Sandra Perez is Director of the California Office of the Patient Advocate (OPA) representing the interests of over 20 million commercial health plan members. In this capacity, she advocates for the consumer rights and health care quality for all patients in California. Under her leadership, OPA has developed and promoted the State’s annual Health Care Quality Report Card, rated as a top site by the Informed Patient Institute; consumer education materials in multiple languages including an award-winning guide, How to Use Your Health Plan; and implemented a statewide social marketing campaign so that all consumers are well equipped with the necessary information and tools to make informed health care decisions. Ms. Perez is committed to working collaborately with purchasers, elected officials, consumer advocates, health plans, medical groups and other stakeholders to identify ways to improve the quality of health care in California.
Ms. Perez has over 25 years of experience as a consumer advocate in her diverse roles as a leader, administrator, consumer researcher, educator and coalition-builder at the local and state levels. Her state service includes working in the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches, administering the nationally recognized California Capitol Fellows Executive and Judicial Fellowship Programs, and working for elected officials in the State Legislature. She has also worked in the health care system integrating Medi-Cal beneficiaries into a health plan, overseeing a Hospital Outpatient Records unit, staffing a statewide health plan Community Health Partnerships Program, and serving in research and education as a health educator and research assistant.
Ms. Perez has served on many advisory boards such as the UC Davis Medical Center Community Advisory Board, Sacramento Community Services Planning Council, California Superior Court Community Board, and Methodist Hospital Birthing Center.
Sandra Perez has a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and and a Masters of Science in Health Services from University of Southern California respectively. Her Bachelor of Arts from UC Davis is in Community Health and Nutrition. Ms. Perez is also a graduate of the Harvard University’s Executive Leadership Program in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Leadership California; the National Hispana Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C.; Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce Leadership Sacramento; and the Center for Creative Leadership in La Jolla, California.
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