In the News
Dr. Joshua Khalili Appointed Chief Wellness Officer
The UCLA Department of Medicine has appointed Joshua N. Khalili, MD to chief wellness officer (CWO) effective April 1. The appointment builds on Dr. Khalili’s outstanding work as associate chief wellness officer and physician wellness director under departing CWO Sun M. Yoo, MD, MPH. Dr. Khalili has served in these roles since the founding of the DoM Office of Wellness in 2024.
With the support of DoM leadership, Dr. Khalili used the findings from his first RCT to expand the DoM professional coaching program, which has enrolled an additional 55 DoM faculty in the last year. In total, more than 130 faculty have either completed or started professional coaching thus far. He also oversees the UCLA DoM Office of Wellness Division Wellness Champions in their work on division-based wellness and community-building initiatives. Dr. Khalili is also spearheading the wellness program’s prospective participation in a national, multi-institutional collaboration to evaluate and attempt to reduce gender inequalities in burnout among health care workers, pending grant approval.
As CWO, Dr. Khalili’s vision is to continue to strengthen a culture of well-being and professional fulfillment across the department of medicine, as well as to deepen collaborations across the DoM, UCLA Health and with partners beyond UCLA to further innovative, effective approaches to health care worker well-being. He is most excited to listen and learn from those who make up the DoM community.
“I’m deeply interested in understanding how our faculty, trainees, and staff are doing and identifying ways we can better support their well-being,” Dr. Khalili said. “By working together, I believe we can continue building an impactful DoM Office of Wellness where we prioritize creating an environment where we all feel supported, connected, and thrive both professionally and personally.”
Congratulations to Dr. Keith Norris’ Election into National Academy of Medicine!
GIM's own Dr. Keith Norris has been elected into the 2021 NAM member class "for making substantive intellectual, scientific, and policy contributions to the areas of chronic kidney disease and health disparities in under-resourced minority communities; developing transformative methods for community-partnered research; and developing and implementing innovative programs that have successfully increased diversity in the biomedical/health workforce."
Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. Founded in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the National Academy of Medicine's mission is to improve health for all by advancing science, accelerating health equity, and providing independent, authoritative, and trusted advice nationally and globally.
Congratulations to Dr. Norris on this enormous honor, you make us all proud!
Addressing Back Pain in the Primary Care Setting
Low-back pain is the most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to lost work time. But treatment often is ineffective, costly, and even dangerous. UCLA Health has established an initiative designed to ensure a standard, evidence-based approach to managing back pain in primary-care settings. The initiative is being spearheaded by O. Kenrik Duru, MD, MSHS, Associate Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
UCLA Health Vital Signs, Winter 2017. Read full article >