Pasadena, Calif. ─ January 7, 2022 ─ The Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine (KPSOM) is pleased to announce the formation of its inaugural Community Engagement Stakeholder Committee (CESC).
The committee, which currently comprises 13 community leaders serving populations that reflect the diversity of Greater Los Angeles, will help guide and inform the school’s outreach efforts.
“Convening with these thought leaders is a priority for our school. Each of them is a recognized community expert in their own right, and for them to dedicate their time to partnering with us is invaluable to our ongoing community engagement efforts,” said Lori Carter-Edwards, PhD, MPH, Assistant Dean for Community Engagement at the school.
The CESC, which will meet quarterly, was created to help bring the community into the school, and the school into the community. The committee will advise outreach efforts by KPSOM to help improve health and health-related factors in the communities the member organizations and the school serve. Committee membership also supports the development of connections and relationships among members, creates opportunities to share experiences, and allows for the collaborative generation of priorities that collectively benefit members’ and KPSOM’s missions.
“The committee will allow us to develop meaningful and sustainable partnerships that address healthcare disparities and advance health equity, which is a crucial part of our school’s mission,” said Mark A. Schuster, MD, PhD, Founding Dean and CEO of the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine. “I’m excited for the exchange of ideas and outreach that will come from this collaboration.”
Committee members come from a wide variety of organizations and community health clinics dedicated to addressing the needs of the overall and specific populations of the Greater Los Angeles area. These include, but are not limited to, individuals who are unhoused, those over the age of 65, youth placed at risk, the LGBTQ+ community, and racial and ethnic communities who have historically lacked access to affordable, high-quality healthcare.
Members include:
- Maria Aguirre, MPH, MA, Director, Kaiser Permanente Watts Counseling and Learning Center
- Sheri Bonner, President & CEO, Planned Parenthood Pasadena & San Gabriel Valley
- Alejandro Fajardo, MCP, CFC, Executive Director, El Sol Neighborhood Education Center
- Akila Gibbs, CEO, Pasadena Senior Center
- Tony Kuo, MD, MSHS, Health Sciences Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and Director, Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
- Kandee Lewis, Executive Director, Positive Results Center and Civil and Human Rights Commission, City of Los Angeles
- Anne Miskey, MDIV, CEO, Union Station Homeless Services
- Tara Peterson, MA, CEO, YWCA Glendale and Pasadena
- Christian Port, MPA, Board Vice President, San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center
- Alice Rademacher, MS, Co-Chair, Kaiser Permanente Southern California Regional Patient Advisory Council (RPAC)
- Tyrone Skinner, DMin, Senior Pastor, Metropolitan Baptist Church
- Hugo Villa, LMFT, Co-founder and CEO, The Village Family Services
- Andrea Williams, MPA, Executive Director, Southside Coalition of Community Health Centers
The school opened with an inaugural class of 50 students on July 27, 2020. For information regarding community engagement, please visit https://medschool.kp.org/about/community-engagement.
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About the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine
The Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine is devoted first and foremost to offering an outstanding, forward-thinking medical education. Its curriculum is built on the three pillars of Biomedical Science, Clinical Science, and Health Systems Science. Students think broadly about the ways care can be more effective for everyone and learn how to advocate for better health in homes, school, workplaces, neighborhoods, and society at large. The school incorporates many of the most innovative and effective educational practices available today and gives students the opportunity to learn from the physicians and care teams in Kaiser Permanente’s integrated healthcare system . This approach provides future physicians with the knowledge and skills to play key roles in the transformation of healthcare in our nation and help people from all backgrounds and settings thrive. Learn more at https://medschool.kp.org/.
