The JTD administration has formed a Public Health Task Force, comprised of JTD trustees and members of the JTD staff with expertise in the medical, legal, and public health fields, to advise on matters related to COVID-19 and the reopening of campus. The Public Health Task Force serves in an advisory capacity, with all decisions ultimately being made by the JTD administration. The Board members who participate in the Public Health Task Force are as follows:
Premal Desai, MD is a urologic oncologist who specializes in minimally invasive surgery at Tower Urology at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. He has served as the Clinical Chief of the Division of Urology at Cedars Sinai Medical Center for the last 4 years and is President of the Los Angeles Urological Society. He is an active member of the medical staff, sitting on the Cancer Committee and Physician/Nurse Joint Practice Committee at the hospital.
Roxanne Diaz is a shareholder at the law firm of Richards, Watson & Gershon and specializes in the representation of public entities advising clients on public law and land use issues. In light of COVID-19, a part of Roxanne’s practice has shifted to assisting the firm’s clients with navigating the myriad of federal, state and county orders and legislation as well as drafting and implementing emergency legislation, including health orders, at the local level. Roxanne currently serves as the City Attorney for the cities of Indio, Hidden Hills and Maywood.
Stephanie Smooke Praw, MD is an Associate Professor of Medicine at David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA. She is an endocrinologist, specializing in thyroid disease and thyroid cancer, Director of Education for the Division of Endocrinology, and Program Director for the UCLA Endocrinology Fellowship Program. She graduated with a BA from Yale University and completed medical school, residency, and fellowship training at UCLA. In addition to her involvement on the JTD Public Health Task Force, she also serves on the national COVID Task Force for the Association of Program Directors in Endocrinology and Metabolism (APDEM), as well as providing guidance for other Los Angeles-based institutions.
Nanci E. Rascoff, MD, MPH was formerly an Acting Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology, at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital. Dr. Rascoff’s clinical work focused on juvenile arthritis and autoimmune disease. She also served on the Credentialing and Professional Standards Oversight Committee for the hospital. While in Seattle, she served on the Board of Trustees at the Seattle Country Day School. Dr. Rascoff received her Masters in Public Health from the University of California at Los Angeles and worked in access to care and health policy at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. She received her BA from Harvard College and her medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine.
Hannah S. Yuen is an Associate General Counsel at Genentech, Inc., a leading biotechnology company and A Member of the Roche Group. Since joining the company in 2003, Hannah has served as the architect of key legal strategies for complex, high stakes litigation and healthcare law matters, including the oversight of significant intellectual property disputes and the resolution of government investigations. In her role, Hannah provides strategic legal advice and guidance to the company’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors that seeks to align legal risk with the accomplishment of core business goals and values.
The Public Health Task Force liaises with additional experts in the field in an advisory capacity. We welcome input from other members of the community. Please reach out to School Nurse
Kristen Venick or a member of the task force if you would like to offer input or have a question for the group.