After a nationwide search, Dr. Christina Harris named Cedars-Sinai’s VP and Chief Health Equity Officer.

Harris will lead institution-wide strategies for health equity in clinical care, research, advocacy and education. By partnering with leaders across the organization, she will lead efforts to address health inequalities and social determinants of health while strengthening community partnerships to improve the health of children and families, Cedars Sinai said. She will also serve as a key advisor to the President’s Executive Advisory Council.

Most recently, Harris served as an associate program director in the UCLA Internal Medicine Residency Program and as an associate vice chair of equality, diversity, and inclusion for the UCLA Department of Medicine, a position she advocated for and created.

Within the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Harris developed an infrastructure to expand workforce diversity, facilitate inclusion and identify opportunities to expand the care of patients with Medi-Cal. She co-chaired the UCLA School of Medicine’s COVID-19 Health Equity Research and Advisory Task Force and serves on the Dean’s Office Advisory Committee for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and the UCLA Health System Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board.

Harris’ goal at Cedars-Sinai is to guide ongoing efforts to advance health equity, address health inequalities, and promote wellness throughout the organization and the communities served by the health system. Harris, a primary care physician at West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, treats a historically marginalized patient population and works closely with department leaders to raise awareness among physicians and others about health equity and provide education initiatives