Arun Patel, M.D., J.D.
Fellowship Year(s): 2011-2012
Profession: Lawyer;Physician
Specialty: Law
Fellowship Details:
Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
House Committee on Energy and Commerce (Minority)
At time of Fellowship
Arun R. Patel is a private practice health care attorney, advising large health care systems on federal and state self-referral and anti-kickback laws, antitrust, privacy, and nonprofit governance issues. Since 2005, Patel has served as general counsel for ReSurge International (formerly Interplast), an international nonprofit focused on providing free reconstructive surgery to children in developing countries, and developing sustainable, community-based systems to address ongoing local surgical needs. Since 2009, he has served as a director of the Metta Fund, a charitable foundation that supports programs to improve the health of San Francisco residents.
During his years with national law and consulting firms, Patel assisted clients in physician service contracting, acquiring medical practices, hospitals and other health care entities, establishing medical practices, provider networks and medical joint ventures, and obtaining financing through tax-exempt bond issues, private placement issues and lines of credit. Previously, Patel worked in the neonatal intensive care unit at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Patel received his M.D. at the University of Mississippi, his J.D. at Stanford University and his B.A. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After completing a pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, he studied bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. Patel is board certified in general pediatrics and is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Current Info:
Director of Patient Safety and Clinical Risk Management
Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
Since Fellowship:
Arun R. Patel, MD, JD, MBE is a highly accomplished physician, attorney, and healthcare executive dedicated to improving patient safety, quality of care, and compliance in the healthcare industry. He currently serves as the System Director of Patient Safety and Clinical Risk Management for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS), the second largest municipal healthcare system in the United States. In this position, Dr. Patel oversees innovative system-wide patient safety initiatives, safety data collection and reporting, and responses to claims and liability matters.
During his time at the DHS, Dr. Patel has also served as the System Director of Quality Improvement, the System Director of Pharmacy Services, the System Chief Compliance Officer, and the Associate Chief Medical Officer of LAC+USC Medical Center. In addition to his administrative duties, Dr. Patel continues clinical practice by seeing newborns in the nursery at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center.
Dr. Patel is a passionate advocate for patient safety and has been instrumental in developing and implementing high reliability practices based on a culture of trust, support, and transparency to foster collaboration and continuous improvement among staff and clinicians.
During his time as a RWJF Health Policy Fellow, Dr. Patel served on the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, advising on reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, and in the Policy Counselor’s Office of the Secretary of the Dept. of Health and Human Services, advising on various public health and health care delivery issues. Prior to those roles, Dr. Patel spent nearly a decade as a healthcare transactions and compliance attorney.
Dr. Patel received his Bachelor’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, M.D. from the University of Mississippi, and J.D. from Stanford University. He also holds a Master’s of Bioethics degree from the University of Pennsylvania. His unique perspective and expertise have made him a sought-after speaker, having presented at national conferences on topics related to healthcare quality, patient safety, and risk management, and a thought leader in the healthcare industry.
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