Profiles

Dr. Richard K. Leuchter is a physician-researcher whose career is focused on healthcare delivery redesign. After completing research training in applied mathematics and machine learning, as well as formal certification in medical informatics, he joined the faculty at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Greater Los Angeles VA in July 2022. Dr. Leuchter’s research portfolio challenges fundamental assumptions about how and where care is delivered. His central goal is to build, test, and implement new models of care that are more efficient, effective, and resilient. His approach integrates three disciplines: computational medicine, using AI for precision medicine and real-time outcome prediction; implementation science, to rigorously deploy and scale these innovations; and behavioral science, to “nudge” clinicians and patients toward high-value choices within these redesigned systems.

Dr. Leuchter’s research focuses on rethinking acute care delivery and identifying low-value medical practices. His NIH-NHLBI K-award–supported work led directly to one of his most significant innovations: the UCLA Health Next Day Clinic (NDC), for which he serves as Medical Director. The NDC replaces a full hospitalization by using a custom-built architecture to identify emergency department patients who can be safely diverted to a high-acuity outpatient setting for services such as IV medications and advanced imaging. This model exemplifies how AI and workflow redesign can fundamentally reimagine acute care to improve outcomes while reducing costs. His current research extends this mission by developing new technologies that enable further redesign of acute care, including drug delivery via skin patches and drone-based systems to deliver healthcare supplies directly to patients’ homes.

Dr. Leuchter is a nationally recognized expert in healthcare AI, with publications in NEJM, NEJM AI, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and JAMA. His work has been featured in numerous news outlets including The Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times, and recognized with multiple national awards for research and innovation. He is regularly invited to speak nationally on healthcare quality, innovation, and system redesign. In addition to his role as a practicing hospitalist at three health systems (UCLA Health, West Los Angeles VA, and Olive View-UCLA), Dr. Leuchter serves as Co-Director of the UCLA Nudge Unit and Assistant Director of UCLA Healthcare Value Analytics and Solutions (UVAS).

Outside of his clinical and research work, Dr. Leuchter serves on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, where he leads initiatives focused on Food Is Medicine and addressing food insecurity as a major driver of preventable illness.