Dr. Karina Melgar serves as Program Director of AltaMed’s Family Medicine Residency Program. In this role, she supports the faculty to provide a safe and inclusive learning environment. Dr. Melgar is involved in curriculum building, rotation development, recruitment, scheduling, evaluation, and compliance policy. As a highly engaged resident mentor, she cultivates leadership in community engagement and health equity. In addition, she provides comprehensive and compassionate care to her patients while empowering them to continue to improve their health.

Prior to joining AltaMed, Dr. Melgar spent five years teaching kindergarten in South Los Angeles before returning to school to pursue her medical degree. Since then, she has focused on providing care to ethnically diverse communities, mentoring the next generation of health care professionals, and working to increase diversity in the medical field.

During her residency, she continued to teach and served as Academic Chief, a role in which she was actively involved in diversity advancements in the recruitment process. As Community Medicine Fellow, Dr. Melgar divided her time between teaching as junior faculty and collaborating with many community organizations. She successfully opened a new student-run clinic in collaboration with Lestonnac Free Clinic in Garden Grove. She also pioneered an interprofessional collaborative behavioral health clinic for uninsured patients.

Dr. Melgar went on to become faculty at the Long Beach Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program, where she was Director of Community Engagement and Diversity. She was the lead faculty for the Neighborhood Meed Mentoring Program and the onsite food pantry. During her time at Long Beach, she created a new integrative behavioral health clinic and community medicine concentration for the residents. In an effort to connect with the community, Dr. Melgar also started a Diversity and Health Equity Committee.

Dr. Melgar’s clinical interests include women’s health, behavioral health, public health/policy, global health, addressing social determinants of health, and community empowerment. Outside of work, she spends time with her large, extended family and volunteering at a student-run clinic. She also enjoys running, spin class, yoga, soccer, snowboarding, dancing, and shopping at vintage stores.

Education:

Community Medicine Fellowship Program, Kaiser Permanente Orange County
Family Medicine Residency Program, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center
M.D., School of Medicine at University of California, Davis
B.S., Physiological Science, UCLA

Dr. Gerardo Hernandez is delighted to be serving as Associate Program Director. He will support Dr. Melgar in building a safe, inclusive learning environment. 

Having grown up in Maywood, a neighboring city to South Gate, Dr. Hernandez is honored to be coming back and serving his home community to provide an empathetic and compassionate approach to medicine.  After completing his bachelor of science at California State University Long Beach, Dr. Hernandez traveled to northern California to start medical school at UC Davis.  Interested in primary care and underserved communities, Dr. Hernandez was selected to join the Transforming Education and Community Health for Medical Students (TEACH-MS) program focusing on the impacts of race and discrimination in healthcare and becoming familiarized in the teachings of cultural humility.  Through working with the underserved community of Sacramento, Dr. Hernandez chose to pursue Family Medicine to practice holistic medicine and focus on the effects of social determinates of health on the community.

Dr. Hernandez completed his medical training at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center where he served as chief resident and was a leader of Neighborhood MED; a mentorship program focused on undergraduates from disadvantaged backgrounds interested in pursuing medicine. With his involvement from mentorship pipe-line programs to healthcare advocacy, he recognized his journey has been sculpted and guided by great mentors, inspirational advocates, and leaders. Therefore, Dr. Hernandez values mentorship as a cornerstone to a successful path to medicine.

After residency, Dr. Hernandez became the Kaiser Permanente Community Medicine Fellow in Orange County and served as a lead physician for Lestonnac Free Clinic.  As a fellow he led changes in clinic work flow, management of diabetic care, augmented interpretative services for mono-lingual patients, and ensured the longevity of other established community efforts focused on behavioral health, mentorship, and patient wellness.  As junior faculty teaching residents and medical students, he was involved in curriculum development and enhancing the importance of diversity in medical education.  He was able to navigate the complex medical system and work as a safety net provider, advocating for equitable and quality care for the undocumented and underserved.

As core faculty at AltaMed Family Medicine Residency, Dr. Hernandez is enthusiastic to be a teacher, primary care physician, mentor, and community advocate.   He is eager to train the next generation of well-rounded healthcare providers and community leaders to deliver equitable care for all communities.

Dr. Hernandez’s interests include community and upstream medicine, minor procedures, public health/advocacy, social justice, and diversity in medical education.  On his spare time, Dr. Hernandez loves spending time with his family, traveling, reading sci-fi fantasy novels, playing music, and attending concerts.

Education:

Kaiser Permanente Orange County Community Medicine Fellowship
Family Medicine Residency Long Beach Memorial
MD, UC Davis School of Medicine
BS, Microbiology, California State University, Long Beach

Working for a FQHC has been a professional goal even before entering medical school. During medical school I chose most of my clinical rotations to be at Harbor-UCLA, which is a Los Angeles County public teaching program that also serves as a safety net hospital. Exposure to this patient population motivated me to continue training at their family medicine residency program. This was the only local program at the time that served my community and its aim was to train physicians to work in marginalized communities.

Now practicing clinical medicine full time for 10 plus years, 3 of those in my home community and the rest for AltaMed has slightly altered my professional ambitions. After completing three years of training at Harbor-UCLA and earning the Fred Matthies, MD award for personifying the “special qualities” of the traditional family physician and the complete care they provide in 2009, I completed a one-year faculty development fellowship with a focus on adolescent medicine with a plan to participate in teaching in some capacity.

With my clinical experience there is a realization that many colleagues do not have the same outlook on providing care to this marginalized population. Being a full-time clinical physician and working with people from my community and having very similar challenges as a child, I recognize that personal experiences will definitely contribute to your style of practicing medicine. I’m hoping to share these experiences of being uninsured, in addition to other common social determinant challenges like having monolingual Spanish speaking immigrant parents with very little formal education, with new physicians. Overall most physicians have the medical understanding to perform their job, but the practical use can be complicated if they are unable to successfully convey this information in a culturally sensitive way.  My approach has allowed me to receive the Patients Choice award from AltaMed in 2014 with multiple nominations and also regularly high scores in measured patient satisfaction surveys. I hope with my experience to effectively model an appropriate way to empathetically provide care in a busy clinical setting.

Besides reading medical journals or listening to medical podcast, my current hobbies include spending time with my family, especially weekend soccer games, but also going to vintage swap meets, watching old black and white movies and listening to Big Band music and also Regional Mexican music.

Education:

Faculty Development Fellowship Harbor-UCLA
Family Medicine Residency Program Harbor-UCLA
M.D., University of California Los Angeles
B.S., University of California Los Angeles

Dr. Diaz earned his Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology from California State University, Northridge and started his path to medicine at Western University of Health Sciences. He went on to Loma Linda University Health to complete his Family Medicine residency. His strong background in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine ensued his interest in a Primary Care Sports Medicine fellowship, which he completed at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The fellowship year began in 2019 and was filled with valuable experience caring for NCAA Division 1 athletes on and off the field, but took an unexpected turn in the spring of 2020 when COVID-19 put a halt to athletic competitions nationwide. It was then that Dr. Diaz volunteered his services in organizing and streamlining the largest Covid-19 curbside testing site in the state of Nevada. He was dubbed “Captain COVID” by faculty and staff and received University recognition for his efforts and leadership as Site Medical Director for the COVID Response Team.

While in Medical School Dr. Diaz was the recipient of the TOUCH Platinum Award from Western University of Health Sciences awarded to only one student who completes the most community service hours within the academic year. He also received the Kaiser Oliver Goldsmith, MD Scholarship for his commitment to providing culturally responsive care. Being a native of the Los Angeles area, and recognizing some of his own struggles in his path to becoming a physician, Dr. Diaz began to realize his passion for mentoring other aspiring Latino physicians and the importance of working in underserved communities. He began his involvement in the Latino Medical Student Association where he served as the Southern Chief Executive officer of the Western Region as well as being a member of the LMSA National Board of Directors. It was this passion for his community and the LMSA connections he made along the way that ultimately led him to AltaMed where he is a Primary Care Sports Medicine Physician. Dr. Diaz also has a zeal for teaching and is current Associate Professor for the UNLV School of Medicine. He enjoys spending his free time with his family. His new schedule allows him to spend the weekends trying to keep up with his 2 year old son and watching his favorite sports teams play. Go Lakers!

Education:

BS, Kinesiology - California State University, Northridge
Medical School: Western University of Health Sciences
Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship- University of Nevada, Las Vegas

If you were to ask Dr. Gowan what her ideal job is, she would happily say working with residents at a FQHC. Dr. Gowan’s career has been guided by a desire to care for the underserved and she is honored to be able to work alongside likeminded faculty and residents at the AltaMed Family Medicine Residency Program.

Dr. Gowan grew up in Austin, Texas before going to college at New York University where she studied anthropology. Prior to attending medical school, she participated in a Spanish immersion program in Guatemala, knowing she would need Spanish language skills in order to be able to provide effective care to the patient populations she desired to serve. She then attended the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center for medical school, during which she helped lead a student run free clinic. Caring for primarily uninsured patients at the county hospital in medical school allowed her to better understand how poor access to healthcare affects not only an individual’s health but entire communities.  She then completed her training at John Peter Smith Hospital Family Medicine Residency, where she was Chief resident and completed an additional year of training in obstetrics.  She was exposed to FQHC’s while in training and saw how these community health centers were best suited to make an impact on the health of the communities they serve.

After finishing medical training, she moved to California and began practicing at a FQHC in Ventura County. There, she continued to practice obstetrics, including deliveries and inpatient newborn care. She also served as the Lead Family Medicine Physician, allowing her to learn more about the administrative side of FQHC’s. After 5 yrs practicing and taking on more administrative duties, she found herself missing a more academic setting. She is glad to have found AltaMed, where she has the great privilege to teach residents while also continuing to advocate for healthcare equity and provide quality care to the South Gate community.

Dr. Gowan’s interests include maternal child health, obesity medicine, outpatient procedures and teaching. Outside of work, you can find her running, hiking with her rescue dog, or exploring LA’s art scene with her husband who is an artist.

Education:

BA-New York University

MD-University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Residency and obstetrics fellowship-John Peter Smith Hospital Family Medicine Residency

Christine Kho, M.D., is a dually-boarded Internal Medicine and Psychiatry physician with expertise working with medically complex psychiatric patients. She completed medical school at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and trained in a 5-year combined Internal Medicine and Psychiatry residency at UC Davis. Since joining AltaMed in 2020, she has designed and built up a busy psychiatry consultation clinic serving Commerce and Boyle Heights clinics. She utilizes her first-hand knowledge as an AltaMed primary care physician to inform her work increasing mental health care access in the primary care setting. As a clinical leader, she is developing integrated behavioral health programs and behavioral health tools for the electronic medical record. As a clinical educator, she promotes evidence-based psychiatry practices to providers and trainees alike.

Education:

Residency, US Davis, Internal Medicine and Psychiatry
M.D., David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
BA, Pomona College, Molecular Biology

Dr. Richard Lam is the Medical Director of AltaMed Health Services' Clinician Home Visit Program, which focuses on our seriously ill and most fragile patients, utilizing his experience in Hospice and Palliative Care skills to support these patients and their loved ones physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Dr. Lam received his medical degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, then his MBA from Anderson School of Management at UCLA. Upon graduation, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Faculty for AltaMed’s Family Medicine Residency Program
Faculty Mentor for AltaMed’s Community Engaged Physician Fellowship Program

Dr. Marie Flores is a board-certified family medicine physician at AltaMed and an assistant researcher in the Department of Epidemiology at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health for the Parkinson’s Environment and Genes Brain and Gut study (www.pegstudy.com).

Dr.Flores grew up on the East Coast raised by her parents and both grandmothers in a bilingual home.  A major focus of her family’s activities was celebrating multicultural traditions from Colombia, America, and the Middle East, as well as being active in social justice movements of the 1980’s and 90s through All Soul’s Unitarian Church in Washington, DC.

Dr.Flores went to undergraduate at Davidson College, majoring in Spanish, got her master's degree and Ph.D. in epidemiology at the UCLA School of Public Health, and went to medical school at the University of Utah. Dr.Flores completed her residency in the social medicine program at Einstein/ Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. Dr.Flores career path took her to work first in the rural California Central Valley area for five years, and then to an urban underserved area of Los Angeles at AltaMed. 

Dr.Flores professional interests stem from her dedication to health equity and reducing disparities, and include primary care in medically underserved communities, reproductive health and justice, health care accessibility for persons with disabilities, and public health research in Latino populations. Dr.Flores currently lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband, son, and two dogs and was featured in the 2021 LA Times article about pregnancy and disability that appeared on the front page of the Sunday paper: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-09-30/how-modern-medicine-neglects-disabled-mothers

Doctor Mendoza's passion to serve as a physician is fueled by his commitment to serve diverse working-class communities. This desire is rooted in his direct experience of growing up undocumented and living in poverty during his childhood.

As a Family Medicine Physician he strives to provide compassionate, culturally-sensitive care to patients of all ages. In his role as core faculty for the Family Residency program he serves a clinical educator in ensuring the delivery of high-quality teaching and patientcare in both outpatient and inpatient setting.His interests in medicine include mental health, community-based research, development of community projects, Trauma-informed care, Mentorship, Diversity, Health Equity, and LGBTQ health.Prior to joining AltaMed, Dr. Mendoza earned his Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles. During his undergraduate studies he helped create the Immigrant Rights Coalition and other organizations such as IDEAS at UCLA. As a coalition, they organized a statewide campaign comprised of professors, clergy, labor unions, businesses, and individuals that shared the goal of legalization of undocumented people in the U.S. More specifically, they focused on the passage of AB-54O, an assembly bill that permitted qualified students to be exempt from paying significantly higher out-of-state tuition at public universities. After a successful statewide campaign, AB-540 passed. Today he continues to advocate and lobby for equal health-care access, and immigration reform (Dream Act/DACA) at local, state and federal level.

After graduation Dr. Mendoza returned to his community in San Diego and Imperial Valley and practiced trauma-informed Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Social Skills Groups, and Early intervention with children and youth for 7 years. He then earned his medical degree from University of California, Davis where he volunteered in the community based student-run free clinics. Dr. Mendoza had the privilege of being mentored by Dr. Jann Murray-Garcia and Dr. Garcia and through his participation in Summer Institute of Health and Race. There he was able to understand the praxis of cultural humility. During his studies Dr. Mendoza had the honor of receiving the Distinguished Senior Award from Latina/o Medical Student Association at UC Davis School of Medicine, the National Health Service Scholar Award, and the California Community Service Learning Scholarship.Dr. Mendoza then completed his residency in Family Medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and served as Chief Resident focusing on Diversity recruitment and Wellness of residents. He continues to be active in the Summer Urban Health Fellowship where he mentors high-school, pre-medical, and medical students. He teaches the fundamentals of advocacy, culturally sensitive health education and public policy.

Dr. Ruben Mora Roman Jr is honored to be a part of a phenomenal Family Medicine Residency Team at AltaMed. His primary focus will be on working with women’s health and with continuity obstetrics with the residents. In addition, he will work both inpatient and outpatient with the residents.

Originally from Northern California, he attended college at Notre Dame de Namur University where he ran Cross Country and Track. After college, he transplanted to Southern California to attend medical school at Western University of the Health Sciences. Next he attended residency at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley at Doctors Hospital at Renaissance where he served as Co-Chief. Passionate about working with the underserved population he continued fine tuning his diverse skill sets by pursing OB Fellowship at University of California San Francisco, Fresno.

In addition to mentoring residents and medical students through Altamed, he also has been extensively involved with the Latino Medical Student Association, National Hispanic Medical Association and Rotary International. In his spare time, he enjoys finding new restaurants, playing various sports, and spending quality time with loved ones.

EDUCATION

College: Notre Dame de Namur University

Medical School: Western University of the Health Sciences

Fellowship: University of California San Francisco, Fresno

Dr. Morm serves as the Faculty Lead for inpatient care, in support of our teaching service at Adventist Health White Memorial Hospital. She is passionate about working with underserved communities, and continuity of care between the hospital and the clinic setting. Dr. Morm completed her medical education at Western University of Health Sciences, where she obtained her degree of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine.  She was at Harbor-UCLA for her Residency, where she also served as Chief Resident. She recently completed a Fellowship in Faculty Development at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and has been working as a hospitalist.

Dr. Morm’s special interests are in Street Medicine, pipeline programs and community outreach, including Refugee Health. She does a significant amount of volunteer work with refugees in Tijuana, Mexico as well as has spent time working in free clinics in Southern California and pipeline programs.  Dr. Morm believes that health care is a basic human right and is committed to working towards health equity. She is passionate about community medicine and mentoring the next generation of healthcare professionals. In addition, she has a third degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. Outside of work, she likes to bike, travel, explore new hiking trails, and visit Disneyland every chance she can.

Education:

Faculty Development Fellow/Chief Resident, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
Family Medicine Residency Program, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
D.O., Western University of Health Sciences
B.S., Biology, Vanguard University of Southern California

Dr. Novotny is excited to be serving as core faculty for the AltaMed Family Medicine Residency.  His role in the residency program includes teaching residents in the inpatient and outpatient settings, as well as participating as one of the core faculty members for our procedure clinic.

Dr. Novotny is a graduate of the Keck School of Medicine of USC. He completed his Residency training in Family and Social Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. Prior to joining AltaMed, he was faculty in the Department of Family Medicine at UC San Diego.

As core faculty at the AltaMed Family Medicine Residency, Dr. Novotny is excited to work with likeminded colleagues and learners who strive in caring for our most vulnerable, advocating to further reduce health disparities and ensure health equality for all.

In his spare time, Dr. Novotny enjoys spending time with his family, going to concerts, traveling, and trying new restaurants.

Education:

College: University of Nebraska at Lincoln

Medical School: Keck School of Medicine of USC

Residency: Montefiore Medical Center Family and Social Medicine Residency

Dr. Susana Sandoval is excited to join AltaMed’s Family Medicine Residency as a Faculty Lead for Behavioral Health. Her interests include Behavioral Health, Hepatitis C treatment, Women’s Health, Chronic Disease Management, and other areas.

Dr. Sandoval was born and raised in Long Beach, California, and attended USC Keck School of Medicine, where she grew passionate about Family Medicine while completing the Primary Care Program. In medical school, she was an active member of the LMSA-West Regional Board and helped fund pre-med scholarships, coordinate conferences, and, most importantly, made lasting relationships that continue to inspire her at AltaMed today. She graduated from the Long Beach Memorial Family Medicine Residency program in 2020. Her residency training sparked a commitment to bring culturally and linguistically sensitive mental healthcare delivery to underserved populations, including monolingual Spanish-speaking patients. She became familiar with the collaborative care approach and researched the effects of implementing a Behavioral Health Clinic within a residency program. She also worked towards increasing diversity in medicine through pipeline programs and mentorship and enjoyed leading the clinic diabetes groups.

Education:UC Irvine TNT PCP Psychiatry FellowshipLong Beach Memorial Family Medicine ResidencyM.D., Keck School of Medicine of USCB.S., Biological Sciences, UCLA

Melissa V. See, MD, MPA is a Family Physician and Site Medical Director of AltaMed-South Gate Clinic. Dr. See previously served as Medical Director for an FQHC in Washington D.C. where she completed a Community Health Leadership Development Fellowship at Georgetown University. Dr. See’s experience as a physician leader has been a rewarding and unique experience; she developed professionally at a time and place where providing equitable, comprehensive health care to some of the nation’s most vulnerable populations was, and continues to be, challenged on a multitude of levels and intersectionality. Dr. See has a background of working with diverse populations and environments from addressing cancer screening disparities in Queens, NY, to addressing post-traumatic stress disorder in Syrian refugees recently resettled in Salt Lake City, UT. The combination of experiences and training have also helped to highlight issues she is most passionate about, including Health Equity, Transgender/LGBTQ Health, Pipelines to Increase Diversity in the Family Medicine Workforce and Higher Education, Community Medicine, Quality Improvement, Medication Assisted Therapy for Opioid and Substance Use Disorders, and Physician Advocacy and Leadership. Dr. See is fortunate to have trained in academic centers and community health organizations whose values align with her own. This is especially apparent in her current position as Site Medical Director of the South Gate clinic, home to AltaMed’s Family Medicine Residency. As she moves forward in her professional journey, Dr. See is looking forward to developing and flexing her skills in environments that will allow for innovative processes and measures aimed at bridging the gap in health disparities for vulnerable communities. Dr. See is especially grateful to be able to return home to Los Angeles, CA where she was born and raised.

By investing in her own community, the way it invested in her years ago, Dr. See hopes to witness firsthand, changed communities propelled forward, more resilient and stronger than when she first arrived.

Dr. Cara Smith serves as core faculty at the AltaMed Family Medicine Residency Program. She teaches residents in outpatient clinic, inpatient medicine, and inpatient obstetrics.

Dr. Smith grew up in Topeka, Kansas and completed college as a Jayhawk at the University of Kansas where she first became interested in community health. She moved to Washington, D.C. and became a full-time volunteer teacher at a public charter school for immigrant families learning English. She stayed in D.C. for medical school at Howard University College of Medicine to continue learning to serve minoritized families and their communities. Next Dr. Smith moved up the East Coast to Massachusetts to attend Lawrence Family Medicine Residency for four years of training centered in a Federally Qualified Health Center. She also completed a concentration in health systems leadership and served as Chief Resident. Dr. Smith then headed back down the coast to North Carolina for a Health Equity Policy and Primary Care Fellowship at Duke, completing research projects focused on improving equity through policy as well as teaching residents in clinic and on the family medicine obstetrics and newborn service.

Dr. Smith is excited to continue practicing full-spectrum family medicine. Her interests include reproductive health and point of care ultrasound, and is helping to build out the curriculum in those areas. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking with her partner (who is also in medicine), reality TV, and caring for her small indoor jungle of houseplants.

Education:
Health Equity Policy and Primary Care Fellowship, Duke University School of Medicine
Family Medicine Residency, Greater Lawrence Family Health Center
MD, Howard University College of Medicine
BA, University of Kansas

Violeta Cuevas began her career at AltaMed by completing a Health Care administration internship in 2021. She graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a bachelor’s degree in Health Care Administration later that year. Violeta officially joined AltaMed’s workforce by accepting the role of Patient Service Advocate at the South Gate clinic. The following year, Violeta became the newest member of the Family Medicine Residency Program staff as their Residency Program Administrator. In this new role, she is able to work closely with a group of dedicated providers who share the same vision for the future of medicine. Violeta aspires to one day become a Clinic Administrator, while at the same time working on a better integration of information systems used in medical settings.

Violeta was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. Her family immigrated to Las Vegas when she was 1-year-old, later moving to Montebello, California at age 10. In 2008 Violeta earned a scholarship from Goldman Sachs to attend Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth program. The following summers she traveled to prestigious universities, such as Johns Hopkins University, taking college level courses. This program is where her passion for sciences and health care began.

In her free time, she loves spending time with her family, reading about interior design and trying new foods.

Sabrina Kosok joined AltaMed in 2018 to help launch the Medical Education Department. As AltaMed’s Manager of Medical Education, she supports all Undergraduate Medical Education (UME), Graduate Medical Education (GME) and Continuing Medical Education (CME) programs. Her current projects include the development and implementation of two summer pipeline programs for aspiring physicians, and AltaMed’s first Family Medicine Residency Program, as well as the creation of high-quality CME opportunities for AltaMed providers.

Ms. Kosok began her medical education career at Kaiser Permanente of Southern California (KPSC), where she managed the Community Medicine Fellowship, a year-long fellowship for primary care residents dedicated to community medicine and public health. She also managed a two-week intensive health policy elective for KPSC residents. Additionally, Ms. Kosok volunteered with the LGBTQ Care Committee and developed an innovative cross-specialty student rotation in LGBTQ care that was later replicated for residents.

Ms. Kosok‘s passion for community medicine and public health began when she was living in Southern Chile with her extended family and working at Hospital Makewe, a rural hospital and community center run by and serving the indigenous Mapuche population. This experience motivated her to pursue a Master of Public Health, which included a three-week field study of the Chilean health system with the Harvard School of Public Health.

As a graduate student, her thesis project focused on analyzing health equity initiatives within the Oregon Health Authority. With her research, she established a baseline assessment of racial and ethnic health disparities awareness, documented health equity initiatives in each department, and reported on departmental barriers to health equity.

Ms. Kosok grew up in Oregon but has lived in Los Angeles for the past eight years with her wife and her son. Her family enjoys road trips, camping, eating good food, and spending time with their friends.

Education:

M.P.H., Health Policy and Management, Hatfield School of Government, Portland State University
B.A., International Studies, Global College of Long Island University

Nikki has always had a passion for creating positive change. After earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology, she ventured to San Francisco to work with underserved youth through a nonprofit scholarship program. Although she enjoyed the city life, Nikki returned home to pursue her master’s in applied research, focusing on positive developmental psychology and evaluation. Her dedication to bridging the gap between research and practice propelled her into a career in program evaluation, where she found her calling in empowering communities to address inequities, inform policy, and foster continuous improvement and sustainability.

Nikki’s journey into the world of residency began with a contract to assist family medicine residents in their scholarly activities, mentorship programs, and research presentations. This experience led her to her previous role as the Program Coordinator for the AltaMed Family Medicine Residency Program in 2022. In those 2 years, Nikki gained more insight into the complexities of graduate medical education - managing day-to-day operations, trainee recruitment, progress tracking, and stakeholder communication. She is eager to continue supporting the growth of the residency as the Program Manager, working alongside her team of talented and passionate individuals.

Outside of her professional life, Nikki is an enthusiast of all things vintage, a lover of the arts, and an avid dancer. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, thrifting for unique finds, and soaking up the moments of nature. While she hasn’t earned an MD/DO, you can still call her "Dr. Mere" for a dose of good laughs.

Dr. Abdalyz Frias was born in Sinaloa, Mexico but grew up in San Diego, CA. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biology at Point Loma Nazarene University.

She attended Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara in Mexico. While in Guadalajara she volunteered with GUIMEDIC, an organization dedicated to bringing healthcare to rural areas with scarce resources.

Inspired by her volunteer service Dr. Frias decided to practice family medicine as it provides an opportunity to advocate and provide comprehensive healthcare to all patients regardless of socioeconomic status.

In her free time Dr. Frias enjoys spending time with her husband and three dogs.  

Dr. Andrew Vo was born and raised in Orange County, California. Growing up as a first-generation Vietnamese American, he witnessed firsthand the cultural and language barriers that limited health literacy and access to healthcare. Having been inspired by these experiences and by his own primary care physician, he began his journey into medicine. Dr. Vo first received his bachelor of science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Chapman University, and later received his masters degree in Biomedical Sciences at Western University of Health Sciences. He then received his medical education at A.T. Still University - School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, where he served in the Student Government Association as Curriculum Representative. He also spearheaded an enamel pin drive, where proceeds were donated to the JED Foundation, which supports development of mental health curriculum in schools. Throughout his educational path, Dr. Vo participated in and led multiple research projects with a wide breadth of topics, including marine biology, social power of comic books and video games, community engagement to improve health literacy, and homelessness in Los Angeles county. He has received honors and awards for some of these projects, and is a proud recipient of the Leonard Tow 2024 Humanism in Medicine award.

Dr. Vo strongly believes the heart of family medicine lies in being an open listener and advocate to the community. It is his hope that by engaging with the South Gate area, he will be able to provide equitable, individualized health care to meet each patient’s needs. He is excited to train in the Southeast Los Angeles area, and looks forward to being a part of the AltaMed Family.

In his free time, Dr. Vo enjoys a multitude of hobbies including reading, writing, cooking new recipes, and eating them too! He is also a fan of hiking, playing the piano, and enjoying video games, with a soft spot for the “Kingdom Hearts” series.  

Dr. Aruna Sridharan was born and raised in San Jose, CA and continued her education in the Bay Area at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she graduated with a degree in Molecular Cell Developmental Biology and a Minor in Bioinformatics. Growing up, she spent her summers in her parents’ hometowns in India and volunteered at a local clinic, where she witnessed significant health care disparities and specifically an inattention to women’s health. Realizing the significance of preventative care and health literacy at a young age, Dr. Sridharan felt inspired to pursue a career in family medicine and with the support of her family and friends, graduated from Ross University School of Medicine. She is now excited for her journey at AltaMed, whose mission and values align perfectly with her passion to continue to work with, uplift, and give back to underserved communities.

During her free time, Aruna loves anything that gives her a reason to step outside, including playing tennis, attending outdoor concerts, taking long walks with her dog, or just soaking up the sun at a park. 

Dr. Brian Sandoval is a Southern California native and was raised in Downey, a neighboring city to South Gate. He began his educational journey at Cerritos Community College before transferring to UC Davis where he received his bachelor’s degree in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. He then moved to Barbados to attend Ross University School of Medicine where he served as president of the Family Medicine Interest Group. He went on to serve underserved communities in New York, Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles during his last 2 years of medical school.

Dr. Sandoval chose to pursue Family Medicine because it puts him at the forefront of helping decrease health disparities within his community. He also enjoys the exposure to an array of pathologies, continuity of care for all ages, ability to emphasize preventive care, and address psychosocial aspects to treat patients holistically. He loves that the specialty allows him to address these components while integrating his passions like Sports Medicine, Lifestyle Medicine, Integrative Medicine, Addiction Medicine, Community Medicine, and Behavioral Health.

Dr. Sandoval believes that health equity is the ability to have access to high quality, barrier-free, culturally competent, and affordable care regardless of background or socioeconomic status. He is honored to be working with AltaMed, an organization whose mission is to provide such care for all.

In his free time, Brian enjoys playing basketball, soccer, watching sports, collecting sneakers, and spending time with his family.   

Dr. Katie Ta was born and raised in San Diego, California by her immigrant parents. She received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at University of California, San Diego and went on to complete her masters and doctorate at Western University of Health Sciences. While in medical school, Dr. Ta was proactive in community pipeline programs to educate students and families about health and science.

As a Vietnamese American growing up with non-English speaking parents, Dr. Ta understands the importance of culture in medicine. Her family’s experiences along with her volunteer work in community clinics made it clear that there were many structural issues underlying the lack of access to sufficient care. She is committed to cultivating an equitable and diverse space for patients, especially those who face sociocultural barriers.

Dr. Ta chose family medicine in order to be on the front lines, to advocate for and educate patients and provide comprehensive care to families and communities. She has a strong interest in women’s health, preventive medicine, and procedures.

In her free time, Dr. Ta can be found recharging her INFJ self by watching anime, tending to her plants, or working on her paint and crochet projects. She also loves exploring new boba cafes and foods.   

Nathan Bautista was born and raised in La Crescenta, CA. He graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in English Literature from University of California Los Angeles, and found a passion for underserved healthcare while working at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood as a medical scribe. Empowered by his experiences, he sought to expand his knowledge about the prevalent social determinants of health that impact disadvantaged communities in Los Angeles and completed a Post Baccalaureate Program at Charles Drew University. After, he attended Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine for medical school and has returned to Los Angeles in efforts to utilize his experiences to assist the underserved.

Dr. Bautista chose to pursue Family Medicine as his journey has helped him recognize the profession fulfills his desire to establish strong interpersonal relationships with his patients that can impact families for generations. Especially within the disenfranchised, Family Medicine offers him an opportunity to practice the Art of Medicine by attending to his patients' challenges individually with care and consideration.

Dr. Bautista chose AltaMed as he believes as the nation’s largest Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) it is the quintessential model of holistic and complete care for a community with dynamic obstacles to overcome. AltaMed was cultivated with the underserved populations of Los Angeles in mind and he desires to continue to train and serve the community that provides him inspiration and hope. To him health equity means having accessibility to affordable compassionate and affordable healthcare regardless of background, creed, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status or age. His medical interests include community medicine and preventative medicine.

When not in the clinic he is usually found hiking, camping, golfing, managing his fickle relationship with the Los Angeles Lakers, reading, hanging out with family and playing the occasional video game.  

Dr. Tiffany Chan was born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley to parents who emigrated from Vietnam. As a first-generation college student, she received a Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of California, Los Angeles. There, she helped to run free health fairs in local, underserved communities and learned to recognize the barriers posed by cultural and language differences, health illiteracy, and economic status.

Dr. Chan attended Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California for her Master of Science in Medical Sciences and her Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine. During this time, she was heavily involved a K-12th pipeline program into the health professions and various free clinics that reinforced her love for community-based outreach and education.

She chose AltaMed because she aspires to serve diverse and underserved communities at an FQHC alongside likeminded individuals with a passion for health equity.

In her free time, she enjoys painting, digital illustration, exploring new cities and cuisines, and spending time with friends and family.   

Dr. Gabriela Garcia was born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley. She is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants; she is also the oldest of 4 sisters. Family is important to Dr. Garcia as they are her inspiration and biggest supporters.Dr. Garcia is a first generation college graduate and obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biology from University of La Verne. After graduating, she worked as a Medical Assistant at a local FQHC in El Monte, CA where she fell in love with Family Medicine as she witnessed first hand the power of meaningful patient-doctor relationships.

Dr. Garcia pursued her medical degree at Ross University School of Medicine.   
Having grown up in a predominantly Hispanic and underserved community herself, Dr. Garcia’s goal has always been to help serve her community. She is passionate about developing meaningful patient relationships, empowering patients, and serving as an advocate for them in their healthcare journey; and she chose AltaMed FMRP to complete her training as she felt that the AltaMed mission aligned with hers.

During her free time Dr. Garcia enjoys spending time with her family, exploring museums and botanical gardens, as well as learning more about tropical fish and the aquarium hobby. 

Dr. Sara Kendall is a recent resident of East Los Angeles, having journeyed from her home city of Vancouver (Coast Salish Territories) to live in north-western rural Canada and later Havana, Cuba in the medical pursuit that ultimately lead to her ideal residency program with AltaMed. Dr. Kendall is grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with other healthcare providers who truly care about their patients, approach their work with humility and sincerity, and who are themselves members of communities working together for wellness and health equity.

Dr. Kendall has worked as a professional paramedic in urban and rural settings since 2012.  She trained as a physician under the long lineage of Cuban professors at the University of Medical Sciences of Havana, Calixto Garcia. For five of the six years of the medical degree program in Cuba, Dr. Kendall practiced as a direct apprentice in the intensive care unit and in an outpatient gastroenterology clinic that utilized traditional and natural medicine in concert with biomedical treatments.  Dr. Kendall remains dedicated to communities she works with in indigenous and migrant health in Turtle Island (North America), in addictions medicine in Vancouver and Los Angeles and in international solidarity.

During her Family Medicine Residency at AltaMed, Dr. Kendall intends to continue learning the deeper skills of excellent patient care, and to forward community-engaged research and action on health justice for migrant people and those affected by carceral practices. Long term, she is interested in practicing inpatient and rural emergency medicine while actively supporting innovative community-driven primary care initiatives.

In her other lives, Dr. Kendall is a grassroots community organizer and a seasoned facilitator of creative empowerment and education experiences. She thrives in spaces where family and friends enjoy the best of what is simple and shared, with food, music and nature. On days off she can be found singing and dancing around with her brilliant wife, young child and old dog or digging into fix-it and gardening projects.

Dr. Irene Kim was born and raised in Southern California (LA/OC areas), and through mission work with her church and hospital volunteer opportunities, she realized her deep passion for providing care to people in need. She studied human biology at the University of California San Diego and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree. She became involved with the Global Medical Missions Alliance, and her experiences with the inspiring physicians of that organization inspired her to pursue medicine and contribute to improving medical access to underserved populations. She spent several years after college volunteering in the COPE Health Scholar Program at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood and working in research at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and subsequently at Charles R. Drew University.

Dr. Kim attended medical school at Western University of Health Sciences and obtained her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. She continued to cultivate her many interests: homeless outreach, behavioral/addiction medicine outreach, women’s health, tutoring/mentoring underserved youths, teaching, and research at WesternU. Naturally, Dr. Kim pursued Family Medicine as her specialty, especially given her dedication to community medicine and her interest in so many fields of medicine. She chose Altamed for her residency program to nurture her commitment to health equity.

During her free time, Dr. Kim enjoys golf, board games, traveling, food adventures, and movie nights. 

Dr. Isaac Ngo grew up in La Palma, California. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of California, Riverside, where he also completed his medical education. He chose the specialty of family medicine because it aligns with his passion for serving and uplifting marginalized communities and allows him to build long-term relationships with his patients and the community.

For Dr. Ngo, health equity is the idea that everyone should receive high quality, compassionate care that takes personal and social factors into account to create personalized care plans. Because medical care only contributes to a small portion of an individual’s health, he feels that is the duty of all physicians to advocate for their patients and community on a larger scale to bring about change and improve health outcomes. Dr. Ngo is interested in community medicine and the impact of systemic factors on individual health.

Dr. Ngo enjoys exercising and is an avid boxing fan. He also enjoys cooking and trying new food as well as exploring new cities and countries.

Dr. Alejandra Rodriguez was born in Bell CA and grew up moving around the same area. She was the second in her family to go to a 4-year university and completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of California, Irvine. After college, she worked as a behavioral interventionists and an emergency medical technician for a few years. At the same time she volunteered providing health education classes in Spanish, to people from underserved areas. She then moved to Milwaukee to attend the Medical College of Wisconsin, with the goal to return to California and continued working with this same population as a family medicine physician. That goal is being accomplished by working with the same communities she grew up around as a resident, working at AltaMed South Gate clinic.

She learned about AltaMed through the Primary Care Leadership program and realized they were filling a need she witnessed and experienced herself growing up – the need for Spanish-speaking physicians providing quality health care to under-resources areas and it was an obvious choice for residency.

During her free time, she enjoys being around family, friends and dogs, either outside being active or inside with a good puzzle or movie. She also likes taking care of her growing number of plants or listening to true crime podcasts.  

Dr. Calvin Truong was born and raised in Glendale, Arizona by his immigrant parents from Vietnam. He received a Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences at Arizona State University and a Master of Public Health at the University of Arizona. Upon working for various non-profit health organizations, his close work with patients within the underserved communities inspired him to obtain his Medical degree at Midwestern University.

Dr. Truong chose to pursue a career in family medicine because it allows him to be at the forefront of disease prevention, especially in populations that need it the most. Furthermore, as a prior high school teacher, he has always enjoyed educating and believes that good patient education is the key to effective treatment.

Dr. Truong believes that health equity means putting an end to discriminatory barriers based on social and cultural circumstances that lead to disadvantages in obtaining proper healthcare.

During his free time, as a huge foodie, you will find Calvin trying new recipes or restaurants. When he is not eating, he is playing a pick-up basketball game at a local gym, hiking or traveling with his partner.

Dr. Juan Antonio Valadez is a first generation Mexican-American. Born in Los Angeles he studied art and design at California State University of Long Beach. He worked in the creative field for over 17 years as an art director for various advertising agencies in southern California. While he worked on an abundance of ad campaigns, he was most fascinated by the medical non-profit campaigns, whose purpose was to promote a social cause and provide a public benefit. Inspired by the vital role these institutions played and the critical services that they contributed to the communities in need that they served, he decided to switch careers to become a family medicine physician to work with the underserved communities

He completed his medical education at Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine at New Mexico State University. As a family medicine physician, he wants to further explore the chance to be a community leader working toward achieving health equity by advocating for better health, working to improve healthcare communications for the underserved communities by breaking down language and cultural barriers for immigrants, and bringing a holistic and integrative approach to the care of his patients—regardless of their background or socioeconomic status.

During his free time, you can find Juan shopping at a local thrift store, working on a few art projects, on road trips with his family, practicing jiu jitsu, or at a gourmet coffee shop. He speaks Spanish fluently.

Dr. Christopher Alvarado was born in Lancaster, CA but grew up in the city of Los Angeles. He moved to Northern California to attend Santa Clara University where he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Biology and Public Health. After college, he returned to Los Angeles to complete a year of service through an AmeriCorps organization called City Year. During this time, he spent over 1700 hours working with high school students by providing mentorship and helping reduce the high school dropout rate. Following this experience, he moved to Omaha, NE to attend Creighton University for medical school. After two years, he moved to Phoenix, AZ to finish his clinical rotations before returning to Los Angeles.

Dr. Alvarado chose to pursue a career in Family Medicine because he enjoys making impactful and long-lasting connections with his patients. He has worked with many volunteer groups that focused on helping migrant workers, high-risk youth, and the elderly along with completing several mission trips to countries such as El Salvador and the Dominican Republic.

He chose AltaMed because he wanted to be at a program that focused on working with underserved communities and promoting health equity. To him, health equity is the opportunity for all people to access affordable healthcare and live healthy and fulfilling lives.

His interests in medicine include sports medicine, adolescent medicine, public health, and medical education. He hopes to one day become involved in educating medical students to impact future generations of healthcare providers.

In his free time, Dr. Alvarado enjoys gardening, cooking, playing the drums, watching football (Go LA Rams!), and spending time with his family and pets.

Dr. Bernard Hernandez is a Southern California native and was raised in the cities of La Puente and Phelan. As a first-generation Mexican-American, he developed a passion for medicine while pursing medical assistant, and emergency medical technician certifications. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at the University of California San Diego, where he was involved in health care at the Shiley Eye institute. While in San Diego, he also volunteered internationally and provided free medical services to disadvantaged patients in the northwest region of Mexico. He completed his medical education at the American University of Antigua College of Medicine and participated in the Graduate Clinical Core Rotation Certificate Program at FIU-Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine in Miami. 

Dr. Hernandez decided to practice family medicine because it provides him the opportunity to advocate for and provide comprehensive health care to patients from all walks of life. His medical interest include preventative medicine as well as addressing social determinants of health. He believes that health equity is a fundamental right and includes barrier free-culturally competent care.

In his free time, Dr. Hernandez enjoys exploring the outdoors, traveling, and spending time with his large family.

Dr. Itzel Vazquez was born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico. 

While pursuing her medical education in Mexico, she volunteered at organizations including Doctors Abroad, the Venice Family Clinic in California, the Center of Excellence for Chagas Disease, and the Brain Imaging Lab in CHLA.

Through these experiences, she became aware of the many challenges that under-resourced populations face when seeking medical care. These challenges include language barriers, cultural misunderstandings and lack of financing. These realities she witnessed inspired her to put herself in a position in her career to be able to help the community.

She emigrated to the United States in 2018 after completing her Medical Education at the University of Guadalajara. Her interests include Adolescent Medicine, Integrative medicine and Sleep medicine. She firmly believes that Family Medicine can create a huge impact in the outcome and health of patients of all ages no matter how complex their disease is.

In her free time, Dr. Vazquez enjoys spending time with her husband and two dogs (Lexie and TJ), working out, cooking, listening to podcasts, meditation, and spending time in nature.

Dr. Carmona grew up in Mattawa, Washington. Her parents immigrated to the U.S. from Michoacán, Mexico in their twenties and worked as agricultural migrant workers throughout central Washington before settling in Mattawa. There, Dr. Carmona worked in a grape vineyard with her family and community members during her high school summer breaks. She developed a passion for serving Latinx communities through community organizing and youth mentorship. She is a first-generation college graduate and majored in biology at Washington State University. She then completed a postbaccalaureate at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. With the help of her supportive family, friends, partner, mentors, and medicine pathway programs, she completed her medical education at Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. Her involvement in community organizing and youth pathway programs continued throughout medical school. She was a community organizer for the Hispanic Business and Professional Association, a trusted messenger for the 2020 census, and a youth mentor for the Dare to Dream Health Science Academy. Her scholarly project in medical school focused on examining relationships between physical activity, social health, and income in pregnancy. Dr. Carmona is a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society. She hopes to be a family medicine doctor who listens with grace and humility and acts with courage and kindness. In addition, she aspires to be a community leader, a lifelong learner, and a teacher to her patients.

To Dr. Carmona, health equity is rooted in acknowledging and addressing social determinants of health.

In her free time, Dr. Carmona enjoys traveling, dancing, listening to podcasts, watching suspenseful Netflix shows, and spending time outdoors with her husband, Uriel, and their dog, Nala

Dr. Mejia was raised in Cali, Colombia by her parents, who were teachers.. She moved to Southern California at the age of 18. She first attended Glendale Community College and transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology, with a minor in Applied Developmental Biology. She has a special interest in child development and in public health. After she received her Master of Public Health at Touro University, she attended the Ross University School of Medicine. She later completed her clinical rotations at Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield, California. She loves being a family physician because of the opportunity to care for a wide variety of patients, perform procedures, and provide a holistic approach to health care.

Dr. Mejia believes that health equity is driven by three participants: society, the medical provider, and patients themselves. For the patient, equity is the right to exercise and demand proper and excellent health care, regardless of a person’s circumstances.

Dr. Mejia is appreciative of the opportunities she has had to learn from different cultures and communities. These experiences have strengthened her competence in caring for diverse populations. She has worked as an assistant administrator at a Federally Qualified Health Center that serves the Korean community in Los Angeles. She has also volunteered with a patient assistance program, where she linked uninsured patients with free or low-cost medications.

In her free time, Dr. Mejia enjoys reading, hiking, and watching TV shows such as Korean dramas. She loves listening to her church’s sermons and to medicine podcasts. She speaks Spanish fluently.

Dr. Bibiana Sandoval was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia and moved with her mother and older sister to South Florida in 2001. She attended Florida Atlantic University where she majored in biology and completed her first publication of oncopathology research. She then obtained a Master of Biomedical Sciences degree from Barry University. She attended medical school at St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, and completed her clinical rotations in North London in the United Kingdom, and Brooklyn, New York. Her interests include community and global medicine, women’s health, health policy, and research. She firmly believes that a career in family medicine chose her. Family medicine is the field that offers the best way to directly care for patients of all ages and allows her to link her upbringing, multicultural life experiences in different countries, and her passion to serve the community.

Dr. Sandoval believes that health equity means that everyone can be healthy when there is justice in resource allocation based on the unique needs of individuals.

In her free time, Dr. Sandoval enjoys running outdoors, going to the beach, reading nonfiction, traveling, and spending time with her friends and two nephews. She loves animals, and her favorite is her cocker spaniel dog. She speaks Spanish fluently.

Dr. Emily Byrne is originally from New Jersey, where she developed her interest in the medical field while studying and performing ballet in a pre-professional training program. She attended Wesleyan University, where she focused on social and biological sciences, graduating with her Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience and Behavior. After earning her undergraduate degree, she worked for three years as a Clinical Research Coordinator with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, where she focused on interventions to reduce burdens on cancer survivors. She then went on to complete a Master of Biomedical Sciences degree before relocating to Southern California to join AmeriCorps in their Community HealthCorps program.

As a member of AmeriCorps, she served as a chronic disease coordinator with AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) Health. It was there that she found her passion for partnering with and educating patients on their health, and her interest in comprehensive primary care was born. Her focus expanded towards health equity work when she transitioned on to build the groundwork for National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Patient Centered Medical Home recognition at the South Los Angeles Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). These experiences drove Dr. Byrne towards family medicine, where she looks forward to forming lasting relationships with patients while providing evidence-based preventive care and ultimately improving quality of life for patients and their families.

Dr. Byrne attended the Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific in Pomona, California. As a medical student, she was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honors Society (GHHS) for her focus on providing empathic, patient-centered care. She has a particular interest in the care of women and underserved populations, including LGBTQ children, adolescents, and adults.

In her free time, Dr. Byrne enjoys spending time with her family, playing with her dog, and catching up on podcasts, television, and film.

Dr. Jonathan Guajardo is a first generation Mexican-American who was raised in Baytown, Texas. He pursued his undergraduate education at Baylor University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and went forward to complete his [BN2] graduate degree at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine. Dr. Guajardo has always held an interest in giving back to his Latino Community through his efforts in the National Hispanic Institute, where he was head coach of the debate team and the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA), where he held leadership positions at his school’s chapter level, as well as the regional and national levels. As a first generation college and medical school graduate, Dr. Guajardo has developed a passion for mentoring the next generation of underrepresented minority youths and [BN3] for community medicine.

Dr. Guajardo believes that achieving health equity in a community is key to properly caring for a patient—but to do that, the social determinants of health that are specific to each community need to be identified, addressed, and remedied.

In his free time, Dr. Guajardo can be found gardening or trying out a new recipe. He enjoys dancing to Latin genres and exercising frequently. 

Dr. Lien Trinh was born in Vietnam and raised east of Los Angeles by her hard working immigrant father. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at the University of California, Riverside. She then dedicated half a year in Central America with Somos Hermanos to further advance her medical Spanish. She completed her doctorate at St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada. Her passion for continuity and preventative care inspired her to pursue family medicine.

Dr. Trinh believes that health equity means that everyone has access to quality health care regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic status. Her volunteer work strongly revolves around this belief, and she spends her free time providing primary care in El Hongo, Mexico with Flying Samaritans and offering health education to communities at health fairs throughout Los Angeles.

Dr. Trinh enjoys spending time with her loved ones, exploring different cities and cuisines, hiking, playing volleyball, reading nonfiction, and journaling.

Dr. Max Chancy was born in Haiti, but an atmosphere of violence and instability led his family to seek refuge in the United States, where he grew up in Orlando, Florida. Inspired by the needs of his community, Dr. Chancy wanted to be a doctor from a very young age. His dream is to build a clinic in the farming village where he is originally from. Dr. Chancy obtained his Bachelor of Science in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. He chose to pursue his medical degree at the Latin American School of Medicine (Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina) in Cuba because of the school’s commitment to community medicine and social justice. Dr. Chancy has worked alongside family physicians since his first year in medical school, where he performed community needs assessments and house calls. He believes that the specialty of family medicine allows him to have a broader impact on the health of a community. He has a special interest in population health research.

Dr. Abdelshahid was born in Egypt and grew up in Pennsylvania. His family immigrated to the United States in search of broader educational opportunities. He is truly grateful for his family because it is through their support, care, and sacrifice that he is a physician today. Dr. Abdelshahid turned down a football scholarship in favor of pursuing a liberal arts education at Elizabethtown College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology. He studied medicine at the American University of Antigua College of Medicine in Antigua and Barbuda, and completed his clinical clerkships with the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University in Miami. Witnessing the challenges that the population of Antigua faced in accessing health care strengthened his desire to work with vulnerable populations. He chose the specialty of family medicine because it offers the opportunity to provide compassionate and longitudinal care to the community, all while utilizing complex problem solving skills. 

For Dr. Abdelshahid, health equity means working with everyone equally and without bias to provide the highest quality of care, regardless of a person’s circumstances. His family taught him to always put himself in other peoples’ shoes, and this has guided his work with his patients, who he tries to care for as if they were his own family. Dr. Abdelshahid believes in giving back to the community, and he greatly values his experiences volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. He is inspired by this quote from Winston Churchill: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” 

In his free time, Dr. Abdelshahid likes to learn about other cultures and beliefs. He also likes to travel and experiment with new dishes. He speaks Arabic fluently, and is currently learning Spanish.

Dr. Regina Inchizu grew up in Southern California alongside eight siblings. She is a first-generation college graduate. She started her education at Mt. San Antonio Community College and transferred to University of California, Riverside where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology. She joined the University of California, Los Angeles PRIME-LA program, where she earned her Masters of Public Health in the field of health policy. Dr. Inchizu loves family medicine because she gets to build long-lasting and trusting relationships with her community. She wants to be at the forefront of her patients’ care by offering preventive care and the early recognition of problems.

For Dr. Inchizu, health equity means that those who need more help or resources will receive this, in order for them to achieve the same health outcomes as those who already have the most resources and assistance. She feels that it is important to examine the role of the health care industry in resulting poor outcomes. She is passionate about giving back to the community, and she is a longtime volunteer and a current mentor with Homeboy Industries.

Dr. Inchizu loves to sing, dance, and have movie nights with her daughters. She also enjoys reading, especially non-fiction. She speaks Spanish fluently.

Dr. Reina Amiling grew up in Oceanside, California. She is a Filipino-American, and was born to immigrant parents who always emphasized the importance of education and remembering one’s cultural heritage. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics from the University of California, Los Angeles. She went on to pursue her medical education at the Tulane University School of Medicine. She has a special interest in women’s health and adolescent medicine. She chose the specialty of family medicine because it offers her the opportunity to work with different populations and to influence the health of a community. Dr. Amiling was also an AmeriCorps scholar.

Dr. Amiling believes that health equity means that everyone is entitled to appropriate, considerate, and high-quality health care. She has worked with various communities providing reproductive health education. She has been inspired by witnessing high school students who benefit from outreach activities that consist of learning about health topics and becoming engaged in their health care. Dr. Amiling is committed to continue working in underserved communities.

Dr. Amiling enjoys reading epic fantasy series and cooking Filipino dishes.

Dr. Roberto Valentino is a first generation Mexican-American college graduate who grew up in Pacoima, California[BN4]. He graduated from California State University, Northridge with a degree in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. He completed his medical education at Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine at New Mexico State University. While in medical school, Dr. Valentino was involved in founding a Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) chapter, where he collaborated with others who are passionate about Latino representation in medicine. While in LMSA, he worked with his peers  to organize various events to benefit the health of Central American migrant refugees who were being housed in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Dr. Valentino chose family medicine as a specialty because he feels that it puts him at the forefront to help with many barriers and issues that patients face to access quality care. As a family medicine physician, he wants to treat people of all ages and serve as an advocate, educator, and guide for a healthier future for all.

To Dr. Valentino, health equity means that every patient who comes to seek care is heard, treated with respect, and has their needs addressed, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status.

During his free time, you can find Roberto barbecuing with his family and friends, playing video games, or out on trails hiking or mountain biking. He speaks Spanish fluently.

Dr. Sharon Bakshi grew up in Southern California. She graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She completed her medical education at St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada. While studying there, she worked in communities where medical resources were scarce, and witnessed firsthand what community medicine truly means. After seeing the impact that a devoted physician can have on society, she chose family medicine as a specialty because of its emphasis on the patient-physician relationship. She considers it an honor to learn each patient’s unique story and values the opportunity to build a trusting relationship with her patients. Dr. Bakshi has a special interest in patient education.

Dr. Bakshi believes that health equity is an integral part of family medicine, and that each patient should have the opportunity to reach their health potential. She aspires to be an advocate for her patients as they work to reach their goals. Dr. Bakshi has been a long-term volunteer and counselor for a local non-profit agency that serves teenage and young adult mothers.

In her free time, Dr. Bakshi likes to spend time with her husband and her family. She is a fitness enthusiast, and enjoys yoga and running outdoors. She speaks Hindi fluently.