One of the largest healthcare systems in the U.S., the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) cares for more than 600,000 patients annually. The average DHS employee is over the age of 50, and an increasing number of managers and supervisors in nursing and administration are nearing retirement age. With a tightening national workforce, DHS was already looking to create a system-wide succession plan to ensure leadership continuity and quality of care across its 19 health centers and four hospitals. Due to the economic fallout from COVID-19, DHS anticipates an acceleration of retirements and an even more pressing need for the existing talent pool to take the next step in their careers. FUSE Executive Fellow Omar Zoheri developed a succession planning framework for the entire health system. When COVID-19 hit, he helped direct the internal development of DHS leaders and manage telework initiatives.
Omar analyzed the recruitment needs and practices at DHS facilities to develop a succession framework. He assessed succession plans and leadership development efforts nationwide in DHS and other large healthcare facilities. He is also managing the efforts of the Remote Work Committee, which is reimagining how and where work can and should be done, both as a public health requirement in the short term and in a post-pandemic world. Omar is also the data analytics liaison for workforce COVID-19 vaccination, providing insight and analysis to leaders and staff about the vaccination progress for all staff. Additionally, Omar has taken the lead in the DHS campaign that highlights and promotes the great work of its staff during the pandemic. While continuing to develop internal leaders and work-from-home initiatives, Omar has led various initiatives focused on solving urgent problems such as the distribution of cloth masks at the start of the pandemic and the creation of an e-signature policy.
