Operation Mend: The Stories of Injuried Soldiers

Guest Bio: Melanie Gideon & James Barclay

Melanie A. Gideon is the Program Manager for UCLA Operation Mend, a unique partnership between UCLA Health System, Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio, Texas, and the VA-Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. The program was established in 2007 to help treat U.S. military personnel who were severely wounded during service in Iraq and Afghanistan. The project aims to combine the best of the military's resources with the tremendous skills of UCLA Health System and continues to serve as a model for other medical institutions interested in helping wounded service members and their family members. Melanie graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in biological sciences, minors in public health and psychology, and a concentration in pre-optometry. She received her master's degree in health services administration from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 2008 and was the first administrative intern for UCLA Health System's Chief Operating Officer. In that role, her primary focus was performance and quality improvement initiatives in operations management for the Bowyer Oncology Clinic.

Concurrently, she co-lead a team of support services consultants on a pilot project to improve service line processes during Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center's transition period.As the Program Manager for Operation Mend, Melanie leads a multidisciplinary team that includes administrative staff, physicians, and clinical support teams, as well as various support services staff throughout UCLA Health System. She collaborates with an entire spectrum of departments including Finance, Media Relations, Fund Development, Marketing, Operations, and Information Technology. Additionally, Melanie actively works with external military health system personnel and key leaders nationwide in support of UCLA Operation Mend and its expansion.