Our Genetic Counselors
![](https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/care-near-you/southern-california/genetics/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2016/11/20794c8aa5584235d44f.jpg)
Jessica Moland, MS, LCGC
My Background
I was born and raised in Northern California.
Education & Experience
I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of California, Davis. Initially, I planned on becoming a pediatrician. I spent time volunteering at a student-run free clinic, at a birthing center for teen mothers and at a school-based therapy unit for children with developmental disabilities. I spent much of my time doing health education and patient advocacy, and I realized that genetic counseling would allow me to combine all of my interests in a more family-centered way.
I received my Master of Science in genetic counseling from the University of California, Berkeley in 2000 and spent several years in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I practiced prenatal, pediatric and adult genetic counseling. I worked with families involved in enzyme replacement trials, and co-coordinated the multi-disciplinary Skeletal Dysplasia Clinic -- a joint venture between Children’s Hospital in Oakland and Kaiser Permanente Northern California.
I became board-certified through the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) in 2002, and hold a license in genetic counseling from the California Department of Public Health’s Genetic Disease Screening Program. I am a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC). I enjoy being involved in policy creation and am a member of our Regional Genetics Standardization Committee and Non-Invasive Testing Committee.
I joined the Department of Genetics at Kaiser Permanente Southern California as a genetic counselor in 2004, and have been the genetic counseling supervisor for our Orange County area since 2008. I feel so fortunate to work at Kaiser Permanente, where our integrated systems ensure that all our members have easy access to specialty services and testing when they need it.
About My Practice
While our talented team provides genetic counseling for a variety of indications across the lifespan, my particular interests are prenatal counseling and hereditary breast/ovarian cancer risk assessment. I like to think of myself as a “genetic private detective,” as much of my job is helping clients sort out what conditions are in their family, whether these present a risk to their health or their children’s health and empowering my clients to take charge of their own healthcare decisions.
How I Thrive
I enjoy taking in theater performances, watching movies and traveling with my family.