Dr. Emily Fonda has been named chief medical officer (CMO) at CenCal Health, the Medi-Cal managed care plan for Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
Dr. Fonda will provide medical leadership to the organization by ensuring quality and adherence to professional and ethical medical standards by the health plan and its network of providers. She began her new role on June 13.
Fonda was previously the CMO at CalOptima, a public health plan in Orange County, where she served since 2013 starting as a medical director.
Fonda was instrumental in leading the agency’s COVID-19-related medical activities for members and staff, including overseeing and expanding the Orange County Nursing Home COVID Infection Prevention Program that provided training for healthcare staff to protect themselves and long-term care members during the pandemic.
Fonda holds a bachelor of science from the University of Southern California (USC); doctor of medicine from the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine; and master of medical management at the Marshall School of Business at USC, where she was also a dean’s scholar.
“The CenCal Health Board of Directors join me in wholeheartedly welcoming Dr. Fonda, who brings tremendous experience and expertise with her to our organization,” said Marina Owen, CenCal Health CEO. “Emily’s background in internal medicine, private practice and hospital health care is an exceptional asset for collaborating with our local provider partners.”
In addition to the CMO appointment, CenCal Health promoted Carlos Hernandez to quality officer, a new position. Hernandez will lead the development and evolution of an organization-wide quality strategy to improve member health outcomes.
For the past 28 years, Hernandez has overseen the effectiveness of CenCal Health’s Quality Management program, including but not limited to the program’s regulatory compliance, implementation of pay-for-performance innovations to improve quality of care, and all aspects of National Committee for Quality Assurance Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set quality reporting.
Hernandez earned a BA in economics from Stanford University and participated in Northwestern University’s Executive Programs of the Kellogg School of Management.
“With his dedication to continuous quality management, and breadth of experience in health plan operations, Carlos is a dedicated catalyst for improved care equity and quality, and invaluable to our organization,” said Owen.
Earlier this year, Lauren Geeb was promoted to director of quality at CenCal Health. Within the Quality Department, Geeb is responsible for the direction, leadership and supervision of quality measurement, population health, health promotion, and clinical quality. At the health plan, she reports to the quality officer.
Geeb came to CenCal Health in 2004 as a Quality Management Health Programs specialist. She has a BA in international relations with a minor in Spanish language from USC, and subsequently earned an MBA from California State University Channel Islands.
For more on CenCal Health, visit cencalhealth.org.