Sandra R. Hernández, MD

Dr. Sandra R. Hernández is president and CEO of the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), an independent, nonprofit philanthropy that works to improve the health care system so that all Californians, especially those who have traditionally faced the greatest barriers to care, have the care they need. The foundation has been a supporter and partner of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and its work, including the Health Equity Challenge.

"CHCF’s history with CHPR goes back to our beginning both programmatically and because Rick Brown, CHPR’s founder, mentored and trained so many health policy researchers in California, including many CHCF staff and numerous grantees," says Hernández. "The work of CHPR — and especially CHIS — has been instrumental to our work and mission. Like so many, we rely on CHIS to help us understand the health care experiences of California’s diverse communities, Medi-Cal members, and those who are uninsured. CHPR and the CHIS help us track in access and barriers to care, disparities between Medi-Cal members and other insured Californians, and disparities within the Medi-Cal population.  This work underpins several of our health care almanacs, it helps inform our strategy, and it helps us the measure the progress that we — and the state as a whole — are making."

In February 2023, Hernández was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to serve on the state’s Health Care Affordability Board. From 2018 to 2023, she served on the Covered California board of directors, after having been appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. In 2019, she was also appointed by Governor Newsom to the Healthy California for All Commission.

Prior to joining the CHCF, Hernández was CEO of The San Francisco Foundation. During her time at the San Francisco Foundation, she co-chaired San Francisco’s Universal Healthcare Council, which designed Healthy San Francisco. It was the first time a local government in the U.S. attempted to provide health care for all of its constituents.

Hernández previously served as director of public health for the City and County of San Francisco.

Hernández practiced at San Francisco General Hospital in the HIV/AIDS Clinic from 1984 to 2016 and was an assistant clinical professor at the UCSF School of Medicine. In 2024, UCSF awarded Hernández its highest honor, the UCSF Medal.