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.” Woods, who is accepting...

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...

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...

Recently, a first-time foster mother visited UCR Health with two neglected and withdrawn children. Pediatrician Tejal Khandhar, DO, worked with her to provide nutrition guidance, updated vaccinations, speech therapy, and additional resources. Within a few months, Khandhar recalled, the children acted healthy and playful on their visit—and the foster mother...

Everything in your life may be going well, but sometimes, it can still all fall apart. One patient with eye pain recently visited the UCR Health Community Clinic , a clinic intended to serve the local unhoused population. During the appointment, he shared his experience with Moazzum Bajwa, MD, MPH...

Recently, Brenda Ross, MD, a maternal fetal medicine specialist at UCR Health, suggested that a patient with underlying health conditions have her pregnancy managed at a larger hospital with more in-house specialists. When the patient refused, Ross agreed to work with her. Ross recalled the patient being consistent with her...

As a child in Botswana, Esther Caroline McGowan, MD, still remembers the love that her mother, a nurse, had for her patients. “That was one of the reasons that I wanted to get into medicine,” recalled McGowan, who is now a pediatrician at UCR Health. “In my mind, everyone deserved...

American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL) has awarded a $24,000 grant to the UCR School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in support of the 2023-2024 Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (FMIGS) program. The fellowship trains physicians in advanced endoscopic procedures, including advanced laparoscopy, operative hysteroscopy, vaginal surgery...

The UC Riverside School of Medicine has announced the appointment of a pair of senior leaders. Sherif Hassan, MD, PhD will join the school as the executive associate dean for pre-clerkship education and Naveen Raja, DO, MBA will join as the new chief medical officer for UCR Health. Hassan joins...

Hearing several of her patients make plans for their commencement ceremony as part of their UC Riverside undergraduate class this year, Toshia Yamaguchi, MD, a psychiatrist at UCR Health, felt a strong sense of pride. “I’m so incredibly impressed by them, and by how much they persisted,” she recalled. Yamaguchi’s...

Growing up as a lifeguard in Long Beach, Timothy J. Collins, EdD, MHA, FACHE, EMT, always wondered what happened to people after he rescued them from the water. This curiosity led to his lifelong medical career, including serving as an emergency medical technician and other roles that focused on improving...

On Wednesday, the UC Regents’ Health Services Committee voted to approve Timothy J. Collins, EdD, MHA, FACHE, EMT as the new chief executive officer of the UC Riverside Health clinical enterprise (UCR Health). Collins brings more than 30 years of experience in acute care hospitals, health systems and academic medical...

Hundreds of thousands of young people in the U.S. identify as transgender, but the lack of gender-affirming care can lead to an increased risk of mental health issues and substance use. “A great deal of psychiatrists and nurse practitioners are ill-equipped to treat younger transgender patients simply because these issues...

A new project led by Evelyn Vázquez, Ph.D. a faculty member in the UC Riverside School of Medicine’s Department of Social Medicine, Population, and Public Health (SMPPH) to improve the mental health of graduate students has received a two-year funding award of nearly $250,000 from the Eugene Washington Patient-Centered Outcomes...

Ontario International Airport and UCR Health, the clinical arm of the UCR School of Medicine, have teamed up to provide a welcoming and private environment for mothers to nurse their babies when flying through ONT. Modernized nursing stations have been set up in both airport terminals, along with advertising for...