DNP Student Selected for 2026 Forbes 30 Under 30 List for Health Care

Alexander Sanchez, DNPc, MSN, PMHNP, has been selected for the 2026 Forbes 30 Under 30 List for Health Care

Forbes identified Alexander Sanchez, 29, as one of the select few who are making a significant impact in health care today as founder of Nu Leaf Mental Health Group. Nu Leaf has taken tremendous strides in improving the mental health care for patients in California. Alexander hopes to improve mental health in the community through his practice and has big plans for Nu Leaf in the future. 

"This recognition is deeply meaningful," stated Alexander, "and I want to express my sincere gratitude to the faculty, mentors, and community at UCLA who have supported my academic and professional growth. The guidance, encouragement, and commitment to excellence within the School of Nursing have directly shaped my leadership, clinical practice, and the impact I aim to make in mental healthcare."

Founding of Nu Leaf Mental Health Group

Nu Leaf was born directly out of the gaps Alexander saw as a bedside nurse—patients repeatedly stabilized, discharged, and left without meaningful continuity of care. In 2022, with no outside investors, Alexander self-funded and launched Nu Leaf Mental Health Group from the ground up and built the business while continuing to work as a nurse: handling billing, credentialing, clinical care, operations, website design, marketing, and community partnerships on his own.

What began as a solo practice has grown into a nurse-led, multimillion-dollar organization serving patients throughout California. Today, Nu Leaf generates over $2 million annually, is on track to surpass $3 million in 2026, and supports a clinical team of psychiatric nurse practitioners serving more than 40 counties. Services are offered in English, Spanish, Arabic, and Mandarin to meet the needs of one of the most diverse patient populations in the country.

Services Provided by Nu Leaf

Nu Leaf provides a comprehensive range of outpatient psychiatric services across the lifespan, including:

• Psychiatric evaluations

• Medication management

• Psychotherapy integration

• Telepsychiatry

• Care coordination and collaborative care

• Evidence-based treatment for mood disorders, anxiety disorders, ADHD, PTSD, and complex psychiatric conditions

• Insurance-based care (commercial insurance, Medicare, and Medi-Cal) to expand access for underserved communities

• Pharmacogenetic testing

• ADHD Testing

Nu Leaf recently expanded into in-person care in Orange, CA and are preparing to launch an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) to integrate structured psychotherapy, mind-body modalities, and relapse-prevention programming into its continuum of care.

Equally important, Nu Leaf has become a teaching organization. Alexander developed and lead a preceptorship program that has trained more than 50 Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) students from universities across the country. This program emphasizes clinical excellence, ethical practice, and comprehensive skill building—and has contributed directly to workforce development in California.

Impact on Mental Health in the Region

Nu Leaf was established to address systemic inequities in access to psychiatric care. Its impact includes:

• Expanding Medi-Cal and Medicare access in areas historically underserved

• Providing culturally and linguistically responsive care

• Reducing wait times for psychiatric appointments by offering rapid access to evaluation

• Supporting continuity of care after hospitalization or crisis stabilization

• Building the next generation of PMHNPs through structured mentorship and preceptorship

• Creating innovative workflows and technology-integrated processes that support high-quality, evidence-based practice

Nu Leaf has served thousands of patients who would otherwise face long delays, limited access, or fragmented care. Many patients share that Nu Leaf is the first time they have been able to access consistent psychiatric support that feels safe, responsive, and culturally attuned.

Future Plans for Nu Leaf 

Looking ahead, Alexander is focused on scaling Nu Leaf’s impact while maintaining clinical quality and a human-centered approach. Nu Leaf's plans include:

• Establishing a comprehensive IOP/PHP level of care to support patients requiring more structured treatment

• Further expansion of in-person and telehealth services across California

• Continued development of the Group Mentorship Program for new PMHNPs, grounded in my DNP scholarly work

• Building digital education and professional development resources for the national PMHNP community

• Strengthening partnerships with academic institutions for student training

• Contributing to the literature on PMHNP role transition, mentorship, and workforce development

• Exploring pathways to launch a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) to expand access for low-income and underinsured communities

Alexander Sanchez is currently a Doctor of Nursing Practice student at the UCLA School of Nursing and his scholarly project focuses on implementing an evidence-based structured mentorship program to strengthen role transition and professional development for new graduate psychiatric nurse practitioners. Alexander's work is grounded in the Brenner Novice-to-Expert Model and the Iowa Model for Evidence-Based Practice, and aims to address longstanding gaps in PMHNP onboarding, support, and retention.

Before becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner, Alexander served for many years as a frontline critical care nurse and ICU travel nurse during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also worked as a Charge Nurse at Star View Behavioral Health Urgent Care, where he witnessed the revolving-door nature of crisis stabilization and the lack of reliable outpatient psychiatric follow-up for individuals in acute distress. These experiences shaped Alexander's clinical philosophy, leadership approach, and eventual decision to create a new model for accessible outpatient mental healthcare.

Back to Student Spotlight Webpage

Back to DNP Students Webpage

Have suggestions on how to make this site better? Please let us know! We'd love to hear from you.