The Accelerator will be led by Theodore “Ted” Chan, MD, pictured above, as inaugural executive director. Photo credit: UC San Diego Health
“This partnership will reliably improve access and delivery across the health care continuum at UC San Diego Health by ensuring there is a continuous focus on the patient’s needs and experience,” said Theodore “Ted” Chan, MD, inaugural executive director of the West Health Accelerator at UC San Diego Health and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at UC San Diego Health. “Our teams are launching a number of initiatives implementing advanced technologies into clinical practice, including virtual care platforms and seamless integration of health data to benefit patients and providers.”
At the heart of UC San Diego Health’s innovative work is the Joan & Irwin Jacobs Center for Health Innovation at UC San Diego Health (JCHI), a dedicated center focused on the ethical development and deployment of technology to improve patient care. Building on that foundation, the Accelerator will expand mission control, an around-the-clock coordination hub that utilizes advanced technologies, data, and the health system’s electronic health record to ensure patients are seen and cared for at the right time and in the right environment.
“As the region’s only academic health system, UC San Diego Health is uniquely positioned to lead this effort in critical care delivery, bringing together world-class clinical excellence, research and one of the nation’s strongest biotech ecosystems,” said Alexander Khalessi, MD, MBA, chief innovation officer for UC San Diego Health and interim assistant vice chancellor for Health Sciences Innovation and AI. “Through the Accelerator, new health care capabilities and technology first created at JCHI will be further developed and tested in order to make measurable differences for patients, physicians, researchers and staff.”
Founded by Gary and Mary West in 2006, West Health is a family of nonprofit, nonpartisan organizations working to make health care more affordable and accessible for all Americans. The West Health Accelerator at UC San Diego Health is the latest in a growing portfolio of partnerships that includes Northwestern Medicine, Mass General Brigham, Duke-Margolis, the American Hospital Association, and the National Committee for Quality Assurance, each focused on building health care solutions across geriatric care, behavioral health, and value-based care.
About UC San Diego Health
UC San Diego Health, the region’s only academic health system, is dedicated to delivering outstanding patient care through commitment to community, groundbreaking research and inspired teaching. For 2026-27, U.S. News & World Report ranked UC San Diego Health as the best hospital system in San Diego and among the nation’s best in eight adult medical and surgical specialties, including cancer, cardiology, geriatrics, neurology and pulmonology. It is the first health system in San Diego County to make the Honor Roll for outstanding patient care. The 1,011-bed health system includes three hospitals — Hillcrest Medical Center, Jacobs Medical Center and East Campus Medical Center — as well as Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, Moores Cancer Center, Shiley Eye Institute, Koman Family Outpatient Pavilion, McGrath Outpatient Pavilion, and Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute. The health system also includes primary care and same-day services at clinics throughout Southern California.
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About West Health
Solely funded by philanthropists Gary and Mary West, West Health is a family of nonprofit and nonpartisan organizations that include the Gary and Mary West Foundation and Gary and Mary West Health Institute in San Diego and the Gary and Mary West Health Policy Center in Washington, D.C. West Health is dedicated to lowering health care costs to enable seniors to successfully age in place with access to high-quality and affordable health and support services that preserve and protect their dignity, quality of life and independence. Learn more at westhealth.org.