Illumination Health + Home

MANAGEMENT

CEO/Executive Director

Dr. Pooja Bhalla

CEO/Executive Director Experience

Since becoming Chief Executive Officer of Illumination Health + Home in 2023, Dr. Pooja Bhalla has advanced the organization’s mission to disrupt the cycle of homelessness by expanding access to healthcare and housing for underserved Orange County communities. A Doctor of Nursing Practice and mission-driven healthcare leader, Dr. Bhalla has led several key initiatives that demonstrate visionary leadership and disciplined execution. Most notably, she spearheaded the launch of the nation’s first recuperative care facility dedicated to children from families experiencing homelessness—establishing a national model in community healthcare. Developed with CalOptima Health and opened in October 2024, the Children and Families Recuperative Care Center in Santa Ana provides 24/7 medical oversight for recovering children and comprehensive health and housing services for families, setting a benchmark for integrated pediatric recuperative care. As part of her strategy to expand integrated housing solutions, Dr. Bhalla is leading the development of the Richard Lehn Intergenerational Campus in Santa Ana. The project will create an intergenerational community supporting seniors and young families with affordable housing and embedded services. Funded through public and private partnerships, the campus is scheduled to open in summer 2026 and offers a forward-thinking model to address housing instability and social isolation. Dr. Bhalla sits on the Board of Directors for the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, an organization she has belonged to since 2002. She is a member of Adaptive Business Leaders, the Orange County Homeless Death Review Committee, the Family Solutions Collaborative, the Los Angeles Recuperative Care Learning Network, the California Health Care Foundation, and the American Organization of Nurse Executives. Dr. Bhalla joined Illumination Health + Home in 2017 as Chief Operating Officer and advanced through executive leadership roles before being appointed CEO. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Simmons College, completed Nurse Practitioner training at Northeastern University, and is a graduate of the UCLA Johnson & Johnson Health Care Executive Program. She previously served as Chief Operating Officer at Boston Health Care for the Homeless, bringing extensive experience and dedication to her leadership in Orange County.

Staff Information

Staff Demographics

Ethnicity

Gender