Board Member, Division 7 — Tri-City Healthcare District

Since 2013, I have been a Physician Anesthesiologist, leader, and patient advocate at Tri-City Medical Center. During my time at TCMC, I have served as Chairperson of the Anesthesiology Department, Blood Utilization Committee Chair, and Quality Review Committee. I am a vocal patient advocate and have utilized my administrative positions to advocate for patient safety and wellness.

During my tenure as Chair of the Anesthesiology Department, I helped solidify an emergency communication algorithm to ensure Labor and Delivery emergencies are promptly responded to by a multidisciplinary care team. I also led a successful initiative for operating room equipment upgrades to ensure the highest level of patient safety matched and made certain an Anesthesiologist will be available for pre-operative assessments--leading to a decrease in surgical delays/cancellations and increased patient satisfaction. In keeping with the conversion of paper medical records to electronic records I converted key medical documents to an electronic form leading to easier review of patient's medical history.

I also Chaired the Blood Utilization committee, and championed the creation of a streamlined blood transfusion protocol to guarantee patients receive the life-saving products needed during emergency surgery. Additionally, I led the effort to educate other staff members in blood product ordering, which eliminated waste and enabled the hospital to reallocate spending to other critical need areas.

I am heavily involved with philanthropic work locally and abroad. My spare time is spent volunteering for a local animal rescue group called The Rescued Dog and I am an active foster and fundraiser for animals in need. I also volunteers and serve on the fundraising committee with Mercy Outreach Surgical Team, and have participated in 7 pediatric surgical missions to different towns in Mexico. I am active in local community causes like the Agua Hedionda lagoon foundation and San Diego Humane Society and have been heavily involved in fundraising for Tri-City Hospital, whether it’s making sure my physician colleagues provided gala sponsorships or walking in the Fashion that Heals fundraisers raising money for life-saving equipment.

I was born and raised in San Diego to Lebanese immigrants who escaped the violence and corruption to come here and lead a better life. Having undergone a spine fusion as a teenager, I developed an acute appreciation of medicine and caregivers at an early age, and committed to medicine as my vocation of choice before entering Rancho Bernardo High School. I went on to attend the University of California, San Diego as a premed major in pursuit of a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. During my time at UCSD I volunteered in the campus student clinic, served as secretary of Alpha Epsilon Delta Medical Fraternity and did clinical research on protein C deficiencies at Scripps Research. I went on to attend medical school at New York Medical College where I fell in love with the practice of Anesthesia. Following my internship year in internal medicine in Long Island, NY, I completed my Anesthesiology residency in Brooklyn, NY. I decided to return home to San Diego to be closer to my family and subsequently met my husband of now 8 years. 

As frontline physicians during COVID, we witnessed countless hospital services our community relies on shut down. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it has taught us that we need more healthcare experts in oversight and policy positions, where we can influence and impact executive decisions involving patients and caregiver community. Now more than ever, a physician needs a seat on the board in order to be a direct conduit for the entire hosptial staff; a physician who is approachable and who has forged relationships over the years with “key players”.  

I have the experience needed, and the local connections with other larger healthcare systems to help turn this hospital around. I will bring TriCity into a Public-Private-Partnership with Scripps to leverage the economies of scale and increase services vs cutting them. I will also open the behavioral health unit as it was closed under false information. 

I have a degree from the University of California, San Diego and I have administrative healthcare experience, which is required to understand the business and required to guide the organization. I have worked for other prestegiouss nonprofits like The Center for the Blind, Alzheimers Insstitute and the Glenner Memory Care Centers. I have a special focus on our communities most vulnerable and important members.

I have in depth knowledge of OSHPD (California Healthcare Construction Requirements) which is required to help guide the hospital through the redesign and upgrade of the facility to prevent it from being closed down in 2030.

I do not work for TriCity Hospital so I am not conflicted, as people who work for TriCity are not allowed, by California Government Code and TriCity Policy, to be on the Board. We had a previous board member who was removed for this, click here for more information.

I understand many of the issues that will impact our community and healthcare, go to tricity2020.com for more informaiton and my plan to turn the hospital around. 

Presently retired, my career was in health care finance, organization, and management..  I served as vice president of the American Hospital Association, president of HMO International, deputuy director of the California Department of Health Care Services, and president of Pacific Health Resources, a hosptial managemeant and consultant group.  My skolls as a planner and analysts can help Tri City Hospital go forward in its mission of service. 

Helath care is a needed and vital service, not an industry.  It should be available to all cirizens without reservations, with access not based on income, employment or status.  Local communities need to have necessary necesaary and capable health care providers that are organized effectively, not wastefully competitive.  Health care should be seen in context of the general wellbeing of a communithy, where education, housing and a sufficent standard of living is assured and where environmental conditons are not subject to degradation and pollution.