Lakshmi Dhanvanthari, MD joined HPSJ as the new Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Dhanvanthari comes to HPSJ from Health Net where she served as the Regional Medical Director in Woodland Hills. Dr. Dhanvanthari has extensive experience in directing and coordinating utilization management, case management, health and disease management, and quality improvement programs to ensure the delivery of cost-effective health care to the members of major, national health insurance companies.

She has developed and implemented innovative award-winning programs to improve the quality of care delivered to members and achieved the highest level of quality accreditation for several health plans. She has significant experience in managing the complex issues of members with state-funded insurance programs such as Medicaid and SCHIP programs. She has also worked with Wellpoint Inc., University of California/Irvine, Children's Hospital of Orange County, and Sinai Medical Center.

She graduated from Kilpauk Medical College in Madras, India with a Bachelor of Medicine & Surgery and a Post Graduate Physician in Pediatrics from Cook County Hospital. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a Diplomat of the American Board of Pediatrics. We look forward to her leadership in all aspects of our Medical Management Programs, including HEDIS, CAHPS, Case and Disease Management, and Quality Improvement programs.