Gregory Polk was appointed President/ Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kedren Community Health in
February 2023. Kedren Community Health serves the most vulnerable mental health
populations in the surrounding area, focusing on equity and access for underserved
communities.

With over thirty years of experience in administration, Polk brings expertise spanning
government, nonprofit, and private sectors. He is widely recognized as a champion of
systemic change, dedicated to creating a more equitable healthcare landscape across
Southern California.

Prior to joining Kedren Polk served as Chief Deputy Director of the Los Angeles County
Department of Mental Health, where he managed the day-to-day administrative and fiscal
operations of the largest mental health department in the nation (7,000 employees), including
oversight of the Department’s $3.0 billion budget, 75 programs and 100+ co-located sites, and
contracts with approximately 160 mental health providers.

Before that, he was responsible for the overall administrative management of the Los Angeles
County Department of Health Services, which is the third largest health system in the nation
with over 20,000 employees. Polk directed administrative operations of the County’s four
major hospitals, six comprehensive centers, thirteen health centers, and over one hundred
community partners with a budget totaling over $10 billion. He developed strategy for the
Department-wide efforts for identifying problem areas, formulated recommendations for the
development of new policies and/or procedural changes, and accelerated implementation to
enhance both facility-specific and system-wide operations. He also oversaw highly complex
and multi-million-dollar capital construction projects, improvements, and maintenance
programs to enhance the delivery of patient care while achieving the Department’s strategic
goals.

Polk also served as the Senior Assistant CEO for the County of Los Angeles (Chief Executive
Office) Health and Mental Health Services Cluster, which includes the Departments of Health
Services, Mental Health, and Public Health, all of which he was responsible for the oversight
of the operational activities and a combined budget of $13 billion. He directed the overall
management of technical and professional staff responding to preparing the County’s Health
and Mental Health Cluster annual budgets. In addition, he directed the preparation of special
studies, correspondence and reports as directed by the Chief Executive Officer and the Board
of Supervisors.

Polk began his administrative career at the Law Offices of Alternate Defense Counsel
(currently Los Angeles County Alternate Public Defenders Office), advocating for individuals
unable to afford legal representation, laying the foundation for his lifelong commitment to
serving vulnerable populations.

He holds undergraduate and postgraduate degrees

Jo Ann Yanagimoto-Pinedo is the current Chief Operations Officer of Kedren Health. Ms. Yanagimoto-Pinedo secures funding for new and existing projects, acquires grants, organizes fundraisers, and administratively oversees Kedren’s operations. 

Ms. Yanagimoto-Pinedo’s extensive experience in public health and desire to benefit underprivileged communities brought her to Kedren. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychobiology from Occidental College, and afterward, a Masters of Science in Healthcare Administration from California State University, Los Angeles. After working for  She previously served as Senior Health Deputy in the First District in Los Angeles County, then moved to the Department of Mental Health as a Director of Strategic Initiatives before starting at Kedren.  

Motivated by the desire to give back to local communities, Ms. Yanagimoto-Pinedo, a Los Angeles native, has worked to benefit the city for her entire career. She is also fluent in both Japanese and Spanish and is currently learning Italian. 

Amber Powell currently serves as Director of Human Resources of Kedren Health. Some of her duties include evaluating and selecting potential employees, overseeing the negotiation of insurance contracts and administration of employee benefits, and ensuring a safe and productive workplace. 

Before starting at Kedren Health, Ms. Powell worked as a Senior Superior Court Representative, gaining skills in an administrative setting. In 2007, she joined Kedren’s team in order to fulfill her goal of aiding people personally in the workplace. Since then, she has served as the Human Resources Supervisor, working to ensure exemplary standards for the employees at Kedren Health. Ms. Powell has also furthered her education in the time that she has assumed this role, earning a Certificate in Human Resources Management from CSUDH in 2015, and is currently working towards a B.S. in Business Administration with a focus in Human Resources from the University of Phoenix.

Ms. Powell’s motivation for working at Kedren Health is her desire to help others. She enjoys interacting with other employees and aims to brighten peoples’ days, especially when people are working through difficult situations. In her free time, Ms. Powell enjoys spending time with both her dog, “Rocky,” and her daughter. 

Mary Oelman currently serves as the Chief Quality Officer of Kedren Health. She ensures that patients receive the best standard of care possible, working closely with the Nursing Department and its management team. 

Mary’s career in healthcare has taken her to a variety of different healthcare settings around the country, where she has gained extensive experience in both patient care and leadership. Many hospitals, for-profit and nonprofit, public hospitals, and teaching hospitals have appointed her as Nurse Manager, Chief Nursing Officer, Director of Neuroscience and Psychiatric Nursing, and Chief Clinical Officer. 

Before starting at Kedren in 2020, Mary served as the Director of Performance Improvement and Risk Management at the Memorial Hospital of Gardena. Her education and career took her from her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, to Springfield, where she finished Nursing School. From there, she moved to Boston, where she graduated from Boston College with a BSN and from Boston University with a Master’s in Nursing with a focus on Nursing Administration. She then earned her MBA from the University of Memphis. 

When she is not at work, Mary enjoys spending time with her three dogs and her son, all of whom have supported her during her travels and employment. 

Jason Warner is an information systems leader with over 20 years of experience managing, implementing, and optimizing healthcare information technology solutions in complex organizational environments. His work has focused on ensuring information systems are reliable, secure, and aligned with the day‑to‑day needs of the people who use them.

Dr. Gul Ebrahim, MD is an addiction psychiatry specialist in Los Angeles, CA. He currently practices at Kedren Community Care Clinic. Dr. Ebrahim is board certified in Addiction Psychiatry. Dr. Ebrahim graduated from the Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Medical School. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor Psychiatry, Charles Drew University.

Dr. Ebrahim holds a CA State Medical License and is a member of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology/Psychiatry, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology/Addiction Psychiatry and the American Board of Preventive Medicine

Dr. Kelly Jones is the Medical Director at Kedren Health Primary Care, a Federally Qualified Health Center in South Los Angeles. She is a graduate of Georgetown University/Providence Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program in Washington DC, and attended college and medical school at the University of Kansas. Following residency, she worked at Community Health Care Delivery System in Tacoma WA. She completed a Maternity Fellowship in Los Angeles at University of Southern California/California Hospital Residency Program in 2002, and stayed on as faculty where she eventually was named as Program Director of the Residency Program. She is an Associate Professor of Clinical Family Medicine at Charles Drew University of Medicine and Sciences. Since moving to Los Angeles she has been involved in Healthcare Advocacy and has held leadership positions with LAAFP, CAFP, AAFP and STFM. Her interests include women’s health, healthcare advocacy, behavioral health and forensic medicine.

Shaun Allen, MSW, LCSW, is the Director of Program Services, overseeing the programs of Adult and Children’s Outpatient Services, Inpatient Social Services, AB109 Community Reentry, FSP Adult, and MHSA Housing Supportive Services.

Shaun has strived to aid others her entire life. Her studies at the University of Southern California (USC) furthered this goal, where she graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and double minors in Psychology and Public Administration with an emphasis in Health Services Administration. Her studies at USC did not stop there though; she then pursued and received a Masters of Social Work with a Mental Health concentration. It was at this time that Shaun knew that her approach to helping people would be to integrate services on both the individual and collective scale. By analyzing underlying conditions in different communities, she realized that she would be able to improve individual patient outcomes.

Shaun then started at Kedren Health as a Psychiatric Social Worker in Family Preservation, became Director of Family Preservation, and then moved into the role of Director of Children’s Outpatient Division and Day Treatment Programs. Before assuming her current role, she served as the interim Director of Social Services. Her current role as Director of Program Services places her in charge of coordinating and overseeing the work of Adult and Children’s Outpatient Services, Inpatient Social Services, expanding Kedren’s Services to more than 40 local schools, the Adult Full Service Partnership (FSP) program, and Mental Health Service Act (MHSA) Housing Supportive Services.

Serving Kedren and its surrounding communities for over 25 years, Shaun has been driven by the growth and impact that Kedren has made. When she is not busy overseeing Kedren Health’s programs, she enjoys spending time with her five fur babies.

Donna Dorty currently serves as the Director of Adult Specialty Field-Based Intensive Care Services. She supervises a number of programs, some of which include Adult FSP, Housing Supportive Services, AB109 Community Reentry, and housing projects located in Los Angeles SPA 6. Donna also works closely with Kedren’s Housing Coordinator and oversees a group of therapists, case managers, and peer advocates that she herself has recruited. 

Having spent her life in Los Angeles SPA 6, it is Donna’s first-hand knowledge of the community’s needs that aid her in helping her community. Witnessing the realities of an under-served and under-resourced area, Donna has strived to aid the most vulnerable of the community. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from California State University, Los Angeles. Donna’s work at Kedren Health started in 2000, when she began work as case manager. 

After graduating with a Master’s in Counseling Psychology and Marriage & Family Therapist certification, she started working as a therapist at Kedren. Since then, Donna has served as a Psychiatric social worker, Program Director, and Senior Coordinator of Systems of Care. Her experience in these roles has helped her in her current position, and Kedren’s resources have helped her give back to the community that raised her. 

One of Donna’s favorite things outside of helping her community is basketball. She closely follows the Lakers, which is the team that Kobe Bryant, her favorite player, was signed. 

Ronald Dallatorre, OTD/OTR, currently serves as Director of Occupational Therapy at Kedren Health. He oversees the activities of Kedren’s Occupational Therapists, maintaining client-focused programs that provide valuable resources and skills to those in need, both in inpatient and outpatient programs. 

Dr. Dallatorre understands the importance of client-centered care, aiming to tailor care to each individual. Born and raised in Compton, Dr. Dallatorre made it his mission to help others through his vocation. He enlisted in the Navy and began exploring and leading fitness programs for others. After this, he pursued and attained a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology, a Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy, and a Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California. After obtaining his Doctorate, Dr. Dallatorre began work at Kedren Health as Rehabilitation Services Coordinator and went on to become Director of Rehabilitation Services. 

As the Director of Occupational Therapy, Dr. Dallatorre has strived to provide the highest standard of care while exploring new, effective ways to help clients. His background in boxing and theater has helped him create more ways to engage with clients and help keep them engaged with their health after discharge. Aside from his affinity for boxing and theater, he is also a fan of the Dodgers. 

Emily Dobluis is the current Director of Children’s Outpatient Services at Kedren Health. A portion of her work includes managing and consulting with the clinical team that treats children referred by the Los Angeles DCFS and DMH. Along with this, she is responsible for documenting and overseeing existing cases, as well as preparing for the intake of new patients to ensure positive patient outcomes.

Emily joined Kedren’s team in 2008 as a Multidisciplinary Assessment Team Advisor. Since then, she has served in several roles within the Children & Youth Services department, including as a Psychiatric Social Worker, Integrated Care Worker, Senior Coordinator, Clinical Program Supervisor, and before assuming her current role, she was Program Director of Family Preservation/Specialized Children’s Services. Emily’s extensive experience has allowed her to fulfill her desire to help families with issues that often go unaddressed.

She hopes to help further Kedren’s capabilities in the future by expanding its programs while continuing to meet the needs of the community. In her free time, Emily enjoys sampling from Southern California’s diverse culinary scene and discovering new restaurants to enjoy.

Hilda Rodriguez currently serves as Kedren’s Director of Billing Services, where she supervises and manages Kedren’s billing affairs. She started her career at Kedren in 1993, working at the front desk. After taking time off, Hilda then rejoined Kedren’s team in 1997, after which she was moved to the billing department. It was here that she realized her aptitude for working with data and fiscal analysis. 

Hilda’s supervisors noticed this talent, too, and began coming to her for counsel and aid in billing affairs. She was then promoted to Supervisor of Billing Services. After serving as Manager of the Billing Services, she was then promoted to her current role as Director. Hilda’s employment at Kedren has benefitted her in many ways. She credits Kedren with helping her develop professionalism and writing skills that have helped her advance her career. 

Aside from her career, Hilda enjoys spending time with her family, especially her three sisters.

Jessica Guerrero, LCSW, serves as Director of Child Specialty Field-Based Intensive Services at Kedren Health. She oversees a number of programs that Kedren provides to the youth of the surrounding community, one being Children’s Full Service Partnership, which provides aid to children at risk of being or have been removed from their homes due to familial issues.

 Ms. Guerrero’s commitment to working in mental health comes from her desire to help others. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Disability Studies. Afterward, she graduated from the University of Southern California with a Master of Social Work. She started at Kedren Health as a Psychiatric Social Worker in 2018, moving to the role of Clinical Program Supervisor in 2021. Her education and experience have allowed her to innovate and aid clients going through these programs. 

In her free time, Ms. Guerrero enjoys traveling, exploring other countries, and learning about different cultures. She has traveled around Europe and Asia and hopes to travel more in the future.