Medical DialogueKEEPING PHYSICIANS ABREAST OF THE LATEST NEWS AND INFORMATION AT DIGNITY HEALTH – ST. MARY MEDICAL CENTERSPRING 2023 Doctor’s Day RoundupThis past Doctor’s Day, St. Mary Medical Center’s Administration was honored to celebrate our physicians to show our appreciation for the meaningful work you do. You not only improve your patients’ health and change their lives, but you also stay true to your commitment to excellence no matter the current challenges we face in health care. The awards, recognitions and honors bestowed upon our hospital are made possible because of your steadfast commitment and dedication to be the very best at what you do.We are grateful for each and every one of you, and Doctor’s Day was the perfect opportunity to celebrate your dedication, compassion, and support. Carolyn Caldwell, SMMC CEO, reading a proclamation from the Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, which was issued to physicians for Doctor’s DayAli Jamehdor, DO, ED Medical Director, and Jyoti Datta, MD, Pulmonologist (l-r)Gregory Vanley, Radiologist, enjoying the delicious Indian CuisineK. Andre Liem, MD, Hematologist, and Thomas Gates, MD, Radiation Oncologist (l-r)Sanam Pournaki, MD, Hospitalist, enjoying Doctor’s Day activitiesBabak Gachpaz, MD, Chief Hospitalist, trying on his Doctor’s Day gift
2 St. Mary Medical DialogueInternal Medicine Residency ProgramSt. Mary Internal Medicine Residency is pleased to share that we have successfully lled all of our new rst-year resident positions in the annual match this past March. This program oers the very best of academic and community medicine to its 36 trainees. In addition to a three-year categorical program, we have a three-year primary care track and a one-year preliminary medicine training track. All of our teaching faculty have academic appointments through UCLA and maintain close ties with Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. We look forward to a full return to in-person new resident orientation and training starting in June.In the NewsWe’d like to thank and recognize the following physician who was recently featured in the media.Wally Wazni, MD, Neuro-Endovascular, Medical Director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center, was featured on CBS Channel 2 News and KCAL Channel 9 News in a story about completing St. Mary’s rst-ever surgery to successfully treat a patient with an extremely rare brain condition called a Pial Arteriovenous Fistula. He was also featured in the online publication Eat This, Not That! in a story about Lyme disease after Bella Hadid recently opened up about her experience with it.Weight Loss Surgery Marketing SegmentsOur So Cal Marketing team recently secured several media segments to promote the Center for Surgical Treatment of Obesity at St. Mary Medical Center. This included a 30-second spot and a ve-minute segment hosted by Inside SoCal Sunday’s Erica Olsen, which also featured bariatric surgery programs at our sister hospitals – St. Bernardine Medical Center and St. John’s Regional Medical Center. Joseph Naim, MD, and Garren Stewart, Clinical Supervisor, spoke in both segments, highlighting St. Mary’s leading-edge technology for weight-loss surgery, including the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System, in addition to our education and support program to help ensure each patient’s success in their weight-loss journey.Watch the segment by clicking here or scanning the QR code.Physician Survey Coming SoonThe CommonSpirit Health MyVoice Physician and Advanced Practice Provider Survey is coming soon! We strongly encourage all practicing Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) to take the survey to share your feedback about our organization. Watch for details and a link to the survey, which will be distributed to all physicians this spring.
St. Mary Medical Dialogue 3.Top CDI Query Response Achievers High physician response rates help accurately reect patient severity of illness and intensity of service. We thank the following physicians for their diligence and commitment to St. Mary Medical Center. Criteria for Top Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) Query Response Achievers: Only physicians with three or more queries and an answer rate of 90–100% are included. Below are the top achievers for December 2022 and January and February 2023. Congratulations on a job well done!Christopher Allahverdian, MD, Internal MedicineFataneh Amidi, MD, Obstetrics & GynecologyMrinal Asopa, DO, Internal MedicineNarender N. Bhatia, MD, Obstetrics & GynecologyAakash Bodhit, MD, Neurology David Cao, DO, Internal MedicineCynthia Chao, DO, Obstetrics & Gynecology Chester Choi, MD, Infectious Disease Debby Chung, MD, Internal Medicine Michael Cogan, MD, Obstetrics & GynecologyJose De La Rosa, MD, Obstetrics & GynecologyNolan S. DeSa, MD, General SurgeryAdam M. Dost, DO, Internal Medicine/HospitalistMamak Eatesam, MD, Internal MedicinePeter Ferrera, MD, Internal MedicineBabak Gachpaz, MD, Internal MedicineReza Ghetmiri, MD, Internal MedicineWishanth Gooneratne, MD, Internal MedicineMauricio Heilbron, Jr., MD, General SurgeryRasam Hosseinian, MD, Internal MedicineBrian Hugh, DO, Internal MedicineJerey Islas, MD, General SurgeryJohn Issa, MD, Internal MedicineKaushik Ivaturi, MD, Internal MedicineWisam Khader, DO, Internal MedicineAhmad Khalifa, MD, Obstetrics & GynecologyThersia Knapik, MD, Critical Care SurgeryTaft Knowles, DO, ResidentNedal Machhor, MD, Neonatal/Perinatal MedicineDeborah Milligan, MD, Critical Care MedicineRabin Mizrahi, MD, Obstetrics & GynecologyJames Murray, MD, Critical Care SurgeryVisal Nga, DO, Internal MedicineKhang Nguyen, MD, Internal MedicineMinh Nguyen, MD, Cardiovascular DiseaseMarcus Ottochian, MD, Critical Care MedicineLeejoe Pallickal, MD, Internal MedicineIris Partovi, MD, Internal MedicineRonald Philipp, DO, Family MedicineSanam M. Pournaki, MD, Internal MedicineFrancoise Raiola, MD, PediatricsTara Reid, DO, Family Medicine Bradely Roth, MD, Critical Care Surgery Fazeel Shah, DO, Internal MedicineSharareh Shahangian, MD, Internal MedicineCharles Michael Shumaker, MD, Internal MedicineRyan Smith, MD, PediatricsVannarith So, MD, Internal Medicine Ravi Solanki, DO, Internal MedicineSarah Strube, DO, Internal MedicineJoanna Tan, MD, Internal Medicine Charis Tjoeng, DO, Infectious Disease Marian Varda, DO, Internal MedicineChok Wan, MD, Internal MedicineTodd K. Zynda, DO, Cardiovascular DiseaseWelcome New Physicians to the St. Mary Medical Center FamilyCardiac ElectrophysiologyJashdeep Dhoot, MDDiagnostic RadiologyMatthew Alvin, MDEmergency MedicineGaurav Bhargava, MDInternal MedicineSina Khaneki, MDMichael Raya, MDZubin Udwadia, MDOB/GYN Ernest Han, MDPediatricsLauren Sall, DOPhysical Medicine and RehabilitationKunal Sinha, MDPulmonary DiseaseMohammad Reza Malekzadegan, MDNephrologyAli Saiyed, MDNeurosurgeryMian Moshen Shah, MDSurgical OncologyConnie Lee, MDUrologyRobert Ara Petrossian, MD
4 St. Mary Medical DialogueCALL FOR ARTICLES: We encourage members of the St. Mary Medical Sta to submit information or articles for publication. We welcome your input! Issues are published quarterly (Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring).Article submissions are due to the Communication Department a month in advance of the next quarterly issue.Please call Tracie Gipson, Medical Dialogue Editor at 818.522.4574 or email TracieCheesemangipson@CommonSpirit.org.EDITORIAL TEAMChuck Anderson, MDChief Medical OcerTracie GipsonMedical Dialogue EditorBonnie MathewsMedical Sta CoordinatorShannon VinsonMedical Sta Director1050 Linden Avenue • Long Beach, CA 90813 | 1.888.4STMARY (1.888.478.6279) | dignityhealth.org/stmarymedicalOur values are the core principles that enable us to deliver humankindness.CommonSpirit Values: Compassion | Inclusion | Integrity | Excellence | CollaborationYour Health – Our Mission for 100 YearsSt. Mary Medical Center is celebrating 100 years of healing ministry in 2023. There is so much to be grateful for at our hospital and a variety of celebrations have already kicked o. We look forward to celebrating our centennial with all of our sta, volunteers and physicians through March 2024. Our hope is that St. Mary’s healing ministry will continue to thrive for another 100 years as it meets the growing health care needs of our community.Click here or scan the QR code to watch a special video, the rst in a series of tribute messages to commemorate this momentous occasion.In MemoriamWe are deeply saddened to share the passing of an outstanding physician and dedicated volunteer:Emanuel Ferro, MD, Pathology, who was a member of the Medical Sta since October, 23, 2014. Lynne Hamilton who served as a Volunteer at St. Mary Medical Center from September 2005 through early January 2020.2023 Charity Golf Classic – Golf Fore a Good CauseOn behalf of our Tournament Chair, John Arens and the St. Mary Golf Committee, we would like to invite you to join us for the 30th Annual Charity Golf Classic. Since 1993, the Golf Classic has raised over $8 million to provide funds for various programs and services at our hospital. Proceeds from the 30th Anniversary tournament will support the CARE Center at St. Mary Medical Center. Please Join Us!30th Anniversary Charity Golf ClassicJune 5 Virginia Country Club in Long BeachFor sponsorship information and to register, click here or scan the QR code.The deadline to register as a sponsor and/or underwriter is May 15. The deadline to register as a golfer is May 29.Special Unique Experiences on Course Back by popular demand, we will be oering the air cannon experience on the course. Additionally you have the opportunity to qualify in a shoot out competition to close out the day.