2003 Health Care Symposium

2003 Health Care Symposium:

The Business of Medicine: Challenges to Professionalism

J. Thomas Rosenthal, MD

Dr. Rosenthal is a urologic surgeon by training and was the head of the kidney transplant program at UCLA. He was the Executive Vice-Chair of the Department of Surgery, and was appointed Director of the UCLA Medical Group in 1996. He had responsibility for managed care services including management of capitation. For the past two years he has been Chief Medical Officer of the integrated health system. Dr. Rosenthal has a major responsibility for developing and implementing the organizational strategic plan. These strategic initiatives include responding effectively to the managed care market in California, building a primary care network, moving care into the community, and building a more cohesive group practice from autonomous academic clinical departments. Major concerns are how the academic mission is preserved in the face of declining resources, and how high quality care can be provided most efficiently.

Dr. Rosenthal is also responsible at UCLA for affiliations, including the affiliation with the County of Los Angeles. UCLA faculty physicians are responsible for patient care, and training the physicians of the future at two County hospitals and community health centers. He is also Chief Medical Officer of the UCLA health system.