Leadership Team

Inaugural Executive Director, West Health Accelerator at UC San Diego Health

Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine

As executive director of the Accelerator, Dr. Chan will guide its vision and strategy to advance technology-enabled, patient-centered care that improves access, efficiency and outcomes across the health system and region. He will continue serving as chair of Emergency Medicine at UC San Diego Health, where he has led efforts to improve patient flow, expand virtual care and integrate innovative technologies. His nationally recognized expertise in emergency medicine, operational strategy and health system innovation uniquely positions him to lead this next phase, building on his leadership of the Gary and Mary West pediatric ED program in partnership with West Health.

Emergency Medicine Physician at UC San Diego Health

Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine

Dr. Killeen is the director of Information Technology Services for the Department of Emergency Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine and the chief medical officer for UC San Diego Health Connect. He helped design and implement the first health information exchange at UC San Diego Health that allows providers to access clinical information about patients from other treatment facilities. Dr. Killeen helped implement the San Diego emergency medicine system (EMS) hub that links EMS patient records to hospitals in real time. He also played a key role in leading the University of California-wide Geriatric Emergency Department Centers of Excellence (UC GED-CE), supported by the West Health Institute, which brought the GED model to other UC campuses.

Chief Innovation Officer at UC San Diego Health

Chair & Professor of the Department of Neurological Surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine

As UC San Diego Health's Chief Innovation officer and an internationally regarded neurosurgeon, Dr. Khalessi brings extensive experience in clinical excellence, research innovation and organizational leadership to the Accelerator. He helps shape UC San Diego Health's innovation strategy and leads the integration of new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), across the health system and academic enterprise in partnership with the Joan & Irwin Jacobs Center for Health Innovation. As chair of the Department Neurological Surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine, Dr. Khalessi is a leading cranial and endovascular neurosurgeon who has grown the department to perform over 4,500 major procedures annually.

Senior Director of the West Health Accelerator

Chief of Staff at UC San Diego Health

Jarrod McDonald is a health care transformation executive specializing in health system strategy, operational excellence and digital innovation. As Chief of Staff, CMO Administration and Senior Director of the West Health Accelerator at UC San Diego Health, he leads initiatives that advance care delivery, organizational performance, and innovation across a leading academic health system. McDonald provides oversight for the West Health Accelerator, UC San Diego Health's 24/7 Mission Control, and critical infrastructure service lines, building alignment across diverse stakeholders to drive scalable transformation. His work focuses on accelerating innovation adoption, modernizing health care operations, and developing sustainable operating models that drive measurable impact across complex health systems.

Chief Medical Officer at UC San Diego Health

As Chief Medical Officer, UC San Diego Health, Dr. Yashar oversees hospital medicine, critical care, emergency medicine, and clinical infrastructure services, and leads operations for the health system's Mission Control. As part of her role, she drives clinical excellence, optimizes patient flow, and develops data-driven systems that support a highly reliable learning health system. A national leader in radiation oncology, Dr. Yashar's work spans patient care, operational efficiency and health policy, with a focus on innovation, collaboration and measurable impact.

Executive Director, @HC65, West Health

As Executive Director of HC65 at West Health, Melissa Martin leads a national initiative focused on advancing technology-enabled care delivery, overseeing a portfolio that aligns health systems, technology initiatives, and implementation efforts to improve access, experience, and outcomes at scale. She brings broad experience across the healthcare ecosystem, including pharmaceutical companies, large health systems, federal healthcare, and consulting. Her work spans major EHR platforms, applied AI, and care delivery redesign, with a focus on large-scale transformation across complex, multi-institution environments. Melissa began her career as a television news journalist before a personal experience reshaped her path. When her father was diagnosed with a rare disease and struggled to access the right care, she witnessed firsthand the challenges of navigating the healthcare system. That turning point inspired her to transition into healthcare with a commitment to improving how care is accessed, delivered, and experienced -- a commitment that now drives her work at West Health.

Senior Director, Clinical & Digital Health, West Health

Mike Kurliand leads clinical and digital health initiatives for West Health, bringing a diverse background in healthcare transformation to the Accelerator. Born in Kyiv and raised in Philadelphia, he earned his BSN in Philadelphia and completed his graduate studies at Johns Hopkins. Mike has since built a career spanning major EMR implementations, including helping launch a proton therapy unit, co-authoring academic papers, and contributing to legislation in Delaware. He returns to West Health after three years at a startup, continuing his work to drive meaningful change in care delivery.

Principal, Huron

Elizabeth has more than 15 years of experience guiding healthcare organizations through complex performance improvement and care transformation projects requiring extensive change management across clinical operations, patient access, and revenue cycle.   Elizabeth leads performance improvement projects across clinical operations, patient access, and revenue cycle as well as advising and implementing virtual care strategies.   Elizabeth's expertise as an adviser is deepened by her experience leading patient access and revenue cycle functions for a large health system. 

Director, Huron's Clinical Enterprise

Weston specializes in patient flow, capacity management, transfer center optimization, and command center strategy. He has partnered with academic medical centers and health systems nationwide to design and implement operational improvements that enhance access, throughput, and care coordination. Weston serves as a methodology leader for Huron's Intelligent Care Operations Hub and has led enterprise command center and intelligent care operations initiatives across a broad range of healthcare organizations. Prior to joining Huron, he worked in performance improvement at Duke University Health System and has a background in Industrial Engineering.

Healthcare Manager, Huron

Buchanan Cooley is a healthcare transformation leader specializing in health system operations, workflow redesign, and technology-enabled innovation. As a manager with Huron and a key member of the West Health Accelerator at UC San Diego Health, he brings expertise in leading complex, time-sensitive transformations, helping organizations move quickly from vision to implementation. His work spans across Mission Control, virtual care, discharge planning, transitions of care, and other large-scale initiatives within the Accelerator.

Healthcare Associate, Huron

Sophie Hefter is an Associate at Huron within the Clinical Transformation Services practice, where she partners with health system leaders to improve operations and redesign care delivery. She supports Huron's Intelligent Care Operations Hub (ICOH) methodology and is particularly interested in how health systems evolve as clinical demands, financial pressures, and emerging technologies reshape the industry. She gravitates toward efforts that help organizations adapt in real time and brings that perspective to her work with the West Health Accelerator at UC San Diego Health. Sophie began her career in neuroscience research, an experience that continues to shape her analytical approach to complex system-level challenges.