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Medical DialogueWINTER 2024KEEPING PHYSICIANS ABREAST OF THE LATEST NEWS AND INFORMATION ATDIGNITY HEALTH – ST. BERNARDINE MEDICAL CENTERLetter From Our New Chief of Staff Samir Kubba, MDChief of StaffThank you for entrusting me to be your Chief of Staff for 2024 and 2025. It has been quite a journey for me here at Dignity Health - St. Bernardine Medical Center over the past 23 years. I started my career in India where I went to medical school, followed by residency in Ohio and a fellowship in Hematology Oncology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.I have been practicing in this community for more than two decades, and I truly enjoy the work I do.I’ve seen St. B’s grow, shift, shrink, expand, and adapt to change. Health care has grown exponentially as technology has driven innovations with robotics, the adoption of electronic medical records and now with AI. The direction of health care has gone from physician driven to insurance driven and is now a balancing act between the two. COVID-19 has taught us how fragile life’s journey is and how quickly things can fall apart. As a profession, we have become more resilient and as a medical community we have survived through this trial. We have also learned to become better health care providers for our patients.I look forward to collaborating on our journey forward, and partnering with the Chief Medical Officer Dr. Charlie Abraham, the Administration team lead by Doug Kleam, and the Hospital Community Board which oversees and guides the care we give.This is a new experience for me, so I look forward to your support and being available to help address any issues and challenges that come up.Quoting the late Charlie Munger, “I will try to be useful.”This is my hope; for smooth sailing through this next journey, for all of us. Thank you again!MEDICAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CORNERIntroducing the SBMC Medical Staff Virtual Bulletin Board Scan the QR Code and bookmark the site.See Inside for a List of Our New Medical Staff OfficersFeatures:• News & Updates• Chief Medical Officer Corner• Graduate Medical Education Program Information • Calendar of Events• Medical Dialogue – Physician Newsletter for the SBMC Medical Staff Please send any comments or suggestions to: sbmcmedstaff@dignityhealth.org

2 Medical Dialogue Winter 2024Welcome Incoming Medical Staff Officers Please welcome Dignity Health – St. Bernardine Medical Center’s Medical Staff Officers for 2024-2025. These officers serve as a liaison between the Medical Staff and Hospital Administration and assist with complying with The Joint Commission standards, Medical Staff bylaws, rules and regulations, and state and federal regulations.Medical Staff Officers 2024–2025Samir Kubba, MDChief of StaffJustin Fu, MDImmediate Past Chief of Staff 2022–2023Alaa Beydoun, MDVice Chief of StaffFariborz Lalezarzadeh, DOMEC Member at Large 2022–2023Mir Wasif Ali, MDSecretary/TreasurerAvinash Chenam, MDMEC Member at Large 2023Mir Wasif Ali, MDSurgery Division Chair 2022–2023Medical Executive Committee New Division Chairs 2024–2025Anesthesia Division Chair: Carin Mascetti, MDSurgery Division Chair: Avinash Chenam, MDMedical Executive Committee Continuing into 2024Immediate Past Chief of Staff: Justin Fu, MDMedicine Division Chair: Benjamin Tabibian, DOObstetrics/Gynecology Division Chair: Joe Mawad, MDEmergency Medicine Division Chair: Travis Henson, MDPediatric Division Chair: Mohammad Kanakriyeh, MDBylaws Committee Chair: Betty Daniels, MDCardiac Section Chair: Sami Nazzal, MDPathology Medical Director: Steven Bleiweiss, MDMembers-at-Large 2024–2025Valentina Amaral, MDFariborz Lalezarzadeh, DOThank You for Your Service

3St. Bernardine Medical Center2023 Medical Staff Service Awards In appreciation of their service to the Medical Staff, St. Bernardine Medical Center and the people of the Inland Empire, we thank and acknowledge the following physicians:35 YearsSunil Arora, MD30 YearsAshok K. Agarwal, MDCyrus Damirchi, MDRalph R. Vega, MDThelma Yap, MD25 YearsEdward E. Abdullah, MDNesib Ali, MDBadran Madani, MD20 YearsLuminita Andronescu, MDRichard A. Biama, MDPaul D. Burton, DOAijaz Hashmi, MDTu Hoang, MDGail E. Hopkins, II, MDAaron H. Jun, MDDouglas M. Krahn, MDCharles Sabbah, MD15 YearsJose I. Arciniega, DOEsmond Gee, MDDaniel K. Hwang, MDAlan I. Lee, MDChang L. Lee, MDBrynn A. Macedo, DOChinwe S. Ojukwu, MDShadi A. Qasqas, MDCynthia J. Soto, MD10 YearsFiras Abubaker, MDHatem M. Ali, MDSharyn D. Brekhus, MDJason T. Chiriano, DOSteve N. Dong, MDTravis W. Henson, MDMohamad Kurani, MDNadine S. Lyseight, MDJohnny A. Negusse, MDSaliar T. Rustem, MDTalal Samaan, MDRimon L. Shaker, MDMEDICAL STAFF OFFICE CORNER3St. Bernardine Medical CenterCardiac Surgery Center of Excellence DesignationIn honor of American Heart Month in February, we’d like to congratulate all of our cardiac surgeons who played an instrumental role in St. Bernardine Medical Center’s designation as a CommonSpirit Health Cardiac Surgery Center of Excellence for isoCABG.This past summer, all cardiac surgical programs within CommonSpirit Health were invited to apply for the designation. The criteria were determined by a subcouncil of the Cardiac Surgery Clinical Council using national standards and benchmarks primarily from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Data Registry. A thorough evaluation of the applications and supporting documentation was conducted, along with data validation using CY22 STS Registry reports. Out of 40 cardiac surgical programs, St. Bernardine is one of only four programs that met the mortality, public reporting, quality, stewardship and patient selection metrics for isoCABG.Kudos to our cardiac surgical team for meeting the criteria by ensuring excellence in providing optimal care for one of the most common cardiac surgical procdures, isoCABG. The CommonSpirit Health Cardiac Surgery Center of Excellence programs were developed to establish minimum standards and to distinguish centers that exceed nationally-recognized performance standards and practices.

4 Medical Dialogue Winter 2024Welcome New Physicians to the St. Bernardine Medical Center Family Anesthesiology Dalia Gourgy, MDTyler S. Jones, MDWen-Li Ma, MDSabrina Ngo, MDCardiovascular/Thoracic Surgery Mabelle H. Cohen, MDDiagnostic RadiologyDavid B. Blonder, MDPhilame S. Oronan, MDElena Wechsler, MDBassam Zahlan, MDEmergency MedicineAllyson R. Entwistle, PA-CTia Mackintosh, MDKian Mehrazarin, MDInternal Medicine/Critical Care MedicineSimon Chi, DOInternal MedicineAhmed Al-Waisi, MDDaniel E. Iracheta, PA-CDiego D. Salas, PA-CInternal Medicine/HospitalistChirag H. Patel, MDInterventional/Diagnostic RadiologySean R. Bowman, MDNeonatal/Perinatal MedicineMaha M. Amr-Elmeligy, MDObstetrics & GynecologyFarnoosh Qadri, MDOrthopaedic Surgery Jason Chan, MDMEDICAL STAFF OFFICE CORNERResidency Program Grand Opening This past summer, St. Bernardine Medical Center held its grand opening for the new Graduate Medical Education Department. The newly renovated area has office space for the program directors, associate program directors and program coordinators. It also features a kitchen, breakroom, zen room, lactation room, workroom, two lounges, a didactic conference room, lecture hall and two sleep rooms with a restroom and shower. Our residents are already enjoying this space where they are advancing their careers in medicine. Hospital Administration and GME leaders gather for the ribbon cutting ceremony of the Graduate Medical Education Department: Maria Fernandez Gutierrez, Critical Care and Interventional Cardiology Program Coordinator; Tammy Gonzalez, Internal Medicine Program Coordinator; Anita Chou, CFO; Kurt Weinmeister, COO; Doug Kleam, Hospital President; Karina Aparicio, Director GME; Tanya Martinez, Southern California Division Director GME; and Adrienne Bawcum, Cardiology and Gastroenterology Program Coordinator (l-r).Residents and coordinators celebrate the Graduate Medical Education grand opening: Ambika Pandita, Internal Medicine Chief Resident; Rajesh Kumar, PGY3 Resident; Tammy Gonzalez, Internal Medicine Program Coordinator; Bilal Memon, PGY2 Resident; Jibin Swankutty, PGY3 Resident; and Adrienne Bawcum, Cardiology and Gastroenterology Program Coordinator (l-r). 4 Medical Dialogue Winter 2024

5St. Bernardine Medical CenterOR Providers of the QuarterEach quarter the OR medical team nominates a surgeon/advanced practice provider and anesthesia provider for exhibiting exemplary kindness, knowledge, talents, etc. The winners are recognized with a photo and Q&A displayed near the main operating room. Congratulations to this past quarter’s honorees: Ali Mesiwala, MD, Neurological Surgery, and Barbara DeVries, RN, Certified Nurse Anesthetist.OR Surgeon of the Quarter1. Why did you choose neurosurgery as your speciality? I thought that the anatomy of the brain and spine was really interesting when I attended an open house at Stanford Medical School’s anatomy lab when I was in junior high. Plus, I thought it was the one job that would allow me to buy a Lamborghini.2. You can bring one book, one movie and one album to a deserted island to live out your days. What do you choose to bring and why?“The Overstory” by Richard Powers, “The Empire Strikes Back” and “The Joshua Tree” by U2.3. What is the best gift you have ever been given?An unexpected weekend off.4. What is your favorite holiday and why?New Year’s Day, because there is endless optimism for the coming year and it brings all people and cultures together.Top CDI Query Response Achievers High physician response rates help accurately reflect patient severity of illness and intensity of service. We thank the following physicians for their diligence and commitment to St. Bernardine 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 September, October and November 2023. Congratulations on a job well done!Mohammed Al-Khayyat, MDAli Alktaifi, MDKenneth Ballou, MDSamit Bhakta, MDValentina Bistolfi Amaral, MDBrian Bush, MDBrett Clement, DONguyen Doan, MDJustin Fu, MDAbdullah Ghoury, MDAli Hamidi, MDTu Hoang, MD Ousama Ismael, MDHuda Khaleel, MDVinh Mai, DOGeorge Mousa, MDAli Mesiwala, MDNeurological SurgeryJuan Perez Quintana, MDHari Reddy, MDTalal Samaan, MDWilliam Schlegel, PA-CHarsharandeep Sanghera, MDSonia Shoukat, MDArshad Sial, MDSivakami Sivapalan, MDBenjamin Tabibian, DOFarzad Tariq, MDEstevan Torrez Andia, MDThomas Tran, MDHeather Whitmer, PARobert Yang, MDMin Zhang, MD

6 Medical Dialogue Winter 20245-Minute Check In: Ablation as Atrial Fibrillation TreatmentPhysicians at CommonSpirit Health present various medical topics to keep physicians abreast of the latest technologies and treatment options. In the latest episode of the 5-Minute Check In, Thomas McGinn, MD, EVP, Physician Enterprise, and cardiac electrophysiology expert Arash Aryana, MD, focus on Atrial Fibrillation and the use of ablation to treat it, including a new randomized controlled trial that compares the success of Pulmonary Vein Isolation (PVI) against PVI plus Posterior Wall Isolation using the posterior “box” isolation approach.Watch on Drive | Watch on YouTube | Listen as a PodcastEnd-of-Year Celebration Thank you to all of our physicians at Dignity Health - St. Bernardine Medical Center who joined us for the end-of-year holiday celebration to build camaraderie and honor our physicians for their contributions to our hospital.Hospital President Doug Kleam (left) presents a plaque on behalf of the hospital expressing gratitude to Past Chief of Staff Justin Fu, MD.Dr. Fu (right) presents Mir Wasif Ali, MD, with the Physician of the Year Award for his dedication to excellent patient care. Dr. Fu (right) presents Benjamin Tabibian, DO, with the Physician Champion of Quality for his commitment to our hospital’s quality goals.

7St. Bernardine Medical CenterIdentifying Victims of Human Trafficking Human trafficking is a global issue. Although this crime crosses all age, economic, cultural, gender, sexual orientation, racial, and social lines, traffickers often target persons in situations of vulnerability. We must refrain from passing judgment and offer compassion and help to persons in need. In recognition of Human Trafficking Awareness month in January, we want to remind physicians how you can help:• Know the signs.• Know the steps.• Know the resources.The CommonSpirit Human Trafficking Response Program equips our physicians, advanced practice providers and staff to identify patients who may be vulnerable to human trafficking. The program recently rolled out a Google Site that shares information about victim response efforts, resources and more. Supporting Domestic Violence Victims In 2023, Assembly Bill (AB) 2185 was passed in California. This bill requires that victims of domestic violence have access to forensic examinations, free of charge, by Local Sexual Assault Response Teams (SART), Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SAFE) teams, and other qualified examiners. If you believe a patient is a victim of any type of abuse, neglect, or violence, including, but not limited to, domestic violence / intimate partner violence, then refer to your facility’s Abuse, Neglect, and Violence procedure. This includes facilitating referrals for patients to local SART teams, SAFE teams, or other qualified examiners for a forensic examination, as appropriate. Physicians in the News The following physician was recently featured in the media representing St. Bernardine Medical Center.Charlie Abraham, MD, CMO, was featured on ABC Channel 7 News, KTLA Channel 5 News, in the Fontana Herald News and on KNX News where he spoke about daylight savings and tips to adjust to the change in time.Scan the QR code or click here to visit the site and learn more.

8 Medical Dialogue Winter 2024St. Bernardine Medical Center Receives “A” Safety Grade from Leapfrog We’re pleased to share that Dignity Health - St. Bernardine Medical Center received an “A” Hospital Safety Grade for fall 2023 from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit upholding the standard of patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. This national distinction celebrates our hospital’s achievements in prioritizing patient safety by protecting patients from preventable harm and errors.“Earning an ‘A’ Grade means St. Bernardine Medical Center made a true commitment to put patients first,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We congratulate the leadership, Board, clinicians, staff and volunteers that all had a role to play in this achievement.”Thank you to all of our physicians for prioritizing patient safety. Your diligence helped make this award a reality.Nationally Recognized by HealthgradesWe’re pleased to share that St. Bernardine Medical has achieved several five-star ratings for specialty care, according to Healthgrades, the leading online resource for healthcare consumers. St. Bernardine’s honors include: a Five-Star Rating for Treatment of Heart Failure for Three Years in a Row; a Five-Star Rating for Pacemaker Procedures; and a Five-Star Rating for the Treatment of Pneumonia for Two Years in a Row. These five-star ratings for 2024 reflect St. Bernardine’s commitment to consistently delivering the best care possible and places the organization in the upper echelon of hospitals for specialty care nationwide. “We prioritize high quality care by investing in the most advanced technology to treat every patient, including those who need heart failure treatment, a pacemaker or pulmonary care,” explains Douglas Kleam, President at St. Bernardine Medical Center. “These five-star honors wouldn’t be possible without the dedicated physicians’ staff members’ commitment to the best patient outcomes possible.”Christina Zicklin Editorial DirectorTracie Gipson EditorCharlie Abraham Chief Medical OfficerBrian Bowlin Director, Medical Staff ServicesMedical Dialogue Editorial Team