Earlier this week, Elaine Batchlor, MD, MPH — CEO of Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital in Los Angeles and a member of the California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems Board of Trustees — was named as a recipient of the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award. The award recognizes her commitment to serving the South Los Angeles area, a long-underserved community with a severe shortage of health care providers.
In response to the community’s health care needs, Batchlor led an effort to build the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital, which opened in 2015, and has continued to develop innovative programs — such as a nonprofit medical group, a professional nurse training program, and a medical residency program — to draw medical professionals to the South Los Angeles area. The Irvine Foundation award includes a $250,000 grant for the hospital.
“Dr. Batchlor’s dedication to her community – including its most vulnerable members – is yet another example of the great work our hospitals do every day,” said CHA President & CEO Carmela Coyle. “She is showing all of us how hospitals can and should play an integral role in helping people lead healthier, more fruitful lives.”
The James Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards recognize Californians who are advancing innovative solutions to critical issues facing the state. In addition to grant funding, the foundation also helps recipients share their approaches with policymakers and practitioners. A full list of this year’s recipients is available online.