Monica Hau Le, MD, MPH

2007-2008

California Endowment Scholar in Health Policy

Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs, Harbor-UCLA Department of Family Medicine

Dr. Le is a Family Medicine physician whose experiences range from working in the Los Angeles county health system to international work in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Nepal, and Honduras.  She received the Pedro Zamora Fellowship, which is awarded to youth leaders with potential in political advocacy as well as the Harbor UCLA Department of Family Medicine 2005 Community Service Award, given to a graduating resident who demonstrates compassion and dedication to the underserved. Dr. Le, along with two other colleagues from MIT and the Harvard Kennedy School, founded a company (Ghonsla) using green technology to combat poverty, indoor air pollution, and deforestation. Ghonsla won the 2008 MIT IDEAS Competition Muhammad Yunus Award and has incorporated and is operating in Pakistan.  Dr. Le is also a Board Member of the nonprofit Himalayan HealthCare, which operates medical trekking missions, supports social enterprise (employing nearly 1,000 women in the eco-friendly handicraft trade), and is operating a hospital for the rural poor in Nepal. Dr. Le is currently Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs, Harbor-UCLA Department of Family Medicine. Previously, she was Associate Medical Director for the Office of Clinical Affairs of UMASS Medical School Commonwealth Medicine, working directly to support the Massachusetts Medicaid program. In this position, she was able to impact multiple aspects of health policy in the state, including serving on the statewide commission for Postpartum Depression, while also serving as an emergency medicine physician at the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center.  Dr. Le received her medical degree from New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY in 2002, and completed her residency in Family Medicine and Faculty Development Fellowship at Harbor UCLA, Department of Family Medicine, Torrance, CA in 2006.


Learn more about the California Endowment Fund in Minority Health Policy at Harvard University

Evaluation and Enforcement of Cultural and linguistic Competency in the California Healthy Families Program by the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (MRMIB)

Abstract:

California is one of the most culturally diverse states in the nation, and leads the U.S. in language needs with nearly 40% of Californians speaking a preferred language other than English in the home. The need for cultural and linguistic proficiency is especially important in the health care setting, where misunderstandings can have devastating consequences. The Healthy Families Program is the SCHIP of California and enrolled 866,031 children in 2007 alone. MRMIB is the government oversight body for Healthy Families and is charged with the evaluation and enforcement of cultural and linguistic services provision by its 34 contracted plan providers. This practicum project analyzes the 2006-7 Cultural and Linguistic Services Survey submitted to MRMIB by its contracted plans and the mechanism by which services are evaluated. The results show some improvement in evaluating areas of services need, but also reveal concerning trends in service provision. Policy recommendations were made to address the reporting mechanism, contract language, and interorganizational collaboration for improved efficiency and enforcement of cultural and linguistic services.

Preceptor:

Shelley Rouillard, Deputy Director, Benefits and Quality Monitoring Division, Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board, Sacramento,