Noting her decades of work finding innovative ways to increase access to healthcare and improve the quality of care in underserved communities, the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health awarded the Dr. Lester Breslow Lifetime Achievement Award to MLKCH CEO Dr. Elaine Batchlor, and inducted her into the Alumni Hall of Fame on June 8.
Dr. Batchlor Inducted into Hall of Fame
With the support of a strong mentor and a learning environment that encouraged me to shape my own path, I completed my degree knowing I would be heading out not to study the health care system but instead to work on it.
Dr. Elaine BatchlorMartin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital (MLKCH) CEO
Dr. Batchlor earned her Master's in Public Health (MPH) in Health Policy & Management in 1990 from the Fielding School and credits the institution and her faculty mentor with inspiring her to “go out and change the world.”
In her remarks at the event, Dr. Batchlor said,
"It was here, at UCLA, that I discovered that I was more interested in healthcare organization and finance than in epidemiology. With the support of a strong mentor and a learning environment that encouraged me to shape my own path, I completed my degree knowing I would be heading out not to study the health care system but instead to work on it."
Since 2002, the Fielding School has annually selected three distinguished alumni for its Hall of Fame, recognizing those who epitomize the school's dedication to education, research, and service in the field of public health, and who have also distinguished themselves in their careers.
In addition to Dr. Batchlor, the 2017 inductees include Dr. Elizabeth Yano (class of 1996), and Rachel Hornstein (class of 2013).