me most is not simply that we are growing. It is how we are growing. We are intentionally building a health system centered on exceptional quality, timely access, meaningful partnerships, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to the patients and communities we serve. Every physician we recruit, every clinic we open, every partnership we establish, and every improvement we make is guided by one purpose—to make outstanding academic healthcare more accessible for every patient who needs us.

As we build on this momentum, we are also introducing a new campaign centered on what UCR Health offers our communities: Local care. UC Expertise. This month, we begin by highlighting one of the most important parts of that promise: Doctors who listen.

An important part of that growth is continuing to build an exceptional physician community. Please join me in welcoming three exceptional physicians to UCR Health:

• Dr. James Lee, Interventional Cardiologist
• Dr. Henry Yang, Neurologist
• Dr. Viona Zhang, Internal Medicine

Each of these physicians was selected not only for their clinical expertise, but also because they share our belief that exceptional service, timely access, compassion, teamwork, and academic excellence are fundamental to outstanding patient care.

As our physician community continues to grow, so does our opportunity to welcome others who share our vision.

We are actively seeking physicians and physician groups who believe healthcare should be defined by exceptional quality, outstanding service, timely access, collaboration, innovation, and a deep commitment to improving the health of our communities. Whether through employment or clinical affiliation, we are looking for physicians who want to help shape the future of academic medicine in Inland Southern California.

If you share that vision, we would welcome the opportunity to begin a conversation. Together, we have the opportunity to build something truly unique—an integrated academic health system that will improve lives for generations to come.

With gratitude,

The post Message from the CEO – August 2026 Vision & New Physicians appeared first on UCR Health.

Greetings, UCR Health Team,

April and May have given us several meaningful moments to celebrate the people who make UCR Health excellent — those who provide care, those who support care, and everyone who helps our patients experience the best of who we are. As we pause to reflect on these past weeks, I want to share what we accomplished together and highlight some exciting developments that speak to where we are headed.

Celebrating C.A.R.E. Award Honorees

On April 14, the UC Riverside School of Medicine recognized faculty and staff at its annual awards dinner. I want to congratulate our UCR Health award recipients. Their recognition reflects the professionalism, compassion, and teamwork we strive for every day: 

• Lynsey Lakin, NP — Outstanding Clerkship Instructor 
• Jean Russell, MD — Outstanding Clerkship Instructor 
• Kathy Calderon, MD — Award for Excellence in Patient Care 
• Michelle Bholat, MD — Research Achievement Award in Clinical Research 
• Peter Ureste, MD — Clinical Faculty of the Year Award 
• Paul Salama, MD, MPH — Community Educator of the Year Award 

I also want to recognize Sasha Whitaker and Zina Jubrael, who were honored with the Staff Mission Award – Clinical. Thank you both for the excellence you bring to your teams and the care experience you help create for our patients. 

Administrative Professionals Day

On April 22, we recognized Administrative Professionals Day. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the administrative professionals across UCR Health. Your work is essential - You keep clinics moving, help patients navigate their care, support our physicians and teams, and bring calm and clarity to busy days. You are often the first voice a patient hears and the steady force that keeps everything organized behind the scenes.

I also want to give special recognition to our Executive Admin Team — Alex White, Beverley Herbert, and Lisa Perkins. Thank you for everything you do to support our leaders and teams across the organization.

Partnership Update: Joint Operating Committee with UCSD Health 

On May 11, members of our leadership team traveled to San Diego to participate in a Joint Operating Committee meeting with UCSD Health. These collaborative sessions are a cornerstone of how we build and sustain the partnerships that strengthen our health system. 

At this meeting, our teams focused on expanding our managed care networks and our clinically integrated network infrastructure. This work is already yielding results — UCR Health welcomed its first Blue & Gold members into our network in April, a meaningful milestone in growing our managed care reach and ensuring more patients can access our services. By aligning our expansion strategies with UCSD Health, we are building pathways for stronger care coordination, broader access to specialty services, and a more connected regional health system across the Inland Empire and beyond. We look forward to sharing more details as these efforts continue to develop. 

Innovation Update: AI-Supported Clinical Technology

UCR Health is committed to putting technology to work in the service of our patients and our teams. I am pleased to share several updates on AI-driven initiatives that are already active across our organization.

Nabla Clinical Documentation Pilot

We have launched a pilot of Nabla, an AI-powered ambient clinical documentation platform. Nabla assists providers by generating draft clinical notes during patient encounters, significantly reducing documentation time and allowing clinicians to be more fully present with their patients. We are actively gathering feedback from participating providers as we evaluate the pilot for broader rollout.

AI Tools Now in Use Across UCR Health 

In addition to the Nabla pilot, we have deployed AI-supported capabilities in the following areas: 

• AI-Supported Dictation — Reducing transcription time and streamlining provider documentation workflows 
• Patient Portal Message Drafting — Helping care teams respond to patient inquiries more efficiently 
• Online Scheduling — Improving patient access and reducing friction in the scheduling process 
• Population Health Risk Prediction Models — Identifying high-risk patients earlier to enable proactive outreach and care management 

These tools represent the beginning of a broader commitment. We will continue to evaluate and roll out additional AI-driven technology designed to improve service, access, and efficiency — always in support of our teams and the patients we serve. 

Celebrating National Nurses Week

National Nurses Week, May 6 through May 12, gave us a dedicated moment to honor nurses across UCR Health—and we were proud to celebrate you. This week, and every week, we celebrate our NPs, LVNs, and care team members who support our patients, physicians, colleagues, and community with skill, heart, and professionalism. I also want to recognize several of our NPs and LVNs for the important role they play in delivering compassionate, high-quality care:

• Sabrina Beasley-Hall, LVN
• Liz Duran, LVN
• Monica Jenkins, NP
• Lynsey Lakin, NP
• Becky Ortega, LVN
• Nicole Sihotang, NP

If you haven’t already, we invite you to watch the full leadership message on our Instagram page — a heartfelt tribute to our NPs and LVNs who make UCR Health exceptional. View the post here.

Thank you for everything you do. Your work matters, and the impact reaches far beyond what any of us can see in a single moment. It is a privilege to serve alongside such a dedicated and caring team.

With gratitude,

The post Message from the CEO – April & May 2026 Recap appeared first on UCR Health.

Greetings, UCR Health Team! As we move through spring, I want to take a moment to recognize what truly drives UCR Health forward—our people. March offered meaningful opportunities to celebrate the talent, dedication, and teamwork that define our organization and the inclusive culture we continue to build together.

Employee Appreciation Month

While Employee Appreciation Month has concluded, the spirit behind it continues. The messages shared across our teams reflected not only gratitude, but also the strong sense of kindness, collaboration, patient service and care, as well as the respect and inclusion that make UCR Health special. Across clinical and administrative roles alike, every interaction with patients and among peers plays a vital part in the care we deliver to our communities. If you haven’t yet, I encourage you to visit the Virtual Gratitude Board to see the messages and photos shared by your colleagues. They are a powerful reminder of the impact we have on one another. Thank you for being the heart of UCR Health. Thank you to everyone who helped bring appreciation activities to life across our clinics—from bingo celebrations to ice cream socials. These moments of connection matter. They strengthen our culture and reinforce that we succeed best when we recognize and support one another.

National Doctors’ Day

On March 30, we also recognized National Doctors’ Day, honoring the physicians who serve our patients with exceptional skill, compassion, and dedication.

To our physicians:

Thank you for the expertise you bring, the leadership you demonstrate, and the trust you build with the communities we serve across the Inland Empire.

I also want to acknowledge the many teams who helped make the day meaningful—from the Executive Leadership Team’s message and video to those who coordinated the distribution of appreciation gifts, including UCR Health jackets. Your efforts ensured that this recognition was felt across the organization.

Carrying the Momentum Forward

As we move into April, I encourage all of us to carry forward the spirit of March—continuing to recognize one another, fostering a culture where everyone feels valued and included, and staying connected in our shared mission.

Thank you for the role you play in advancing UCR Health’s impact every day in our community.

With appreciation,

The post Message from the CEO – March 2026: Celebrating the People Who Drive UCR Health Forward appeared first on UCR Health.

Hello UCR Health Team,

As we begin 2026, I want to start with a simple thank you.

Over the past several months, I’ve had the chance to speak with many patients, community members, and partners across the Inland Empire. One message comes up repeatedly: people are noticing the care they receive at UCR Health—not just the quality of the medicine, but the personal connection they feel with our teams.

Patients talk about being listened to. They talk about clinicians and staff taking the extra moment to explain something, to follow up, or to make them feel comfortable during a visit. Those small moments matter more than we sometimes realize. They are the moments when healthcare becomes personal—and when we truly make a difference in someone’s life.

Each of you plays a role in that. Whether you are seeing patients in the clinic, supporting operations behind the scenes, helping navigate care, or improving the systems that make our work possible, you are contributing to something meaningful. Thank you for the compassion and professionalism you bring to the people we serve every day.

Recently, in the City of Riverside’s Healthcare in Riverside: Expanding Care for Our Community video, I shared something that captures what I see happening across our organization:

“I see a tremendous can-do attitude. I’m excited about the investments that are being made. I’m excited about everybody coming together. And I’m excited about the future for this marketplace.”

That sentiment reflects exactly what I see at UCR Health today—dedicated teams working together, important investments being made, and a shared commitment to improving healthcare access for our community.

Looking Back: Highlights from 2025

Putting Heart Health and Self-Care First

We began the year with a focus on heart health and an important reminder that caring for patients starts with caring for ourselves. Supporting the well-being of our teams helps ensure we can continue delivering the best care possible.

Tackling Fragmentation in Our Region

As the Inland Empire continues to grow, improving care coordination has become even more important. Over the past year, we worked to simplify referrals, strengthen patient navigation, and reduce fragmentation to ensure patients experience more connected, coordinated care.

Launching a Major Clinical Expansion

In June, we announced the Canyon Springs clinical expansion—our most significant step yet toward building a stronger academic health system in the region. This multi-phase effort begins with expanding from three to ten clinics, with additional facilities designed to increase access to specialty and acute care across the Inland Empire.

Advancing Quality and Patient Experience

Our teams made tremendous progress in improving quality and patient experience. Through improvements to Epic workflows and a strong focus on closing care gaps, we achieved a MIPS score of 93 out of 100 while continuing to improve patient access and service.

Expanding Digital Access for Patients

More patients are connecting with UCR Health digitally than ever before. Online scheduling increased, MyChart adoption continued to grow, and no-show rates declined—all of which helped make care easier to access while improving clinic operations.

Preparing for the Blue & Gold HMO Network

As we closed the year, our teams were preparing for the launch of the UC Blue & Gold HMO network, which began in February 2026. This new partnership expands access to care for UC employees and their families while strengthening our regional provider network.

Looking Ahead: Our Focus for 2026

UC HMO (Blue & Gold HMO) Implementation

With the network now live, our focus is on delivering a seamless experience for patients—from scheduling and referrals to coordinated care across our clinics.

Canyon Springs Expansion

In 2026, we will continue advancing key planning milestones for the Canyon Springs project and prepare for phase-one clinic growth, which will increase access to high-quality primary and specialty care across the region.

Quality and Care Coordination

We will continue to strengthen team-based care, close clinical gaps, and use data to improve coordination so that patients experience truly connected care.

Digital Access and Convenience

Continuing to expand online scheduling and patient portal engagement remains a key focus to make care access and management easier for our patients.

Investing in Our People

As we grow, investing in our teams remains a priority. Through onboarding, training, and clinical education in partnership with the UCR School of Medicine, we will continue to support the development of future healthcare practitioners.

The Road Ahead

Healthcare in the Inland Empire is evolving quickly, and the work we are doing together at UCR Health is helping shape that future. Every day, through your work, you are improving access to care, strengthening connections with patients, and helping build a healthcare system that better serves our region.

Thank you for the dedication, compassion, and teamwork you bring to your work. I’m proud of what we accomplished together in 2025, and I’m excited for everything we will continue to build together in 2026.

Thank you for making a difference in people’s lives every day.

The post Message from the CEO | Welcome to 2026 – From Possibilities to Momentum appeared first on UCR Health.

A Year of Progress, Partnership, and Patient-Centered Innovation

As we close out the year, I want to reflect on the tremendous progress our teams have made across the UCR Health community. This has been a year defined by growth, connection, and a renewed commitment to ensuring that patients across the Inland Empire can access the care they need—when they need it.

One of the year’s most exciting accomplishments has been the remarkable success of our online scheduling platform. More patients than ever before are now booking their appointments online, giving them the flexibility to schedule care at a time that works best for them without needing to call during business hours. This shift has strengthened our connection with the communities we serve and reflects the dedication of our operational, clinical, and IT teams to improving the patient experience. It also underscores the trust patients place in UCR Health as their partner in managing their health.

Our expanded online scheduling capabilities are complemented by the growing adoption of the Epic MyChart patient portal, where more patients are reading visit notes, reviewing test results, requesting medication refills, and communicating directly with their care teams. This engagement is transforming how we deliver care—empowering patients to take an active role in their health and fostering deeper continuity across visits.

We are also proud to share that our ongoing operational improvements and redesigned appointment workflows have led to a meaningful reduction in “no-show” appointments. This improvement benefits both patients and providers—ensuring that appointment slots remain available for those who need care most, improving access across our clinics, and creating more efficient and predictable days for our clinicians and staff. It is a testament to the thoughtful redesign work happening behind the scenes and to our teams’ commitment to delivering a more dependable and responsive experience.

Looking ahead, January marks an important milestone for UCR Health as we go live with the Blue and Gold HMO network. This expansion significantly increases access for UC employees across the region and reflects our continued growth as a trusted clinical partner within the UC ecosystem. It also positions UCR Health to care for more families, faculty, staff, and students seeking high-quality, local care in the Inland Empire. We have established a separate portal for our UC family to schedule appointments and follow up on issues, and our commitment is to get back to you within one business day.

These first days of December have reminded me how strong our community is. Thank you to everyone who joined our site holiday celebrations—from the Patient Access Center gatherings at Path on December 1 and 2 to the UCR Health Administration event on December 16. It has been energizing to see teams connect as members of the C-Team rounded to recognize the operational and administrative wins you made possible this year. The celebrations continue:

• La Quinta (Dec. 18) | 12–1 PM

UCR Health has also been very active in the community. We kicked off the holiday season as a Presenting Partner for the Metrolink Holiday Express Train in San Bernardino. Our team hosted the Teddy Bear Clinic alongside Dr. Roopa Viraraghavan and a fantastic group of UCR School of Medicine medical students, plus a visit from Scotty, the UCR mascot. Earlier this month, Dr. Ramy Sadek shared timely insights during a Heart Health lecture at the Janet Goeske Foundation & Senior Center. As we move through a busy holiday season—full calendars, travel, and celebrations—his guidance was a thoughtful reminder to make heart-smart choices, manage stress, and take time for movement and rest.

All of this work is because of the gift of your time and your commitment to our community. We continue to address health equity, care continuum and coordination gaps, as well as community health and quality issues in the Inland Empire. I want to express my gratitude to every member of our UCR Health team for your work, which is making a real impact in the lives of our patients.

We enter the new year with tremendous momentum—and an even stronger foundation on which to build.

Wishing you and your families a joyful holiday season and a bright year ahead.

The post Message from the CEO – December 2025 appeared first on UCR Health.

A Season of Gratitude and Service

As we enter November, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to every member of the UCR Health team for the compassion and excellence you bring to patient care across the Inland Empire. As the holiday season approaches, I encourage you to take time for rest, reflection, and self-care—because caring for yourselves is just as essential as the work you do to uplift our patients and one another.

Your dedication and spirit of service were especially evident during last month’s employee engagement sessions, which reminded me that the heart of UCR Health truly lies in our people—your ideas, your compassion, and your unwavering commitment to our mission. Your feedback continues to shape how we grow and how we live out our Patient Promise each day—seeing every patient as a whole person, listening with empathy, and striving to make care more accessible, seamless, and connected. Ultimately, how we live our promise takes root in how we deliver service. These commitments reflect what our patients can expect from every interaction with UCR Health—and how each of us brings our promise to life every day:

• We will listen closely to your concerns. Your voice matters—your questions, feelings, and experiences will be heard and respected.
• We will make scheduling simple and flexible. Whether online or by phone, we’ll help you find care that fits your life.
• We will keep you informed. We’ll communicate updates about your appointments, referrals, and results in a timely way.
• We will deliver care backed by the expertise of the University of California. Every visit connects you to the innovation and integrity of an academic health system with world-class doctors.

We accomplish these promises through our incredible staff – leaders in their field, and experts here at UCR Health. As of recently, there are several key observances that reflect our collective commitment to quality and excellence:

• Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month (Oct.): Thank you to our sonographers for the skill and precision you bring to every diagnostic moment.
• Healthcare Quality Week (Oct. 19 - 25): Your dedication to improving outcomes and patient safety drives our mission forward.
• Corporate Compliance & Ethics Week (Nov. 2 - 8): As we wrap up this observance, I want to express appreciation to our compliance team for upholding the integrity and ethical standards that build patient trust.

As we look ahead, our mission and promises extend beyond the walls of our clinics. We’re entering an exciting new chapter with the upcoming launch of the UC Blue & Gold HMO network in January 2026, expanding access to compassionate, high-quality care across the Inland Empire.

With Open Enrollment ending in just two weeks, I encourage you to take this opportunity to choose care that reflects our shared values—care built on trust, compassion, and excellence. By selecting UCR Health through the UC Blue & Gold HMO, you’re not only choosing exceptional care for yourself and your family—you’re choosing the very mission and promise we uphold every day.

Together, we’re building a community of care that uplifts, heals, and inspires.

Thank you for all that you do to make UCR Health a place where compassion meets excellence.

The post Message from the CEO – November 2025 appeared first on UCR Health.

This is an exciting time for UCR Health. We are preparing for growth, expanding our clinical network, securing new managed care agreements, and increasing the size of our physician network and the geographic reach of UCR Health. These efforts will not only transform our organization but also enhance access to care for patients throughout the Inland Empire. Together, we are building a stronger foundation for the future—one that embodies the best of UC and meets the needs of our rapidly growing, diverse community.

Quality and Patient Experience: A Team-Driven Success

Since July, our quality scores have significantly improved thanks to the leadership of our department chairs and the dedication of their teams. Departments have worked hard to enhance documentation practices, ensuring that patient records accurately reflect the care provided. Our Clinical Informatics team has redesigned workflows in Epic to simplify, enhance, and improve the precision of documentation—improvements that are now yielding measurable results.

Our clinical staff have also been reaching out directly to patients—closing care gaps, scheduling follow-up visits, and ensuring that care planning is proactive and comprehensive. This hands-on approach is strengthening patient relationships and keeping more patients connected to the care they need.

The results speak for themselves: our MIPS score has risen to 93 out of 100, up from the 70s and 80s just a few years ago. This achievement positions UCR Health among the nation’s top-performing practices and reflects the hard work of our teams. Looking ahead, the launch of our UCR Health Brand Promise will provide a transparent way to measure and monitor how we meet standards for service, access, and quality—holding us accountable to our patients and community.

Operational Realignment: Streamlining Workflows and Strengthening Revenue

We are launching a realignment initiative in November designed to enhance scheduling, clinic visit preparation, and daily workflows. Standardizing best practices across our network will minimize variation, streamline processes, and boost the consistency and efficiency of both the patient and staff experience.

At the same time, we are enhancing our revenue cycle operations to ensure our financial health aligns with our clinical excellence. Efforts are underway to improve payment posting, claims management, denial follow-up, patient billing, and collections.

Access and Engagement: Building Connections with Patients and Employees

We remain committed to enhancing both patient access and employee engagement as we expand. Patients are increasingly using online scheduling, with a 15% rise in digital bookings since launch. This flexibility offers patients more control while reducing workload for clinic staff.

Equally important is engaging our employees in the journey ahead. Over the next few months, leadership will visit each clinic to implement an employee engagement initiative. These sessions aim to keep staff connected to organizational changes and ensure their feedback shapes new processes. Our surveys clearly show that employees want more standardized practices, and this engagement effort will help us develop them together.

Looking Ahead: Blue & Gold HMO and UC Care

Starting in January 2026, UCR Health will launch the UC Blue & Gold HMO network, greatly increasing access to coordinated care in the Inland Empire. To support this, we are creating a dedicated Blue & Gold portal where enrollees can schedule appointments, manage referrals, email providers, review medications, and access care all in one integrated system.

In collaboration with UCR Student Health Services, we are also working on an on-campus clinic to provide direct care to our UC employees. This new access point demonstrates our commitment to supporting our UC family while expanding our reach throughout the region.

Together We Grow

With stronger quality scores, redesigned workflows, expanded access, and new managed care partnerships, UCR Health is entering an exciting new chapter. Our collective efforts are making a real difference for patients and positioning UCR Health as a leader in care for the Inland Empire. None of this progress would be possible without your dedication.

Thank you for your continued commitment to excellence, innovation, and compassionate care.

The post Message from the CEO – October 2025 appeared first on UCR Health.

Over the past several weeks, I have been communicating widely about the challenges the Inland Empire faces in healthcare. These challenges are not new, but they are becoming increasingly urgent and acute. Physician shortages across primary and specialty care continue to strain our system, and the lack of facility capital reinvestment—because of the magnitude of the cost—results in longer hospital wait times and delays in access to critical services. At the same time, the anticipated reduction in insurance coverage, driven by recent policy changes, poses a significant risk for our residents, many of whom already struggle to obtain the care they need. The convergence of these issues threatens not only the health of our communities but also the economic vitality of our region.

In recent weeks, I had the opportunity to attend an important session chaired by Assemblywoman Norma Torres and hosted by IEHP. The session brought together healthcare organizations, community leaders, and stakeholders to discuss the broader impacts of healthcare on the Inland Empire economy. A key theme was the essential role that access to healthcare plays in attracting and retaining employees and in supporting organizations that are expanding or relocating to our region. The discussion also highlighted the persistent imbalance between medical workforce supply and demand, and the potential consequences following recent federal legislation.

I presented the clear challenges we face, along with some of the opportunities for addressing them. However, I emphasized that these issues cannot be solved in one year or by one organization alone. What is needed is a comprehensive, collaborative plan that incorporates many voices and coordinated actions, working together over time to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure of the Inland Empire. UCR, the School of Medicine, and UCR Health are committed to being part of the solution and have already taken steps toward improvement. Still, to truly address the challenges of healthcare access, physician availability, and overall community health, there must be an organized collaborative approach that is funded, monitored, and accountable for results.

I want to recognize Assemblywoman Norma Torres for her leadership in convening this important session. By bringing together the community to hear directly from those on the front lines, she ensures that the realities and impacts of these challenges are understood and addressed in meaningful ways. Her commitment to elevating these discussions provides a strong foundation to build a more resilient healthcare system for the future of the Inland Empire.

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