The HASD&IC Board of Directors convened on Nov. 20. Board Chair and UC San Diego Health CEO Patty Maysent, MPH, MBA, officiated. Gratitude was extended to Maysent for her leadership as chair for 2024, and the 2025 officers were announced:
- Diane Hansen, CPA, President & CEO, Palomar Health (Chair)
- Patty Maysent, MPH, MBA, Chief Executive Officer, UC San Diego Health (Past Chair)
- Brett McClain, Executive Vice President/COO, Sharp HealthCare (Chair Elect)
- Neerav Jadeja, MBA, MSHA, Chief Executive Officer, Paradise Valley Hospital (Secretary)
- Jane Finley, Senior Vice President & Area Manager, Kaiser Permanente San Diego (Treasurer)
Gratitude was also expressed to Scripps Health’s Polly King, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, for her contributions and attendance as the guest nurse leader representative. Board members reviewed the HASD&IC 2025 regional priorities, which include strengthening health care continuums, regional health plan partnerships, and local advocacy and engagement. Cross-cutting themes included patients experiencing homelessness, hospital discharge challenges, Medi-Cal managed care, care coordination, and health equity. Other agenda items included review and discussion of the 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment, the 2025 Point-in-Time Count, and local advocacy.
State and federal priority issues included review and update on election results, Proposition 35, the managed care organization tax, the Hospital Quality Assurance Fee Program, the state budget, the Office of Health Care Affordability, Medicaid disproportionate share hospital funding, and maternity care, along with other issues of focus for the coming year.
Special guest Samantha Williams, FNP, who is cofounder and CEO of JIREH Providers, shared her personal insights on the January 2024 floods in Southeast San Diego, bringing attention to the community’s profound devastation. She described the overwhelming loss, displacement, and trauma endured by flood survivors, as well as the systemic inequities that left communities especially vulnerable. In response to the crisis, JIREH Providers mobilized resources to address flood survivors’ immediate needs, providing medical care navigation, mental health support, prescription and meal delivery, and other essential services to help community members begin rebuilding their lives.
Williams shared the devastating realities many continue to face — barriers to health care, disrupted education, community partner disconnect, and a fragmented disaster response framework that compounded their challenges. Williams highlighted the ongoing need for equitable disaster preparedness and recovery efforts, advocating for community-driven solutions and stronger partnerships to address the long-term needs of impacted communities. Through this call to action, she underscored the importance of systemic change to build a more resilient and inclusive approach to disaster response.
For more information, contact Dimitrios Alexiou, HASD&IC President & CEO, at dalexiou@hasdic.org.