This is a edited version of a press release sent out by the CHCF on Monday, April 1
The California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) announced the election of Deborah Deas, MD, MPH, and Kristin Torres Mowat, JD, MBA, to its board of directors.
“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Kristin and Deborah to the CHCF board,” said Carolina Reyes, MD, chair of the CHCF board of directors. “Both of them bring incredible experience working across different parts of the health care system, and both have a deep-rooted commitment to making communities healthier and more equitable.”
The California Health Care Foundation is an independent, nonprofit philanthropy that works to improve the health care system to provide Californians with the care they need, especially low income individuals and communities who have traditionally faced the greatest barriers to care.
Deas has been leading the UCR School of Medicine since she arrived in 2016. She’s directed efforts to increase the class size of the medical and biomedical sciences programs, expand clinical affiliations, and increase federal, state, and private funding. In 2023, the UCR School of Medicine was recognized by U.S. News and World Report as the fifth most diverse graduate school in the nation, with 34% of medical students and 32% of biomedical sciences students coming from underrepresented minority communities.
In addition to her role as medical school dean, Deas also serves as a distinguished professor of psychiatry. In 2022, Deas was elected to the National Academy of Medicine. Before joining UCR, she previously served as the interim dean of the College of Medicine and professor of psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). During her tenure at MUSC, she served as senior associate dean for medical education, chief academic officer, and senior associate dean for diversity and admissions. She was also the founding director of the school’s Adolescent Substance Abuse Program.
“UC Riverside is a model for what we want medical education to be in California and in the nation, and Deborah’s leadership is a big reason why,” said Hernández. “Her personal commitment and achievements in fostering diversity, inclusion, and excellence in the health care workforce deeply resonate with our goals of improving California's health care system and advancing health equity across the state."
Deas is originally from Adams Run, South Carolina, where she grew up on a rural farm. She earned her BS in biology from the College of Charleston, her MPH from the University of South Carolina, and her MD from MUSC. She then completed her residency in adult psychiatry, followed by fellowship training in child and adolescent psychiatry as well as addiction psychiatry. She is board-certified in each of the three specialties. She also completed a National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism substance abuse research fellowship.
“I grew up seeing people denied access to the care they needed because of the size of their paycheck, the color of their skin, or where they lived, and I dedicated my life to removing those unjust barriers everywhere I can,” explained Deas. “My values and passion for making a difference align perfectly with the California Health Care Foundation. I am incredibly honored to join its board of directors.”
Torres Mowat lives in the Bay Area and is a partner at Health Velocity Capital, which invests in innovative health care software and services companies. She comes to CHCF having spent over 17 years strengthening and leading health care software and services organizations. In her role at Health Velocity Capital, she identifies promising companies and solutions for making health care more affordable, sustainable, and people-centered. She also provides hands-on guidance to help innovators have as much impact as possible. Health Velocity Capital has been an adviser to CHCF’s Innovation Fund since its inception.
