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Dorothy Y. Hung, Ph.D., M.A., M.P.H. is Director of the Center for Lean Engagement & Research (CLEAR) in the Division of Health Policy and Management at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health. For two decades, Dr. Hung’s research has focused on system transformations to deliver high quality, high value U.S. health care. This includes a deep research portfolio on Lean performance improvement and its implementation, impact, scaling, and sustainment in acute care and ambulatory settings. Dr. Hung served as Principal Investigator of an R01 award, “Impact of LEAN Management on Primary Care Efficiency, Affordability, and the Patient Experience,” funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. She also led mixed methods evaluations of lean workflow redesigns for interdisciplinary teams in the ED, hospital inpatient and outpatient primary and specialty care clinics, and an AHRQ ACTION II (Accelerating Change and Transformation in Organizations and Networks) study of contextual factors impacting the spread of lean across a large ambulatory care system at Sutter Health in Northern California. Dr. Hung was previously a faculty member at Columbia University School of Public Health in New York City, and affiliated faculty at UCSF Institute for Health Policy Studies. She holds a Ph.D. in Health Services & Policy Analysis and an M.A. in Political Science from UC Berkeley. Dr. Hung also holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor’s degree from Stanford University.
Stephen M. Shortell, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.B.A. is the Blue Cross of California Distinguished Professor of Health Policy and Management and Professor of Organization Behavior at the School of Public Health and Haas School of Business at University of California-Berkeley where he also founded the Center for Healthcare Organizational and Innovation Research (CHOIR). From 2002 to 2013 he served as Dean of the School of Public Health at Berkeley. A leading health care scholar, Dr. Shortell and his colleagues have received numerous awards for their research examining the performance of integrated delivery systems; the organizational factors associated with quality and outcomes of care; and the factors associated with the adoption of evidence-based processes for treating patients with chronic illness. He is currently conducting research on patient engagement and the performance of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and a recent recipient of the AHA/HRET TRUST Visionary Leadership Award.
Thomas Rundall, Ph.D. is the Henry J. Kaiser Professor Emeritus in the Division of Health Policy and Management at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health. From 2008 to 2010 he served as Executive Associate Dean of the School of Public Health at UC. Berkeley. Dr. Rundall has published extensively across a broad array of topics in health care policy and management, including primary care, quality improvement, integration of health care services, hospital-physician relationships, health information technology, and evidence-based management. In 2005 Rundall was awarded the Filerman Prize by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration for his contributions to the field of health services management education, and in 2010 he was awarded the Berkeley Citation for distinguished achievement and notable service to UC Berkeley. Professor Rundall serves as chair of the board of directors for John Muir Health, an integrated health care system, and he serves on the board of directors for On Lok, a program of all-inclusive care for the elderly.
Elina Reponen, M.D., Ph.D. is a medical specialist in Anesthesiology and Intensive Care with a doctorate in Medical Science. She has over 15 years of clinical experience and currently serves as Head Physician at HUS Helsinki University Hospital in Shared Group Services and Customer Relations. Dr. Reponen has been involved in implementing Lean management in her position as the Deputy Chief Physician of one of the OR departments at Helsinki University Hospital. In addition to her clinical and administrative work, she has conducted clinical research in perioperative and quality of care. She also conducts research in healthcare management with emphasis on Lean management. Elina joined CLEAR as a Visiting Scholar in 2019 and continues to contribute high-quality studies of Lean in health care.
Pierre-Luc Fournier, Ph.D., M.S., P.Eng. is a Visiting Scholar with CLEAR and an Associate Professor of operations management at the Université de Sherbrooke Business School. His research interests include behavioral operations management, continuous improvement and performance management, with a specific focus on healthcare organizations and systems. His most recent works, published in scientific journals such as the International Journal of Production Economics, Production Planning and Control, and the International Journal of Integrated Care, have focused on the drivers of stakeholder engagement and reactions during Lean implementation. He has collaborated for several years with various healthcare organizations in Canada and the United States. Dr. Fournier currently holds various public and private research grants for projects studying how healthcare organizations can quickly adapt to new operational realities in a change saturated context. Dr. Fournier holds a Ph.D. in operations management from HEC Montréal, and is also a professional engineer with M.S. and B.Eng degrees in industrial engineering from the Université du Québec.
Thomas Rotter, Ph.D., is a CLEAR Visiting Scholar and Associate Professor at the School of Nursing, Queen's University in Ontario, Canada. He mainly teaches in the Master’s and PhD Health Quality Programs. Thomas's research focuses on clinical pathways – interventions which are aimed at guiding evidence-based practice and improving the interactions among health services. Thomas has worked on pathway projects in Canada and internationally as a way to standardize the care we provide for patients with cancer, pediatric asthma, gastroenteritis, heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Other important areas of Thomas's research program are health quality improvement, patient safety, depression, and suicide prevention. He is currently working with colleagues from the European Alliance Against Depression (EAAD) on an implementation mapping study to increase the uptake and adherence to an internet-based depression self-management program, the iFightDepression®-tool.
Rachel Ross is a Health Policy Ph.D. student in the Organizations & Management track. She is also a recent graduate of UC Berkeley’s MPH program, with a concentration in Health Policy & Management. Rachel’s main research interests include health care quality and breast cancer care coordination, with a specific emphasis on patient engagement strategies and interprofessional team dynamics. Her current projects focus on understanding the organizational factors associated with physician practices’ use of decision aids for mammography screening. Prior to graduate school, Rachel developed her health policy interests as a Practice Facilitator for a CMS-led value-based payment initiative and as a Senior Research Assistant in a medical informatics lab where she supported research efforts relating to burnout, risk stratification, and quality improvement in primary care.
Paul Kim, M.S. is a medical student at the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine in North Haven, CT. During his CLEAR research enrichment year, he is excited to learn more about the impact of lean on healthcare quality. Before attending medical school, Paul worked as a research assistant at the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, San Francisco. Prior to pursuing a career in medicine, Paul also worked as a materials engineer at Corning Incorporated. He received his M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) at Cornell University after obtaining his B.S. degree in MSE at Pohang University of Science and Technology.
John M. Joyce, M.P.H. graduated from UC Berkeley’s MPH program with a concentration in Health Policy & Management. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Anthropology also at UC Berkeley. He completed coursework in the M.D. program at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School prior to leaving medicine and working in Washington D.C. as a legislative assistant for a member of the U.S. Congress. There he provided legislative research support and served as a liaison with various constituents, lobbyists, and caucuses. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, John volunteered in Los Angeles, assisting with free drive-through testing in underserved communities. Recently, he worked in industrial machine sales. His professional interests in process improvement tools and change leadership are driven by the potential for Lean management to improve outcomes and save lives.
Tyler Ramos Roey is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago with a major in Biology. After volunteering for the Santa Clara Public Health Department during the pandemic, he is excited to learn the impact that Lean has on healthcare. He is an active member in the Chicago community where he works as a coach for the Chicago City Soccer Club and is the Director of Operations for the All Kids Play x RefugeeOne Program in the Rogers Park neighborhood. Following his graduation, Tyler plans on attending medical school to continue his pursuit of being a doctor.
Athena Zhong is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley studying Molecular and Cell Biology with an emphasis on Immunology. After volunteering at her local hospital before the pandemic, Athena is now excited to learn more about Lean and make a difference in the healthcare community. Athena frequented the healthcare setting, both as a patient when she was young and as a volunteer, leading to her passion for medicine and improving the healthcare system. She is interested in attending medical school after college graduation.
Justin Lee is a 1st-year medical student at Vanderbilt University. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Integrated Biology with an emphasis on Human Biology in 2023. Experiences working with low-income and migrant communities combined with hospital volunteering fostered his interest in healthcare management, and he is excited to learn more about how Lean can improve healthcare systems.
Lili Levy is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley studying Public Health with a minor in Public Policy. Being raised in a family of physicians, working as a care assistant to low-income elderly, and volunteering at a COVID-19 test center cultivated Lili’s interest and passion in healthcare. These different interactions have inspired Lili to learn how to align healthcare and public policy with best business practices and ensure equitable quality treatment for all. She plans on pursuing medical school after her college graduation in 2025.
Catalina Quach is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley studying Molecular and Cell Biology and Public Health. Her involvement as a volunteer with the American Red Cross and Kaiser Permanente during and after the pandemic exposed her to the inequitable realities of access to healthcare and disaster recovery resources, feeding her interest in studying how Lean implementation can dissolve such barriers in hospitals, clinics, and beyond. Catalina is especially passionate about bridging healthcare gaps for immigrant and rural communities, and hopes to pursue a career as a physician assistant after graduation.
Linden Lovett is a third-year undergraduate student at UC Berkeley studying Public Health. She has worked with several public health organizations doing research and administrative support including Granite Wellness Centers in her hometown of Nevada City, as well as Chapa De Indian Health. She is passionate about healthcare accessibility and education for young people. Linden hopes to get her M.P.H from Berkeley and then attend medical school after her graduation and incorporate what she has learned about public health into her practice.