Recently, a patient advised UCR Health psychiatrist Jami Woods, MD, DPh to dream bigger. “He said, ‘If people are not laughing at your dream, you're not dreaming big enough,’” she recalled. “That was from a patient--that wasn't from a psychotherapist; that wasn't from a PhD psychologist.”

UCR Health has named Herodia Allen as its new chief operating officer (COO), effective October 14, 2024. She brings a wealth of experience in population health and health system operations, having most recently served as COO for the Woodland Hills and West Ventura service area at Kaiser Permanente since December 2020.

The UC Riverside School of Medicine has named Michelle Anne Bholat, MD, MPH as the new chair of the Department of Family Medicine. She will begin the position on November 15, 2024.

Three-year term begins Oct. 1

For the second year in a row, a sold-out crowd attended the UCR SOM’s Celebration of Medical Education Gala to support the school’s Mission Award Scholarship.

For UCR Health physician Janet Cruz, MD, the best part about working with patients is conducting their postoperative visits, when she can compare their condition before and after surgery and see their reactions. For one patient with advanced endometriosis, “the before and after was night and day,” Cruz said. Her surgery involved removing pelvic adhesions and endometriosis, and the patient’s response to seeing the postoperative photos stood out to Cruz.

The UCR School of Medicine Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion hosted the second annual National Latino Physician Day celebration on September 28 to honor the contributions of Latino/a/e/x physicians and work to improve quality of care for Latino populations in the U.S. According to Michael Galvez, MD, creator of National Latino Physician Day, UCR's event was the largest in the nation at over 350 attendees.