Government Relations
The Government Relations department is UCLA Health’s liaison to local, state, and federal elected officials and government agencies.
About us
It is the mission of Government Relations at UCLA Health and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (DGSOM) to increase awareness, understanding and support for the health sciences at UCLA among elected officials, members of their staff, and within key agencies.
The UCLA Health Government Relations team works with local, state, and federal policymakers to advocate on behalf of UCLA Health, including the UCLA Hospital System, Faculty Practice Group, and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. We cultivate and maintain relationships with elected, agency, and administration officials to support our mission of delivering leading-edge patient care, research and education.
Our staff
Michael Altschule
Executive Director of Government Relations
Issues include: Federal budget, legislation & regulations, Medicare, Medicaid & biomedical research policy, pediatrics and behavioral health.
Mike joined UCLA Health as Executive Director of Government Relations in 2016. He manages a portfolio that includes hospital regulation, patient care, graduate medical education, and medical research. From 1999-2010 Mike worked as an Assistant Director in the UCLA campus office of Government & Community Relations, handling state budget issues, bond measures, and priority legislation.
Between stints at UCLA, Mike worked as Associate Director of Government Relations at UCSF, and as Director of Policy for the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission, where he led successful comprehensive reviews and reenactments of the City’s Campaign Finance and Governmental Ethics Ordinances.
In addition to his public service, Mike is a veteran of political campaigns at all levels of government. He has worked on ballot measures and has advised candidates seeking a range of elected offices from city council to governor to president. Mike has a BA in Political Science from UCLA, and a JD from Loyola Law School. He lives in Culver City with his wife Katherine and their two children.
Contact information
Office: 310-267-7064
Email: maltschule@mednet ucla.edu
Jazmin Diego
Associate Director Government Relations
Issues include: State budget & legislation, outpatient clinics, homelessness and community & local engagement.
Jazmin joined UCLA Health as Associate Director of Government Relations in 2019. In her currently role, she works closely with state and local elected officials to advance the health systems legislative agenda.
Prior to joining UCLA Health, Jazmin worked at AltaMed Health Services, one of the largest Federally Qualified Community Health Centers in the nation, as a Policy Analyst and as the Manager of Legislative and Advocacy Affairs. During her tenure with AltaMed she worked closely with local, state, and federal elected officials to increase access to quality healthcare to underserved communities in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.
Jazmin has Bachelor of Arts in Political Science/ International Affairs in 2012 from the University of California, Riverside and her Master in Social Work in 2014 from the University of Southern California, where she concentrated in Community Organizing, Planning, and Administration.
Contact information
Office: 310-267-3087
Email: [email protected]
What we do
The Government Relations department is UCLA Health’s liaison to local, state, and federal elected officials and government agencies. We connect our hospital leadership and faculty with policy makers to communicate the impact that our health system, medical innovations, and research has on the communities that we serve. We host government officials at UCLA so that they can learn more about our work, and we meet them in their districts to highlight UCLA Health programs that serve communities across Southern California.
Local Government relations
For more than 60 years, UCLA Health has served the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Country through world-class patents care, medical research and teaching.
Nestled in West Los Angeles our hospital is home to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Stewart and Lynda Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA and UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital. Together with the UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center and more than 250 outpatient locations across Southern California, we serve hundreds of thousands of patients annually.
For questions about and/ or contacts with Los Angeles City, County our other local government officials, please contact Jazmin Diego, Associate Director of Government Relations.
State Government relations
We work alongside our state legislators, state agencies, Governor’s office, and policy makers to advocate on behalf of UCLA Health system. Together with our subject matter experts, we advocate for pieces of legislation and budgetary items that promote our mission- deliver leading-edge patient care, research and education.
For questions and/ or contacts with State Assemblymembers, State Senators, Governor’s office, and state agencies, please contact Jazmin Diego, Associate Director of Government Relations.
Federal Government relations
As worldwide health care providers and medical researchers, UCLA Health provides unique expertise to federal policy makers. We work with our leadership, faculty, and researchers to advocate for robust federal research and hospital health care funding.
For questions and/ or contacts with Congressional members, and federal agencies, please contact Michael Altschule, Executive Director of Government Relations.
What we can assist with
- Outreach and engagement with elected officials
- Policy and program priorities
- Meeting requests from policymakers
- Request for testimony on local, state, and federal levels
- State legislation and budget
- State advocacy guidelines
- Federal legislation, regulatory, and budget information