Full Name
S. Monica Soni, MD
Job Title
Chief Medical Officer, Chief Deputy Executive Director
Speaking At
Organization Name
Covered California
Speaker Bio
Monica Soni, MD (she/her) serves as Covered California’s chief medical officer. Dr. Soni’s prior role was the associate chief medical officer at New Century Health. During her time at the organization, Dr. Soni played a critical role in clinical informatics, provider engagement, value-based strategies and innovation. She is also a board-certified internal medicine physician with more than a decade of experience in serving patients.
Prior to her work at New Century Health, Dr. Soni served as the director of Specialty Care for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, the second-largest municipal health system in the United States. There she ensured the delivery of specialty care across four hospitals, 20 ambulatory care clinics, the correctional health system and more than 200 community partners.
Dr. Soni has also served as the director of Continuity Care for Martin Luther King, Jr. Outpatient Center, where she led primary care, urgent care and transitions of care. She is also a professor within the UCLA Department of Medicine, and at the Charles R. Drew University Department of Internal Medicine, where she is focused on residency diversification and pipeline development.
As Covered California’s chief medical officer, Dr. Soni leads Covered California’s Health Equity and Quality Transformation division and is responsible for health equity, health care strategy, medical policy, medical management and other clinical operations to continuously improve not only the health services provided through Covered California’s contracted health plans, but also California’s delivery system. The chief medical officer is also responsible for ensuring that the health care strategy, tactics and resources are in place to successfully advance the mission of Covered California and help the agency improve the evolving health care landscape. In addition, Dr. Soni serves on Covered California’s executive leadership team and reports directly to Jessica Altman.
A graduate of Harvard College, Dr. Soni graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology. She received her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed her residency in internal medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. In addition, Dr. Soni was a fellow in the California Health Care Foundation Leadership Program. She is currently a board member for Mercy Housing California, a leading affordable housing organization, and previously served as a commissioner for the Los Angeles County Hospital and Health Care Delivery Commission.
Prior to her work at New Century Health, Dr. Soni served as the director of Specialty Care for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, the second-largest municipal health system in the United States. There she ensured the delivery of specialty care across four hospitals, 20 ambulatory care clinics, the correctional health system and more than 200 community partners.
Dr. Soni has also served as the director of Continuity Care for Martin Luther King, Jr. Outpatient Center, where she led primary care, urgent care and transitions of care. She is also a professor within the UCLA Department of Medicine, and at the Charles R. Drew University Department of Internal Medicine, where she is focused on residency diversification and pipeline development.
As Covered California’s chief medical officer, Dr. Soni leads Covered California’s Health Equity and Quality Transformation division and is responsible for health equity, health care strategy, medical policy, medical management and other clinical operations to continuously improve not only the health services provided through Covered California’s contracted health plans, but also California’s delivery system. The chief medical officer is also responsible for ensuring that the health care strategy, tactics and resources are in place to successfully advance the mission of Covered California and help the agency improve the evolving health care landscape. In addition, Dr. Soni serves on Covered California’s executive leadership team and reports directly to Jessica Altman.
A graduate of Harvard College, Dr. Soni graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology. She received her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed her residency in internal medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. In addition, Dr. Soni was a fellow in the California Health Care Foundation Leadership Program. She is currently a board member for Mercy Housing California, a leading affordable housing organization, and previously served as a commissioner for the Los Angeles County Hospital and Health Care Delivery Commission.
