Los Angeles County is home to over 10 million people, making it the second largest metropolitan area in the country after New York, and the healthcare needs of the communities are as multifaceted as its residents. The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (LAC DHS) is the second largest municipal healthcare system in the country, with four acute care hospitals and 23 ambulatory care centers. They serve a portion of LA County residents through primary and specialty care, surgery, wellness programs, food distribution and housing, according to its 2024 annual report.

Testing implementations to improve healthcare quality, delivery and outcomes led to the establishment of an ongoing partnership between the LAC DHS and the Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute (SC CTSI). In 2021, the Southern California Healthcare Delivery Science Center was created to harness collaborations to implement and evaluate innovative interventions to improve healthcare delivery. The Center has three objectives: to assemble and support interdisciplinary teams; to develop a skilled workforce through mentorship and education, and to advance the science through funding opportunities. In a new publication in Learning Health Systems, HDS Center Director and Professor of Neurology at the USC Keck School of Medicine Amytis Towfighi, MD and her team describe the origins of the center, its conceptual model, key components, and accomplishments to date.

The conceptual model ensures that key stakeholders including health system leaders and patients are engaged throughout the research process, setting priorities, collaboratively implementing interventions, evaluating implementation and effectiveness, and facilitating sustainability and spread. The HDS Center offers education, consultations, mentorship, funding opportunities, team building, and project management support. The educational component includes a certificate program highlighting a broad array of fields, such as dissemination and implementation science, leadership and management, team science, systems engineering and behavioral economics. The Center also holds a quarterly seminar series and annual symposium. Additionally, they offer consultations and mentorship from leading experts in the field. In terms of funding, the Center provides two yearly funding opportunities: a Healthsystem Innovation Award and smaller seed grants, both spanning two years.

“Despite advances in science and technology and a wealth of evidence-based guidelines, most individuals in the United States do not receive guideline-recommended care. As an operational leader in the Los Angeles County public healthcare system and a community-engaged health services researcher, I recognize the critical importance of aligning patients, researchers, and health system leaders to transform healthcare delivery and improve outcomes,” Towfighi said. ”I am thrilled to support a new generation of healthcare delivery scientists who will rigorously evaluate and address persistent barriers and reimagine systems of care so that high-quality, evidence-based healthcare becomes the standard for every community.”

Examples of successful funded programs include an interdisciplinary team that created a program to reduce preventable diabetes-related amputations, and an occupational therapy-based program to enhance diabetes control in primary care. Overall, the program has supported several publications, at least $1,244,000 in extramural funding, and numerous career awards and recognitions.