Tara Ficek is the Director of the Health Systems Director, which operates as part of First 5 LA’s Center for Family Systems and Human Resources. As Health Systems Director, Tara guides and funds systems change activities related to maternal and child health and access to early intervention with the goal of ensuring children receive early developmental support and services. The Health Systems Team also oversees First 5 LA’s L.A. County African American Infant and Maternal Mortality (AAIMM) initiative. Tara joined First 5 LA in 2005 in the Grants Management Department where she was responsible for supporting First 5 LA grantees and contractors in successfully achieving identified outcomes for children, families and communities in L.A. County.
Prior to joining First 5 LA, Tara worked in the non-profit sector and managed various programs focused on establishing and strengthening Los Angeles County’s safety net system for vulnerable, underserved populations. Tara also has extensive experience overseeing programs in a clinical setting focused on women’s health, particularly maternal and reproductive health.
Tara earned her MPH in Community Health Sciences from UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health and her BA from the University of Washington.
