Name: Christina Harris

New title: Vice president and chief health equity officer of Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai, one of the largest academic medical centers in the U.S.

Previous title: Associate program director in the UCLA Internal Medicine Residency Program and associate vice chair of equity, diversity and inclusion for the UCLA Department of Medicine

Harris, a primary care physician, will lead Cedars-Sinai's efforts to improve health disparities and address social determinants of health both internally and in Los Angeles communities, according to the hospital's release on the appointment.

Harris, who was selected following a nationwide search, succeeds Linda Burnes Bolton, senior vice president and Cedars-Sinai's first chief health equity officer.

Burnes Bolton is retiring after more than five decades with Cedars-Sinai.

Thomas Priselac, Cedars-Sinai president and CEO, called Harris the "ideal leader" to build on the foundation left by Burnes Bolton, citing her commitment to health equity with her experience leading "clinical, educational and equity initiatives in academic medicine."

As EDI associate vice chair at UCLA's medical department — a position she originated — Harris worked to develop infrastructure to expand workforce diversity and care opportunities for patients with Medicaid in California.

Harris is also a primary care physician at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center.