Meet the Team

Jacob A. Bailey, M.D., M.A.

Co-Director, Region X California Medicine Scholars Program
Assistant Director, Program in Medical Education – Health Equity

Dr. Jacob Bailey was raised in a bicultural home in the Los Angeles area. A circuitous route led him from factory work to construction and finally to the research laboratory where he was introduced to the field medicine.

His clinical interests include transitions of care for adolescents and young adults with chronic lung disease and the intensive care unit’s role in the social safety-net. Throughout his career Dr. Bailey has held regional leadership positions in affinity groups, national leadership positions in organized labor and is actively engaged in medical education research and service.

Dr. Bailey earned his doctor of medicine from University of California San Diego School of Medicine and a master of arts in education from University of California Los Angeles. He completed his residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at Los Angeles County + University of Southern California Medical Center and a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at UC San Diego.

Ramón A. Hernandez, DrPH, M.P.H.

Co-Director, Region X California Medicine Scholars Program
Director, Pathways and Community Partnerships, School of Medicine
Section Chief for Community Health, Department of Pediatrics

Dr. Ramón Hernandez has more than 25 years of local and national experience in adolescent and young adult development; minority and urban health; adolescent mental health; and academic diversity and retention programs. His work focuses on increasing the diversity of the health care workforce by nurturing and supporting underrepresented and disadvantaged students along their personal, academic and professional paths. He is the project director for the Hispanic Center of Excellence and the Health Career Opportunities Program (HCOP) and oversees the University Link Medical Science Program (ULMSP), a pathway program for community college students interested in pursuing careers in health care.

Dr. Hernandez serves on the boards for several organizations including the San Diego Chapter of the American Heart Association, California Medicine and Latinas in Medicine. He also sits on the advisory board for Scripps San Diego Border Area Health Education Center (AHEC); Imperial Valley AHEC; UC San Diego’s Hispanic Serving Institution Workgroup; the Environmental Justice committee on San Diego County’s COVID Task Force; and the Mayor’s COVID Work Group Task Force for the City of Imperial Beach.

He received his doctor of public health in maternal child health and master of public health in health service administration from Boston University School of Public Health.

Ivan A. Copado, M.P.H.

Co-Assistant Director, Region X California Medicine Scholars Program
Fourth-Year Medical Student

Ivan grew up in an immigrant household in Riverside, CA. Following a successful battle with cancer and work as a sanitation worker (“trash man”) in Riverside County, Ivan enrolled in Community College. Inspired by the Spanish-speaking physicians and other providers who compassionately involved his parents in his cancer treatment process, Ivan became a volunteer at the hospital where his cancer was cured. Initially, he wanted to share his story and the stories of others navigating the healthcare system, leading to his successful transfer to the University of California Riverside (UCR) as a Creative Writing Major. After graduation from UCR, Ivan explored his writing career and passion for teaching through continued graduate work and a long-term substitute English teacher position at a Title I high school in Riverside County. His students, who, like himself, navigated language barriers and accepted employment to help their families close financial gaps due to illnesses, putting their pursuits of higher education on hold, helped Ivan realize that he wanted to help his community as a physician.

Ivan is currently enrolled at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine as a Program in Medical Education – Health Equity (PRIME-HEq) scholar, a dual doctor of medicine (MD) and masters degree program designed to train future leaders in medicine interested in addressing health disparities impacting vulnerable communities. Through support from PRIME-HEq, Ivan graduated from the University of Berkeley School of Public Health with a master’s in public health as an inaugural Blue Shield of California Fellow. Ivan’s research interests involve investigating and analyzing the impact of health disparities on historically marginalized patient populations’ access to healthcare, refugee and migrant health, and diabetic retinopathy. Ivan has been fortunate to work with mentors at UC San Diego School of Medicine, Shiley Eye Institute and Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology at UC San Diego Health, University of California San Francisco Department of Ophthalmology, and the University of Berkeley Department of Public Health. Ivan plans to apply for a residency program in ophthalmology, where he hopes to continue to develop the clinical, surgical, and research skills needed to provide excellent care to the community he serves.

Kenneth Bush, M.S.

Project Manager, Region X California Medicine Scholars Program

Kenneth Bush has dedicated his career to promoting health equity, minority health, and diversity and inclusion in health care. As a California Community College graduate, he intimately appreciates the significance of tailored guidance and individual support at the beginning stages of one’s academic journey. He has participated in and contributed to multiple mentorship programs that promote the success of underrepresented students in health professions, and understands the impact they have on a career development.

Originally from Calexico, Kenneth attended Cerritos College in Norwalk, CA where he began his involvement with Chicanos/Latinos for Community Medicine (CCM), MiMentor, and Medicos Enfermeros Y Dentistas Para El Pueblo (MED PEP). After transferring to California State University, Long Beach, he joined the NIH BUILD (BUilding Infrastructure Leading to Diversity) Scholars Program where he continued his health equity advocacy work and began his career in health outcomes research. He completed a Master of Science in Health Promotion from the University of Oklahoma and returned to Southern California with the skills he developed to advocate for health improvements in his community. Through these experiences, Kenneth has strengthened his belief that there is power in lifting members of the community into positions of leadership and influence to achieve favorable community health outcomes, which is a crucial aim of CMSP.

Sedtavut D. Nilaad, M.S.

Project Coordinator, Region X California Medicine Scholars Program

Sedtavut Nilaad was born and raised in Thailand before moving to the U.S in sixth grade. He began his community college career in Riverside, California and later transferred to UC San Diego to complete his bachelor’s and master’s degree in microbiology. Sedtavut has always been engrossed in education and mentorship, receiving the Excellence in Teaching Award by UC San Diego School of Biological Sciences. He later began working at the UC San Diego School of Medicine providing academic and organizational support to faculty during the COVID-19 lockdown.   

Using his experience from serving as director of recruitment for the Palomar Health Pathmaker Internship, medical student research studies, and his journey through community college himself, he is committed to provide CMSP scholars his support and encouragement to help develop future healthcare leaders.