News

July 7, 2023By Physicians for a Healthy California CEO Letter

It is said that success should be measured by how much good we do for others. As Physicians for a Healthy California (PHC) Chief Operating Officer (COO) Jennifer Turner retires, we pause to celebrate her success! 

Jen joined us four years ago and every day and in everything she did, she was a force for good. She will be missed by our staff (especially me). She has been by my side through a period of enormous growth for PHC and our team. Together, we went from a team of two to a team of 28, investing $646 million in underserved communities. She was vital to strengthening our flagship programs, CalMedForce and CalHealthCares. 

Most recently, she was in the trenches building and launching $133 million in community-led initiatives to combat COVID-19 in underserved communities. She embodied being a “good partner to good government” and ensured our programs always positioned the patient first in all of our decisions, actions and outcomes. Whether it was creating a simplified application or streamlining our processes, together we sought to assist health care providers in delivering accessible, quality, culturally dynamic and equitable health care to our most vulnerable communities. She stands as a hero among heroes and her time with PHC will be reflected in our continued commitment to excellence. In staying perfectly in character, though, she leaves us in great hands.

With that, I’m pleased to announce that Brian Aguilar is joining the PHC team as our new COO. Brian comes with a wealth of experience, knowledge and relationships that will help take PHC to the next level. For the past 11 years, he served as Director of the prestigious California State University, Sacramento, Executive Fellowship Program. Brian is a Central Valley native whose areas of expertise include educational equity, higher education finance, public administration and career development. He brings a wealth of experience and a calm presence that will help ensure that we remain the partner of choice for public and private organizations alike.

PHC’s partnerships are successful in large part due to the dedication of our staff. We look forward to seeing where our new leaders take us. The future of PHC is bright.

Lupe Alonzo Diaz
President and CEO
Physicians for a Healthy California