LEAD 4 IMPACT Pathway

The LEAD 4 IMPACT program was founded in 2026 by inaugural directors Brianna Leyden, MD, and Kira Molas-Torreblanca, DO, MPH, with a shared vision of supporting future pediatricians interested in developing leadership skills and fostering ongoing professional identity formation.

The pathway was created to provide opportunities for mentorship and enrichment for residents passionate about improving patient care outcomes through research, advocacy, education and healthcare operations.

To equip pediatric residents with the advanced knowledge, skills and practical experience to lead collaboratively, navigate challenges and improve the systems in which children receive care and physicians learn.

To develop pediatric residents who can lead clinical teams and advance change through advocacy, medical education, health systems and administration, and research.

Through a longitudinal curriculum that combines leadership development, practical experience and guided reflection, residents learn to communicate effectively, navigate clinical and social complexity and improve healthcare systems.

Participants build the skills and professional identity needed to become independent, adaptable leaders who serve children, families, colleagues and communities.

Lead interdisciplinary teams in routine and high-acuity settings while delivering safe, equitable, family-centered care.

Residents practice communicating through uncertainty, incorporating social context into clinical decisions and balancing patient care, efficiency and education. They will develop into thoughtful, effective pediatric leaders who empower others and create lasting improvements in child health via the following four domains:

Leadership in Advocacy 

Advocate for children at the patient, community and systems levels.

• Residents identify barriers to care, engage stakeholders, and participate in efforts that address social determinants of health and health disparities.
• Residents work closely with the local AAP-OC chapter, Rady Children’s Health leaders in population health and the Chief Officer of Government Affairs.

Leadership in Medical Education 

Develop as teachers, mentors and leaders of learning environments.

• Residents deliver structured teaching, adapt to learner needs, provide actionable feedback and promote psychological safety.
• This domain is ideal for those seeking educational leadership roles throughout their career.

Leadership in Health Systems & Administration 

Apply systems thinking, quality improvement and an understanding of healthcare operations to improve care delivery.

• Residents use data to evaluate problems, guide decisions and assess the impact of change.
• Residents establish a robust mentorship network with C-suite leaders at Rady Children’s Health Orange County, including the Pediatrician-in-Chief and Chief Medical Officer.

Leadership in Research 

Advance child health through scientific inquiry, collaboration and responsible scholarship.

• Residents develop skills in research design, critical appraisal, project management, dissemination and career planning.
• Residents will be enrolled in the UC Irvine School of Medicine Physician-Scientist Training Certification Program.

Learning Objectives

By completing the pathway, residents will be able to:

• Lead clinical and interprofessional teams with clarity, integrity and respect.
• Adapt their leadership approach to the needs of the team and situation.
• Navigate conflict, communicate under pressure, and give and receive constructive feedback.
• Create inclusive, psychologically safe clinical and learning environments.
• Apply systems thinking and change-management principles to improve care.
• Demonstrate leadership through advocacy, teaching, improvement work and scholarship.
• Use reflection and multisource feedback to guide continued professional growth.

Learning Activities & Outcomes

The curriculum combines quarterly teaching sessions with monthly readings, practical activities, self-assessments and guided reflection. Outcomes include:

• Documented advocacy actions and participation in community or institutional advocacy activities.
• At least two structured teaching sessions annually, with documented feedback interactions.
• Completion of a quality improvement project with defined measures and presentation of findings.
• Research scholarship, including an accepted conference abstract and development of a manuscript.
• A leadership portfolio demonstrating growth and changes made in response to feedback.
• A capstone reflection and written personal leadership philosophy.

Focus: Medical Education

Background: Chang graduated from the California Northstate University College of Medicine with a medical degree and from UC Davis with a bachelor's degree in science in biochemistry and molecular biology. She has had multiple publications and presentations on research topics ranging from basic science to medical education, with a focus on flipped-classroom modalities and clinical research on H. pylori diagnosis. She has served as an educator in various capacities, including ultrasound trainer and undergraduate skills and workshop coordinator, and has mentored across multiple institutions and levels of training.  

Interests: "I have always enjoyed teaching to help make complex concepts feel more approachable. This initially drove my desire to go into medicine, as I could help break down complex medical information into more easily understood knowledge for patients and their families. But this passion for teaching extends beyond my patient care. I hope to build on my experiences in teaching, mentorship, medical education research, formal educator training and social media to become a more intentional and effective resident educator. I am particularly interested in creating practical educational resources that can be integrated into clinical care while also exploring innovative ways to make pediatric education accessible to a broader audience.”

Focus: Clinical/Bench Research

Background: Francois graduated from Upstate Medical University with a medical degree, the University at Albany School of Public Health with an MPH and the University at Albany with a bachelor's degree in human biology. Most recently, she was a STAR pathway scholar assessing structural barriers to outpatient follow-up after cardiac arrest. Her committee work has included serving on the UC Irvine-CHOC HEARTi Committee, serving as a service-learning leader at Upstate Medical University and serving as president of the Refugee Health and Wellness Interest Group. She has also worked as a research scientist for the Bureau of Toxic Substance Assessment in Albany, NY; a research assistant for the Division of Peds GI and the Department of Environmental Health Sciences; and a study coordinator and public health specialist for the Congenital Malformations Registry. She's written several scholarly publications on topics ranging from environmental health exposures to malnutrition to congenital heart defects.

Interests: “As a LEAD 4 IMPACT Scholar, I aim to build upon this foundation through research addressing disparities in pediatric cardiology. My interests include identifying barriers to neurodevelopmental follow-up among children with congenital heart disease and examining opportunities to improve longitudinal care. I am also interested in Kawasaki disease, including adherence to aspirin therapy, coronary artery outcomes and subsequent vaccination practices following diagnosis. Through LEAD 4, I seek to strengthen my research skills and develop the interdisciplinary collaborations needed to translate clinically relevant questions into interventions that improve outcomes for diverse pediatric populations. Through involvement in health policy and advocacy, I aim to translate clinical and research findings into health-system and policy interventions that address social determinants of health. I look forward to the opportunity to promote the well-being of individuals, communities and populations through a career in academic medicine as a physician and patient advocate.”

Focus: Business/Healthcare Administration

Background: Kang graduated from Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University with a medical degree and from the University of Scranton with a bachelor's degree in biochemistry, cell, and molecular biology. Her prior projects have focused on QI related to resident education didactic engagement, developmental surveillance screening in patients with congenital heart disease and lumbar puncture success in the NICU. She currently serves as a house staff safety officer and on various residency councils, including Curriculum Innovation, Program Evaluation, Wards, the HEARTi committee and the AAP Resident Delegate. Her past volunteer work has included serving as a refugee health partner, a provider for a student-run free clinic, an author for Story Initiative, writing and illustrating personalized books for children with cerebral palsy in Malawi, a volunteer visiting critically ill hospitalized patients near the end of life and a camp medical staff member for a diabetes summer camp.

Interests: “I hope to strengthen my skills in advocacy, stakeholder engagement, systems thinking, QI and organizational leadership. I am particularly interested in projects that examine barriers to developmental and preventive care for children with complex medical needs; improve systems that connect families with healthcare and community resources; and address gaps in patient safety or care delivery. I would also be interested in collaborations that bring together advocacy and systems improvement to promote more equitable access to care. Ultimately, I hope to become a pediatrician who can move between the bedside and the systems level — understanding the experiences of individual children and families while also working collaboratively to improve the systems that shape their opportunities to thrive.”

Focus: Advocacy

Background: Levine graduated from St. Louis University School of Medicine with a medical degree, St. Louis University College of Public Health and Social Justice with an MPH and Brandeis University with a bachelor's degree in biology. She currently serves as a STAR scholar investigating RSV monoclonal antibody vaccine hesitancy and as a house staff safety officer. Previous roles have included serving as an advocacy and policy intern for the St. Louis Diaper Bank, clinic escort at Planned Parenthood and an intimate partner violence survivor advocate. She has conducted research on differences in sex development, health outcomes among LGBTQ+ populations and the impact of mobile health centers on access to care.

Interests: “On an individual patient level, pediatricians are advocating for our patients daily. Whether it’s coordinating with specialists to ensure our admitted kids get the best care possible, or helping schools better meet patients’ needs, we are always looking to do our best for our patients. Navigating some of these conversations can be challenging, especially when many of our families are incredible advocates for their children (our patients), which can create a complex care dynamic. I hope to learn about and develop systems to help us, as residents (and future attendings), be stronger advocates for our patients and work more effectively with families advocating for their kids. While living in Missouri, I was very involved in community health efforts, particularly in reproductive health advocacy, such as my on-the-ground work helping protect patients from active protestors at Planned Parenthood or door-knocking to overturn Missouri’s restrictive abortion ban. I would love to find more ways to get involved with the local community in Orange County. Lastly, while policy work can be the slowest and most tedious realm of advocacy, it also has the potential to impact the largest swath of people. I would like to work on developing an advocacy curriculum for residents that can be implemented as a monthly or bi-monthly noon conference to learn about and complete advocacy activities, such as calling representatives, writing letters to the editor, etc.”