– 2019-20 board officers and ‘Outstanding Award’ recipients honored
The San Bernardino County Medical Society (SBCMS) welcomed its 127th President at its recent Officers’ Installation and Recognition Dinner. Mark M. Bai, M.D., Family Medicine physician with Southern California Permanente Medical Group San Bernardino Region (Kaiser Permanente), was sworn in as President for 2019-20, on Thursday, June 20 at Los Serranos Country Club in Chino Hills, California. Close to 200 guests gathered for a reception followed by sit-down dinner and program.
Lee Snook, M.D., California Medical Association (CMA) Speaker of the House of Delegates, provided introductory remarks. Officers were sworn in by CMA President-Elect, Peter Bretan, M.D., including:
-Christopher Tsai, MD – President Elect, Urologist, San Antonio Urology Medical Group, Upland, CA
-Kristy Roloff, DO – Vice President, Ob-Gyn, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Colton, CA
-Javier M. Sánchez, MD – Secretary, Family Medicine, Southern California Permanente Medical Group,
Redlands, CA
-Tarek Moqattash, MD – Treasurer, Internal Medicine, Apple Valley, CA
-Damodara Rajasekhar, MD – Immediate Past President, Pediatrician, Apple Valley, CA
A family medicine physician in primary and urgent care with the Southern California Permanente Medical Group-San Bernardino Area (Kaiser Permanente) since 2005, Dr. Bai presently serves as the Assistant Area Medical Director, supporting Primary Care Services in Kaiser Permanente across San Bernardino County since 2011. He was awarded the KP Fontana/Ontario Medical Centers’ Family Medicine Physician of the Year in 2011 and was elected as the KP Fontana/Ontario Hospitals’ Medical Staff President for 2013.
Dr. Bai said, “I am privileged to take the baton from Dr. Damodara Rajasekhar, who successfully led SBCMS as President for the past 12 months. SBCMS is truly an organization filled with physicians who care and people who care about physicians. My goal is to expand the exposure and communication of all the great things SBCMS and CMA are doing for our physicians and of all the great things our physicians are doing for the communities we serve on behalf of our patients.”
Eight individuals/organizations were recognized with the presentation of the Outstanding Physician and/or Citizen Awards:
Ricardo Peverini, M.D., Vice Dean, Loma Linda University School of Medicine – Presidential Award
Eric R. Hansen, D.O., FAAFP, Family Practice – Nicholas P. Krikes, M.D. Outstanding Contribution to the Medical Society
Patricia C. Trantham, M.D., Southern California Permanente Medical Center, Southern California Region – William L. Cover, M.D. Outstanding Contribution to Medicine
Edgar Ochoa, M.D., Southern California Permanente Medical Center, Southern California Region –
Merlin A. Hendrickson, M.D. Outstanding Contribution to the Community
Maxwell Ohikhuare, M.D., Public Health Officer, San Bernardino County Department of Public Health – Merlin A. Hendrickson, M.D. Outstanding Contribution to the Community
Timothy Evans, CEO & Founder, The Unforgettables Foundation – Outstanding Citizen California Medical Association – Outstanding Leadership Award
The annual Ronald P. Bangasser, M.D. Medical Student Scholarship for $2,500 was also presented to medical student Neera Shah, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Class of 2021.
Lupe Alonzo-Diaz, CEO of Physicians for Healthy California (PHC) was on hand to present checks for graduate medical education (GME) residency programs awarded to programs at both Loma Linda University School of Medicine (4 programs totaling $3,525,000 in funding) and Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (4 programs totaling $3,300,000 in funding). These grants, made possible through the passage and implementation of Proposition 56 in 2016-17, administered through CalMedForce at PHC, will contribute to the increase in physicians in the Inland Empire region, allowing them to remain in practice in the local area, thereby helping to alleviate the gap in care and ensure patient access to quality healthcare. The PHC is the former California Medical Association Foundation.
ABOUT SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY (SBCMS)
Established in 1878, SBCMS is the seventh largest medical society in California and the component society of the California Medical Association (CMA). SBCMS’ mission is to promote the science and art of medicine, the care and well-being of patients, the protection of the public health and to promote the betterment of the medical profession. SBCMS is a non-profit, 501 (c) (6) organization.
SBCMS and CMA combine to form the strongest physician membership organization in the state for medical doctors (M.D.s), doctors of osteopathy (D.O.s), resident and medical students. Together they represent a comprehensive program of legislative, legal, regulatory, economic and social advocacy. Programs provide members with necessary support to establish and maintain successful medical practices, which lead directly to a higher quality of medical care with greater access for California patients.
The SBCMS office is located at 1859 W. Redlands Blvd., Redlands, CA. 92373. More information is available by visiting www.sbcms.org, calling 909-273-6000 or emailing aelsner@sbcms.org.
MARK M. BAI, M.D. – SBCMS President
Dr. Mark Bai has been a Family Medicine Physician with the Southern California Permanente Medical Group-San Bernardino Area since 2005. He presently serves as the Assistant Area Medical Director since 2011. He is a practicing family medicine physician in Primary Care and Urgent Care, overseeing 900 patients. Dr. Bai was awarded the KP Fontana/Ontario Medical Centers’ Family Medicine Physician of the Year in 2011 and was elected as the KP Fontana/Ontario Hospitals’ Medical Staff President for 2013.
Dr. Bai serves as co-lead for Practice Efficiency, Primary Care AAMD/AMGA group and Primary Care Panel Size Project. He is the lead for Reducing Unwanted Extra Duties in Primary Care, a facilitator for Silo Busters Leadership Program, a steering committee member of AAMD for Adult Primary Care and a faculty member for KP HealthConnect Essentials. On the national level, Dr. Bai serves as co-lead for KP Inter-Regional Primary Care Conferences.
His awards include the 2017 KP SCAL Advanced Management Program 2.0, 2014 Team Excellence Award, FMC/OMC High Desert Urgent Care, 2013 KP SCAL Advanced Management Program, 2011 Family Medicine Physician of the Year, FMC/OMC and 2011 KP SCAL Middle Management Program. He is board certified on the American Board of Family Medicine and serves or has served on the Physician Recognition Committee, Accreditation & Licensure Committee, Quality Leadership Committee, Utilization Management Committee and Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee for Fontana and Ontario Medical Center.
Dr. Bai has been a member of San Bernardino County Medical Society for 15 years, involved in leadership since 2012 as a Board member and was honored to join the SBCMS Executive Committee in 2015. He also serves as a representative of District II to the CMA’s House of Delegates.
Dr. Bai earned his medical doctorate from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC) where he was the #1 ranked student entering family medicine from USC.
Away from his practice, Dr. Bai enjoys cuisine, playing sports and spending time with his family and friends, including his wife Mina and three children, Jayden, Lindsay and Hudson.
