Since assuming the role of chief executive officer at Illumination Health + Home in 2023, Dr. Pooja Bhalla has significantly expanded the organization’s efforts to address homelessness in Orange County through enhanced healthcare access and housing initiatives. As a Doctor of Nursing Practice and experienced healthcare executive, Bhalla has led several innovative projects aimed at breaking the cycle of homelessness, particularly among families and vulnerable populations.
Under Bhalla’s leadership, Illumination Health + Home opened the Children and Families Recuperative Care Center in Santa Ana in October 2024. This facility is the nation’s first recuperative care center exclusively serving children from homeless families, providing around-the-clock medical supervision for recovering children alongside comprehensive health and housing services for their families. Developed in collaboration with CalOptima Health, the center is intended to serve as a national model for community-based healthcare.
In addition to this initiative, Bhalla is overseeing the creation of the Richard Lehn Intergenerational Campus, also in Santa Ana. This project focuses on delivering affordable housing and integrated support services to seniors and young families, aiming to foster community stability and improve quality of life for residents.
Further expanding the organization’s reach, Bhalla partnered with the Shah Happiness Foundation to inaugurate the Shah Happiness Family Emergency Home in Lake Forest in early 2024. This marks Illumination Health + Home’s fifth family emergency shelter, combining safe emergency housing with on-site health screenings, medical access, parenting education, employment readiness training, and intensive housing navigation services.
Beyond program development, Bhalla has played a key role in strengthening Illumination Health + Home’s financial foundation and fostering partnerships across sectors. She actively engages with policymakers to promote legislation that enhances access to healthcare and housing for underserved populations. Bhalla regularly convenes local stakeholders and contributes her expertise through advisory and board positions at both regional and national levels.
Bhalla’s tenure at Illumination Health + Home began in 2017 when she joined as chief operating officer. She advanced through various leadership roles before her appointment as CEO. Her academic credentials include a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Simmons College, Nurse Practitioner training and a Doctorate in Nursing Administration from Northeastern University, and completion of the UCLA Johnson & Johnson Health Care Executive Program. Prior to her current role, Bhalla served as chief operating officer at Boston Health Care for the Homeless.