Collaborative and Innovative Leadership: Key to Guiding Health Plan of San Joaquin Through the State’s Bold Medi-Cal Transformation Initiative and Expansion to New Regions
Health Plan of San Joaquin (HPSJ) is ardently focused on strategic objectives that will strengthen the foundation for improved access to care for Medi-Cal beneficiaries. The organization is hard at work preparing to expand services to Alpine and El Dorado counties, collaborating with community partners to fund local initiatives, developing a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program to improve health equity and implementing new services as part of the CalAIM initiative.
Meeting our strategic objectives would not be possible without a dedicated leadership team who perseveres through the evolving managed care landscape to position HPSJ as the leading local Medi-Cal Managed Care Plan. These three leaders are shining examples of how HPSJ is pursuing their vision of “Healthy communities with equitable access to quality care.”
Lizeth Granados, Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Granados has dedicated her professional career to improving public health. She has brought over 15 years of leadership experience in managed care settings to HPSJ, including those providing
Medi-Cal, Medicare D-SNP, Medicare Advantage and commercial products.
Prior to her recent appointment as CEO (June 2023), Granados served as HPSJ’s Chief Operations Officer. She achieved efficiencies in operational areas, implemented many of CalAIM’s transformational initiatives, and promoted HPSJ’s geographic and enrollment growth through market expansion to new counties. As CEO, Granados will focus on HPSJ’s strategic initiatives to address the changing dynamics within the Medi-Cal Managed Care landscape as well as lead HPSJ’s development of a D-SNP product and geographic expansion of Medi-Cal.
Victoria Worthy, Chief Information Officer (CIO)
Worthy has extensive senior leadership experience working in California’s local health landscape. She combines technical and business expertise to manage complex technology disciplines, risk management and process improvement. One of her missions as HPSJ’s CIO is to further collaboration with public and safety net providers bringing together data analysis tools in a local platform that benefits health outcomes for Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
Worthy remains the only woman heading an information division among members of Local Health Plans of California.
HPSJ’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion attracted Worthy to the organization. She plans to continue that DEI commitment to the hiring of new technology staff and providing career development opportunities for HPSJ’s multi-cultural employees.
Vena Ford, Director, Community, Marketplace and Member Engagement
As an experienced health care leader, Vena is responsible for the marketing and creative strategy, Medi-Cal membership and onboarding changes in Medi-Cal benefits for Health Plan of San Joaquin (HPSJ). She has diligently worked to develop and implement a community engagement strategy that is aligned with the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) initiative.
Ford has been instrumental in the creation of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee; the Committee is charged with developing strategies and plans to promote equity and inclusion that involves health plan members, providers, community partners and HPSJ staff. Her continued collaborations with external partners to promote health education and community health among the San Joaquin Valley’s most vulnerable populations is incomparable.
