Rashad N. Ali, MD, JD, FACOG, executive director of the Family Health Center, was selected by a committee to participate in the 2008 Johnson and Johnson/UCLA Health Care Executive Program held at the University of California at Los Angeles.

The Johnson & Johnson/UCLA Health Care Executive Program is a management development program exclusively for executive directors and leaders of community-based health care organizations. Expert faculty, with the assistance of HRSA grantees, developed the curriculum especially to meet the needs of HRSA grantees.

Ali joined Family Health Center in August 2006 as chief executive officer and has brought his OB/GYN practice with him. As CEO of the company, Dr. Ali is committed and dedicated in ensuring that all patients receive quality healthcare. Since Dr. Ali’s arrival Family Health Center has continuously expanded and is currently serving patients at five locations. Dr. Ali has had a distinguished leadership career in both the healthcare and health law fields.

Prior to joining Family Health Center, Dr. Ali served as medical director of OB/GYN Associates of Laurel. Ali has more than 20 years’ experience in OB/GYN and is a highly skilled surgeon — leader in the introduction of innovative technologies that help women get needed diagnostic and restorative services. Dr. Ali is a skilled laparoscopist that engages in everything from laproscopic hysterectomies and tubal ligations and restorations, removal of ovarian cysts, treatment of endometriosis, treatment of stress incontinence, and much more which can be safely performed.

Dr. Ali is the founder of the Family Health Center endowment,The Foundation for Improving Healthcare Disparities. A highly-trained and qualified board certified physician specializing in obstetrics and gynecological services, Dr. Ali received his medical degree from The University Medical Center in Jackson in 1985. He then completed his internal medicine internship at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio and residency training at Eglin AFB Regional Hospital, Eglin AFB, Fla. Dr. Ali completed his OB/GYN Residency at Keesler Medical Center, Keesler AFB, in 1992. He received a law degree from Concord Law School in 2005. Dr. Ali is a strong leader with the vision, background and ability to serve this role.

Ali is a member of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fellow, American Medical Association, Mississippi State Medical Association, and American Health Lawyers Association.

Barbara Pruitt, board chair, serves as co-participant of the program. Pruitt has served on Family Health Center’s board since 1998. The board chair will collaborate with the executive of their organization to formulate the Community Healthcare Improvement Project (CHIP) to improve performance at their own organizations.

For two intensive weeks at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, approximately 40 directors engage in a curriculum that provides the requisite tools, techniques and approaches to confront mounting challenges in community health care. The program design is based on interviews with HRSA grantees, experts in the health care industry and academia, and relevant literature on management education and development for health care professionals.

The format emphasizes leadership and management skills as well as institutional and technical knowledge, and draws upon UCLA's 17-year experience in conducting a similar program for directors of Head Start programs. Distinguished faculty with expertise in adult management education and knowledge of health care has tailored the curriculum to meet the specific development needs of HRSA grantees.