County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency

County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) provides vital health, housing, and social services to San Diego County residents. HHSA is an integrated health, housing, and social services agency, serving +3 million residents, providing direct services to 1 in 3 residents annually through its eight service departments and regional operations: Aging and Independent Services, Behavioral Health Services, Child and Family Well-Being, Homeless Solutions and Equitable Communities, Housing and Community Development Services, Medical Care Services, Public Health Services, and Self-Sufficiency Services.

Live Well Center for Innovation & Leadership

The Live Well Center for Innovation & Leadership (LWCIL) is an innovative partnership between San Diego State University and the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency. The mission of LWCIL is to strengthen the partnership between academia and health and human services practice through integrated education, research, workforce development, and service that advances equity in San Diego County. The partnership is advancing education, workforce, and health equity in four priority areas:

  • People Success – Building a diverse, competent, and engaged health and human services workforce; 
  • Research and Data Excellence – Informing and improving policy and practice with rigorous and relevant research; 
  • Service to Community – Integrating academia, practice, and community to advance equity and eliminate health disparities;
  • Leadership & Sustainability – Creating a nationally recognized academic health and human services department with innovative leadership committed to improving academia, policy, and practice.
Current Activities
  • LWCIL Research & Data Excellence Subcommittee / Advancing Equity Research
  • LWCIL Steering Committee / Co-Creating San Diego County’s Academic Health and Human Services Department

For more information

To learn more our about Partner Organization, click HERE.

Meet the team

Christopher O’Malley, MPH, CPH

Christopher O’Malley, MPH, CPH, is the Chief of the Community Health Statistics Unit (CHSU) for the County of San Diego, Health & Human Services Agency (HHSA), Public Health Services (PHS) Department. Chris was previously an Epidemiologist with the County of San Diego for 6 years. Prior to joining the County, Chris worked as a researcher at the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC), first at the Millennium Cohort Family Study, and later at the Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program (DHAPP), US Military HIV Research Program. Chris is also a United States Navy veteran, serving honorably for over 8 years.

Nicole Magnuson

Nicole Magnuson is the director of the Live Well Center for Innovation & Leadership (LWCIL), an innovative partnership between San Diego State University and the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA). Nicole is responsible for leading the strategic direction of LWCIL in pursuit of its mission of strengthening the partnership between academia and health and human services practice through the integration of education, research, workforce development, and service that advances equity in San Diego. Nicole’s professional path has involved working as an executive and consultant to a variety of nonprofits, foundations, school districts, and community collaborations to improve lives, change social conditions, and elevate issues related to educational, economic, and racial equity. She has several decades of executive leadership experience in social change strategy, strategic/business planning, coalition building, and communications. Nicole holds a Doctorate in Education Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, a Masters in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Marking from Arizona State University.

Petros (Peter) Azatyan

Peter Azatyan is a Management Fellow and CAHD Resident working with the Live Well Center for Innovation & Leadership (LWCIL) and the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency’s (HHSA) Public Health Services. In his role, he fosters collaboration and alignment between SDSU and HHSA by providing lead support to LWCIL’s Research & Data Excellence Subcommittee. His experience includes various internships with local governments, non-profits, and hospital systems. He also served as a Graduate Student Researcher, studying the intricacy of Medicaid vision and dental policy on population health outcomes. Peter graduated with his B.S in Public Health from the University of California, San Diego and went on to receive his MPH in Epidemiology at the University of California, Irvine. Peter has a strong interest in public health-related research and policy and collaborates closely with the HealthLINK Center to align the research goals of SDSU and HHSA in order to co-produce impactful research and publications.