Chief Health Officer
University of California San Diego Health
Nick Macchione is Chief Health Officer, overseeing strategic partnerships that expand UC San Diego Health's geographical footprint to ensure the broader community has access to our world-class care and leading-edge therapies.
Mr. Macchione facilitates public and private resources to fund the redevelopment of our Hillcrest medical campus, bolsters relationships with healthcare systems, FQHCs, supportive service providers and payors and leads public and community health initiatives focused on managed care, behavioral health and cross-border health needs. As a member of the UC San Diego Health executive team, he closely collaborates with UC San Diego Chancellor's Office, providing leadership and support for the university's growth initiatives, regional funding, grant opportunities, and partnerships to benefit the university as a whole.
Mr. Macchione has over 35 years of clinical, management and executive experience leading complex health and human service delivery systems in the New York metropolitan area and the County of San Diego. Before joining UC San Diego Health, for 25 years he served as the Director (2008-2023) and Deputy Director (1998-2008) of the County of San Diego’s Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA). At HHSA, Mr. Macchione led the nation’s largest integrated county health and human service network annually with 8,000 clinical and social service staff and $3 Billion budget supporting 1.3 million San Diegans. He successfully implemented HHSA’s most expansive growth in the region’s continuum of care for behavioral health services, including acute care and ambulatory care for the County Psychiatric Hospital, Edgemoor Hospital and outpatient clinics, along with a vast Medicaid network, public health infrastructure, maternal child health, master plan for aging, affordable housing and cutting edge information data exchange.
In the community, Mr. Macchione is the architect who helped develop and implement the county’s comprehensive population health strategy, Live Well San Diego (LWSD). LWSD has received numerous national, state and local awards for its broad scale impact on improving health equity and social well-being through its 500+ public-private partnerships. He has led hundreds of broad scale projects and initiatives helping teams, organizations and communities innovate large scale service delivery system reforms and advance evidence-based policies, programs and person-centered care practices that collectively improve Californians' health, life expectancy and quality of life. Macchione is actively involved in numerous community and professional activities at the national, state and regional level. He serves on several national health policy boards and commissions and frequently speaks at national and local conferences.
In 2020, Mr. Macchione developed the county’s T3 strategy (Test, Trace and Treat) which played a key role in establishing widespread public testing, disease investigation and vaccination efforts throughout the San Diego region. In partnership with UCSD Health, this led to the creation of the first vaccination superstation in the county and the state. In addition, Macchione’ led the Agency’s Malcom Baldrige journey for quality and operational excellence resulting in the 2017 Silver level California Awards for Performance Excellence and the County’s Edgemoor Hospital 2017 Gold level for Excellence in Quality Award. In recognition of his professional and academic accomplishments, Mr. Macchione has received numerous local, state and national awards and recognitions, including being named the 2016 Public Official of the Year by Governing Magazine and awarded the Baldrige Foundation's 2018 Harry Hertz Leadership Award.
He holds two masters degrees from Columbia University and New York University, specializing in health care leadership, strategic management and health policy, and a professional health care executive training certification from Harvard University. Mr. Macchione is board certified in health care management and is a fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives. He has been an active member of ACHE for over 30 years and has served in numerous leadership roles within the College (editorial board and committees) and locally as Chapter President and Regent for San Diego & Imperial Counties. Also, he is a fellow with the American Hospital Association in creating healthier communities and Public Health Scholar with the federal Centers for Disease Control & Prevention/Public Health Institute. For the past 26 years, he has also been an instructor and faculty member at San Diego State University’s School of Public Health and holds the endowed position of the John Hanlon Executive Scholar where he teaches and mentors graduate students specializing in health services management and policy.
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Engaging and Sustaining Healthy Communities Using a Baldrige-Based Framework (54X)
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
9:00am – 10:30am CT