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.

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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.

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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.

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

Dear UCR Health Community,

We are excited to share some exciting developments that will significantly enhance healthcare access, quality, and convenience for our UC colleagues and their families. From joining the UC Blue and Gold HMO network to expanding our clinical services and digital tools, UCR Health is making meaningful strides to bring high-quality, patient-centered care closer to home — right where you live, work, and learn.

UCR Health to Join the Blue and Gold HMO Network – Effective January 1, 2026

Starting January 1, 2026, UCR Health will officially join the UC Blue and Gold HMO network for employees. This means UC employees and their dependents will have direct access to our growing network of doctors and specialists through their UC-sponsored health plan.

Additionally, we are launching a simplified connection to our customer service team, so whether you have questions about a referral, an authorization, or just want to check the status of your care, help will be just a click or call away. Our goal is simple: to make your healthcare as accessible and personalized as possible, because your health is our shared priority.

Enhancing Clinical Quality Through Data-Driven Tools

Our Clinical Informatics and Quality teams have made impressive progress in improving patient care, especially in critical areas like hypertension and diabetes. By developing advanced Epic tools that identify gaps in clinical care, our care teams can provide targeted interventions that enhance outcomes and overall wellness. These efforts reflect our commitment to delivering data-driven, patient-centered care.

Whether it’s managing blood pressure, tracking HbA1c levels, or coordinating specialist care, these tools help ensure that each person gets the right care at the right time. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to sign up for the Epic MyChart portal and schedule your annual wellness visit. A quick check-in with your provider can go a long way in preventing illness, managing chronic conditions, and staying on top of your health goals.

Your Health, At Your Fingertips

We are continuing to expand the use of our Epic MyChart portal, allowing direct communication between patients and their care teams. You can now message your doctor, request medication refills, review lab results, and get answers to your health questions—all through a secure and easy-to-use online platform. Our goal is to be accessible so we can address all of your questions and needs.

Looking Ahead

It is an exciting time at the UCR School of Medicine and UCR Health. We continue expanding our services, and soon we will be opening more clinic locations. Keep an eye on the provider network, as we expect significant changes in our provider locations this coming year. All of these efforts show our strong commitment to the UC community and to creating a healthcare experience based on access, transparency, and clinical excellence. We are proud to serve you and your families, and we appreciate the opportunity to grow together, with your health remaining our top priority.

Thank You!

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

Happy July! As many of you take some well-deserved time off to rest and recharge, I want to pause and reflect on the tremendous accomplishments we’ve achieved together over the past fiscal year. Whether through expanding access to care, enhancing quality, or strengthening our community partnerships, your collective efforts continue to define who we are and the mission we serve.

Here is just some of what's already started happening:

Advancing Access and Clinical Quality

On June 16, we reached a significant milestone in our journey to modernize and streamline patient care when all practice sites officially went live with electronic forms. Thanks to the outstanding collaboration of the clinical operations, clinical informatics, and process improvement teams, this modernization will help reduce delays, enhance clinical quality documentation, and center care around our patients’ needs. I’m also pleased to share that we have gone live with point-of-care testing, enabling patients to improve compliance with glucose level testing and monitoring.

One of the items we're focusing on is acquiring a retinal eye exam device. Recently, we secured funding that will enable point-of-care retinal screenings to further enhance diabetes screenings, allowing patients to receive immediate access to results, further strengthening the quality and continuity of care.

Another way we're advancing patient access is by reducing our visit-cycle time and shortening the days needed to schedule appointments. We're also increasing the number of our patients who schedule their appointments through the portal. And we are conducting more health screening exams than ever before.

A New Year of Patient Focus Has Begun

Finally, I'd like to welcome CJ Lee, our new Chief Strategy Officer, who will play a crucial role in leading our next phase of growth, particularly through the development of our Integrated Provider Network (IPN). CJ brings extensive experience in strategy and business development and has spent his entire career in the Inland Empire, and we’re thrilled to have him on board.

All of this, including our ongoing expansion, points to a future of improved patient access to the enhanced care they need. As we look back, I invite you to consider: what moments from this past year stand out most to you? Was it a story of a grateful patient? A meaningful collaboration with a colleague? We’d love to hear from you. Share your reflections with us at marketing@medsch.ucr.edu—we’ll feature a few highlights in future editions.

Have a great summer season!

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

Dear Team,

On June 3rd, I joined University of California President Michael Drake, Chancellor Wilcox, and TDA development partners, to announce a major clinical expansion that will increase access for our deserving Inland Empire residents. This multi-phase expansion will address the healthcare needs of Inland Southern California while strengthening the clinical, educational, and research missions of UC Riverside and the UCR School of Medicine.

This expansion—the largest taken by our academic health system to date and known as Canyon Springs— demonstrates our commitment to building a high-performing, academically affiliated health system and will broaden UCR Health’s clinical footprint from three to 10 clinics, with hopes to establish a regional health sciences campus including a possible outpatient diagnostics center in the first phase of development. This means better access to high-quality primary and specialty care and ready access for medical students to expanded residencies in a UCR Health facility.

Our vision is that it will also serve as a major academic medical hub for the residents of the Inland Empire. The site is approved for a Specialty Ambulatory Center, a 280-bed acute care hospital, a dedicated parking structure, and a separate medical office building. And we will be developing the UCR Medical Group into a unified, mission-driven faculty practice. The Medical Group will serve as the backbone of a clinically integrated network aimed at supporting care coordination, population health initiatives, and value-based partnerships with other providers and payers. This structure will allow us to align clinical quality, operational efficiency, and academic priorities throughout the health system, with special emphasis placed on cultivating programs that attract and retain physicians who grew up in the Inland Empire and are dedicated to serving their home communities.

While full development is expected to unfold over more than a decade, we are excited to be launching what we know will be an incredible hub of medicine for the entire region.

And so, at this extraordinary moment, I want to thank everyone who has been involved in making this happen, from our marketing and communications departments to our administrative staff. Your dedication made June 3^rd a success and helps to ensure further success going forward.

Thank You!

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

Dear UCR Health Team, 

There’s a strong likelihood of substantial changes coming to Medi-Cal that will have an impact on the communities we serve across the Inland Empire. As you may have heard, new legislation is reshaping how Medicaid coverage will be redesigned at both the federal and state levels, with changes to benefits and eligibility affecting millions of Californians. While the policy goals focus on financial sustainability and cost containment, the implications for access to care are complex and, in some cases, concerning. 

For our region, which already struggles with provider shortages and growing patient demand, these changes could mean: longer wait times, more challenges in managing chronic diseases, and increased pressure on emergency departments that serve as a safety net for those who fall through the cracks of the system. As hospitals are forced to take on the role of provider of last resort for more and more people, it’s not just about operational strain — it’s about the lives of our neighbors, our friends, and our most vulnerable patients. 

This month, I had the opportunity to attend a collaboration session focused on the future of Medi-Cal. The conversations were both sobering and energizing. The group's reflection highlighted the significant positive impact that the provider community could have if population health is a priority. It’s clear that we are not alone in facing these challenges — and it’s just as clear that we have a chance to lead. 

Here at UCR Health, we’ve already begun reaching out to physicians and partners across the Inland Empire to talk about what comes next. How do we respond? How can we come together to ensure that patients don’t get lost in the system? One way we’re answering that call is by building a clinically integrated network — a system of care that extends beyond our clinics, reaching into our communities to coordinate care for the whole person, across every point of contact. 

At the center of that work is a deep, unwavering commitment to quality. 

In uncertain times, patients need more than just access — they need confidence. Confidence that when they walk through our doors, they’ll receive care that is thoughtful, timely, and grounded in best practices. Confidence that we are looking out for them, not just today, but every day. 

This is the work ahead of us. It’s not easy, but it offers a powerful opportunity to redefine healthcare in our region — and to demonstrate what’s possible when a mission, rather than a mandate, drives care. 

Thank you for everything you do to support our patients, our communities, and one another. I’m proud of where we’re headed, and even more proud of the people taking us there. 

Best Regards,

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