DOLORES YANAGIHARA
Dolores Yanagihara has over 11 years experience developing, managing and evaluating cutting edge public health programs customized for diverse cultures and educational levels. Her interest in public health was sparked by her tour of duty in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone, West Africa. She earned a M.P.H. in Health Education and International Health from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Notre Dame.
Yanagihara has worked in a variety of non-profit settings, from a small substance abuse prevention agency to the largest health plan in Hawaii. In her role at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Hawaii, she developed collaborative relationships with physicians, healthcare organizations, state agencies and other community stakeholders to create high impact preventive health and disease management initiatives. In 2004 she relocated from Hawaii to northern California, where she joined the Integrated Healthcare Association as the Program Development Manager for California’s statewide collaborative Pay for Performance program.