Our Team

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Jennifer N. Sayles, MD, MPH

Chief Executive

Jennifer is the Learning Center’s Chief Executive. Most recently, she led the DHCS/KP/Health Center Population Health Management Initiative, a co-designed program that is now being leveraged to build EPT. She has served as a physician executive across multiple sectors of nonprofit healthcare. Jennifer is committed to catalyzing change across all levels of the health care system to achieve population health equity. She has experience leading provider, payer and purchaser strategies to improve quality and support delivery system transformation, including population health management programs, behavioral health integration, value-based payment and addressing social determinants of health and health equity. Jennifer has served as Chief Medical Officer at Inland Empire Health Plan, Chief Population Health Officer at LA County Department of Health Services, and Medical Director roles at LA Care and LA County Department of Public Health, as well as a health services researcher and a health policy consultant. Jennifer has an undergraduate degree from Princeton University. She completed her clinical and public health training at Harvard University and the University of California, Los Angeles.

Elise Pomerance, MD, MPH

Chief Health Officer

Elise serves as the Chief Health Officer for the PHM Learning Center, supporting all clinical aspects of the DHCS EPT program oversight and technical assistance activities. An experienced physician leader with a focus on advancing population health, Elise is a seasoned innovator who has led efforts to support population health in value-based settings to address healthcare disparities. Before joining the Learning Center, she served as lead clinical consultant for the KP PHM Initiative involved from early planning into implementation phases of the work. Elise also served as Senior Medical Director of Practice Transformation for Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) where she developed and implemented IEHP’s Health Homes Program and planned for the transition and launch of the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) Enhanced Care Management (ECM) program. Elise is a board-certified family medicine physician. Elise completed her clinical and public health training at UCLA Medical School and Harvard University.

Eric Hernandez, MBA – HSA 

Chief Operations Officer

Eric Hernandez serves as the Chief Operations Officer for the PHM Learning Center, supporting the core operations to enhance internal infrastructures and initiatives. His career, rooted in healthcare access and equity, underscores his unwavering dedication to elevating patient care.

Eric’s strategic acumen and dedication to staff development are instrumental in cultivating high-performing teams that deliver exceptional outcomes. With a profound understanding of Medicaid operations and a knack for building operations from the ground up, Eric brings invaluable and extensive expertise to his role at the PHM Learning Center. Most recently, he was the Chief Operations Officer at Peach Tree Health, a $55 million federally qualified health center in Marysville, CA, where he demonstrated his ability to navigate complex operational landscapes while prioritizing the diverse needs of patient populations. Eric has also held leadership roles at Family HealthCare Network and Adventist Health.

Eric holds a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis on Health Services Administration from California State University Chico and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis on Organizational Management from Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles. In his free time, Eric enjoys exploring new areas with his partner and two dogs.

Tammy Fisher, MPH

Chief Program Officer

Tammy Fisher, MPH serves as the Chief Program Officer for the newly established Population Health Learning Center, supporting the development, implementation, and oversight of the PHLC’s overall technical assistance strategy, including the Department of Health Care Services’ Equity and Practice Transformation Directed Payment Program, a 5-year, $700 million program to support primary care practices in the Medi-Cal delivery system. Tammy has extensive experience implementing successful multi-payer practice transformation initiatives at scale in primary care in California and nationally. This includes work in the Medi-Cal delivery system as well as private practice settings and integrated health systems. Throughout her career, Tammy has played leadership roles in care redesign, implementing value-based care, training and facilitation, program development and execution, and healthcare operations. Most recently, she was the Senior Director of Clinical Quality at Aledade, Inc., where she led national quality strategies. Tammy has also held leadership roles at Contra Costa Health Services, the Center for Care Innovations, Partnership HealthPlan of California, and the San Francisco Health Plan.

Tammy holds an MPH from New York University and a BA in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego. In her free time, Tammy enjoys hiking and hosting dinner parties for friends.

Open Roles

We are building our founding team.

We are recruiting mission-oriented, dynamic, and fun colleagues to build a healthcare system that works for all Californians. Join us.