Rishi Mehta, MD is a physician leader at USC—serving within the Keck School of Medicine as the inaugural Chief of the Division of Hospital & Palliative Medicine, and at Keck Medical Center as Clinical Efficiency Director. Throughout his career, he has led system program improvement and operational redesign, partnering with interdisciplinary teams and physician leaders to advance high-value inpatient care.

As Division Chief, Dr. Mehta enhances clinical programs that serve both patient needs and institutional priorities. He mentors faculty, supports career growth, and aligns service lines with the division’s academic and scholarly mission.

His clinical and scholarly interests include transitions of care, team-based delivery models, and workforce optimization for quality and throughput—developed in close partnership with nursing, care coordination, performance improvement, and other physician service line leaders.

As Clinical Efficiency Director, Dr. Mehta strives to improve inpatient access in support of Keck Medical Center’s tertiary/quaternary mission. In partnership with the Office of Performance and Transformation, he leads interdisciplinary care progression and discharge planning; drives capacity management to enhance throughput; and collaborates with nursing and care coordination on optimal discharge timing and patient flow—supported by predictive analytics and workflow-automation tools.