Director
Los Angeles County Department of Health Services & Community Technology Foundation of CA
Office of Diversity Programs
313 N. Figueroa Street, Room 123
Los Angeles
CAUSA
90012
Email:
miwataki@dhs.lacounty.gov
Biographical Sketch: Miya Iwataki was appointed Director, Office of Diversity Programs (ODP) in1999, bringing new energy to the Office in working with the LA County Dept. of Health Services (DHS) to "improve DHS’ provision of cultural and linguistically competent services in collaboration with community, union and public/private partners." She is currently providing leadership for systemwide implementation of DHS Cultural & Linguistic Standards. She won a CA Endowment grant to develop cultural competency curriculum specifically designed for DHS which is now a mandatory DHS training. Miya has received generous LA CARE grants supporting ODP’s C/L work, including a large 2-year grant to implement a new Video Medical Interpretation pilot at four DHS hospitals. ODP also provides 40-hr Healthcare Interpreter training, and has designed a Provisional healthcare interpreter qualifying test. DHS is the 2nd largest health system in the US, and the first county to have C&L standards.
Statewide, Miya Chairs the Council on Multicultural Health of the CA Depts of Health Care and Public Health. She is on the Boards of Community Technology Foundation of CA; and CPEHN - CA Pan-Ethnic Health Network. Miya is appointed by the Director of CA DHCS to the Medi-Cal Language Access Services Task Force charged with drawing up recommendations for state implementation MediCal reimbursement of interpretation services; and she sits on several Advisory Councils for CA Association of Public Hospitals and UC San Francisco Center for the Health Professions. She was the appointee of former Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg to the Task Force on Culturally Competent Physicians and Dentists.
Local associations include Board Vice President, Asian Pacific Health Care Venture; Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council; and Asian Pacific Community Fund. She was founding director of Asian Health Project at T.H.E. Clinic. She chaired the Congressional Diversity Council for Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald. Miya has background in media and was Host/Producer for Pacifica Radio station KPFK-FM, and the Story Analyst for KCET Public Television; and Press Director for Congressman Mervyn Dymally.