Board of Governors Resources>

Toni Brayer, MD, FACP Gene Cleaver, MD Ronald Dorn, MD (Sec. and Tres.) Fernando Dulay, MD James Gemmer, MD (Chair) Scott A. Hoffinger, MD Robert Margolin, MD Gary Okamoto, MD

Lamont Paxton, MD (Vice Chair) Vin Sawhney, MD Douglas G. Smith, MD Cheryl Tanasovich, MD Steven R. Una, MD Ann Vercoutere, MD Bradford Cohn, MD (Chairman Emeritus)

Board of Governors - Officers

James Gemmer, MD - Chairman Business Location:  Solano County, CA Medical Specialty:  Orthopedic Surgery 2012 Committees:  Executive (Chair) / Government Affairs (Chair) / MIEC PAC CA Advisory (Chair)

Doctor Gemmer has been a member of the MIEC Board of Governors since 1989, and serves as Chairman of the Board. He is Past President of the Solano County Medical Society where he also served on and chaired the MRAC Committee. He also received the Emeritus Professor Award from Solano County Medical Society. Dr. Gemmer served as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sutter Solano Medical Center where he served on the board for 21 years; and he served as Secretary-Treasurer, Vice Chairman, and Chief of Surgery for Sutter Solano Medical Staff. He also served as Vice Chairman of the Vallejo General Hospital Foundation. Additional memberships include California Medical Association, the American Medical Association, and American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Dr. Gemmer is currently serving on the Quality/Utilization Advisory Committee for Partnership Health Plan of California.

Lamont Paxton, MD - Vice Chairman Business Location:  San Leandro, CA Medical Specialty:  Vascular Surgery 2012 Committees: Executive (Vice-Chair) / Claims (Chair) / Finance & Investment

Doctor Paxton has been a member of the MIEC Board of Governors since 2005. He was President of the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association (ACCMA) in 2005. He serves as the Chairman of the Professional Liability Committee B of the ACCMA. Doctor Paxton is Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Eden Medical Center and San Leandro Hospital. He is Chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery at Eden Hospital Medical Center. He is past president of the East Bay Surgical Society. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and Chairman of the Committee on Applicants for the American College of Surgeons.

Professional memberships include the International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery, the American Association of Vascular Surgery, the San Francisco Surgical Society, the Pacific Coast Surgical Society, the Northern California Vascular Society, the Peripheral Vascular Surgical Society and the Western Vascular Society.

Ronald Dorn, MD - Secretary & Treasurer Business Location: Boise, ID Medical Specialty: Oncology 2012 Committees: MIEC PAC ID Advisory (Chair) / Executive / Finance & Investment

Doctor Dorn has been a member of the MIEC Board of Governors since 2005. He serves on the Executive and Finance & Investment Committees and is Chairman of the MIEC PAC ID Advisory Committee. Doctor Dorn is a practicing radiation oncologist at the Mountain States Tumor Institute in Boise and has served as the medical director of that institute. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Radiology, a Fellow of the American College of Radiology, and a Fellow of the American Society of Radiation Oncology. Memberships include the Idaho Medical Association and the Ada County Medical Society for which he has been a delegate to the IMA House of Delegates. Other memberships include the American Radium Society, American Society of Therapeutic Radiation and Oncology where he serves on the History and Communication Committees, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. He is a founding member, board member and chairman of the physicians advisory committee of the Expedition Inspiration Fund for breast cancer research.

 

Other Members of the Board of Governors

Toni Brayer, MD, FACP Business Location:  San Francisco Medical Specialty:  Internal Medicine 2012 Committees: Underwriting (Chair) / Finance & Investment  / Government Affairs / MIEC PAC CA Advisory

Doctor Brayer has been a member of the Board of Governors of MIEC since 2007, and has served as an advisor since 2002. She is the West Bay Regional Chief Medical Officer for Sutter Health and practices Internal Medicine at California Pacific Medical Center.

Dr. Brayer graduated cum laude from Arizona State University and received her Medical Degree from the University of Arizona.  She served as Chief Resident at Children’s Hospital San Francisco (now California Pacific Medical Center). She has practiced Internal Medicine for 25 years in San Francisco and was named a “Best Doctor” annually from 1997-through 2012. A former Chief of Staff at CPMC and past-president of the San Francisco Medical Society, Dr. Brayer was a delegate to the California Medical Association and served as vice-chair of the board for the Institute for Medical Quality until 2003.  She is a fellow in the American College of Physicians and served on the governor’s council of ACP. An Associate Clinical Professor at University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, Dr. Brayer served as clinical faculty at CPMC where she designed an ambulatory elective for Internal Medicine residents.

Before assuming her current position with Sutter Health, Dr. Brayer served as Vice-Chair of the CPMC Board of Directors and a member of Sutter Health’s Public Policy Committee. She has been named by the San Francisco Business Times to its list of “The Bay Area’s 100 most influential Women in Business”  and this year she also received the "Health Hero Award" for her volunteer work at Katrina, New Orleans and the Haiti earthquake. She has written extensively about health care issues, public policy and quality and is a recognized physician leader.

Toni Brayer is the mother of two and enjoys tennis, gardening, and writing for her blog: www.EverythingHealth.net.

Gene Cleaver, MD Business Location:  Mt. Shasta, CA Medical Specialty:  Internal Medicine 2012 Committees: Loss Prevention (Chair) / Deferred Comp. / Finance & Investment

Doctor Cleaver has been a member of the Board of Governors of MIEC since its inception in 1975. He is Chairman of its Loss Prevention Committee. He is currently the contact person for the North Valley Medical Association’s Siskiyou County membership. He is a member of the California Medical Association and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, with special interest in fibromyalgia, chronic pain patients and ethics.

Fernando Dulay, MD Business Location:  San Francisco, CA Medical Specialty:  Obstetrics/Gynecology 2012 Committees:  Claims / Underwriting

Doctor Dulay has been a member of the MIEC Board of Governors since its inception in 1975. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and a Fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He has served on the Medical Review and Advisory Committee of the San Francisco Medical Society and has served on the local committee of the Medical Board of California. Doctor Dulay has also served as the alternate delegate of the San Francisco Medical Society to the California Medical Association. Additional memberships include the San Francisco Medical Society, the California Medical Association, the San Francisco Gynecological Society and CAL PAC.

Scott A. Hoffinger, MD Business Location:  Moraga, CA Medical Specialty:  Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery 2012 Committees:  Claims / Finance & Investment

Doctor Hoffinger has been a member of the MIEC Board of Governors since 2006. He is a member of the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association (ACCMA), for which he currently serves on the Professional Liability Committee. He is also the ACCMA representative for District 10. In the past, Doctor Hoffinger served as President of Children’s Hospital Medical Staff. Currently, he practices Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery at offices in Oakland, Walnut Creek, and Larkspur, serves as Chief of Orthopedics at Children’s Hospital and Research Center at Oakland, and is an Associate Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at University of California, San Francisco. Doctor Hoffinger serves as a Board Member for the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy, for which he held the office of Treasurer from 2005 to 2008, and is now President Elect. Professional memberships include the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America.

Robert Margolin, MD Business Location:  San Francisco, CA Medical Specialty:  Internal Medicine 2012 Committees:  Executive / Audit / Claims / Government Affairs / MIEC PAC CA Advisory

Doctor Margolin has been a member of the MIEC Board of Governors since 2007, and was an advisor to the MIEC Board since 2002. He is a Board Certified Internist, practicing in San Francisco for the past twenty-six years. He is an Associated Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and has won numerous teaching awards from the residency programs at Mount Zion Hospital, Moffitt Hospital, and CPMC. Dr. Margolin has served as President of San Francisco Medical Society and is currently a Trustee of the California Medical Association. He is Chairman of the Division of Internal Medicine at the California Pacific Medical Center and has served on the Medical Executive Committees of Mount Zion Hospital, the UCSF Clinical Practice Organization, and the UC-Stanford Medical Group,. He currently serves on the Medical Executive Committee of California Pacific Medical Center, and serves as treasurer of CALPAC.

 

Gary Okamoto, MD Business Location: Honolulu, Hawaii Medical Specialty:  Physiatry 2012 Committees:  Loss Prevention

Doctor Okamoto has been an member of the MIEC Board of Governors since 12/2011, and has been an advisor to the Board since 12/2009. He is a member of the AMA and former President of the Hawaii Medical Association and the Honolulu County Medical Society. As a board certified physiatrist, he is a fellow in the American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Associate Clinical Professor at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii. Currently, he is Senior Vice-President and Chief Medical Officer, Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific, specializing in medical rehabilitation. His duties involve the Medical Executive Committee, peer review, credentialing, clinical programs, quality improvement, emergency preparedness, and an ex-officio role on the hospital board and its executive committee. In addition to his clinical practice over the past 30 years, he has held diverse positions in health care administration. Presently, he volunteers as President-Chair, Hawaii Health Information Exchange board, and Vice-Chair, Blood Bank of Hawaii board. Doctor Okamoto holds a B.A., University of Hawaii; M.D., Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; and M.P.H., University of Washington, Seattle.

Vin Sawhney, MD Business Location:  San Leandro, CA Medical Specialties:  Internist and Specialist in Gastroenterology 2012 Committees:  Claims / Government Affairs / MIEC PAC CA Advisory

Doctor Sawhney has been a member to the MIEC Board of Governors since 2008 and was an Advisor to the Board for two years prior to that. He was President of the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association (ACCMA) in 2004, and has served in numerous other medical leadership positions including: Chief of the Medical Staff at Physicians Community Hospital in San Leandro; member and Chair of the Board of Trustees of San Leandro Hospital; President of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPIO), representing 26,000 physicians of Indian heritage; President of AAPIO’s Northern California chapter; member of the House of Delegates of both the California Medical Association and the American Medical Association; and a member of the Governing Council for the International Medical Graduate Section at the AMA. Doctor Sawhney served as President of the Nargis Dutt Cancer Foundation, helped to organize local health fairs, and spearheaded fundraising efforts for victims of the Loma Prieta earthquake and the Bhopal gas disaster.

Douglas G. Smith, MD  Business Location:  Anchorage, AK Medical Specialty:  Orthopedic Surgery 2012 Committees:  Deferred Comp. (Chair) / Executive / Finance & Investment / Loss Prevention

Doctor Smith has been a member of the MIEC Board of Governors since 1986. Doctor Smith is former President of the Alaska State Medical Association. Additional memberships include the AMA; the Anchorage Orthopedic Society; and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Dr. Smith retired from the Anchorage Medical and Surgical Clinic in 2004.

Cheryl Tanasovich, MD Business Location:  Greenbrae, CA Medical Specialty:  Dermatology 2012 Committees:  Loss Prevention / Underwriting

Doctor Tanasovich has been a member of the MIEC Board of Governors since 2007, and has served MIEC as an advisor to its Claims Committee since 2004, and she has been in practice in Dermatology in Marin County since 1990. She is also Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at UCSF. She completed her residency in Dermatology at UCSF in 1990 after serving as a Melanoma Fellow at the same institution. Prior to that, she completed residency in Internal Medicine as well as an Internship in General Surgery at St. Mary's Hospital in San Francisco. She is Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Dermatology.

She was a Regents Scholar at UC Davis after graduating Summa cum Laude in Biochemistry from California Polytechnic State University.

She served as student representative from UC Davis to the Medical Student Section of the California Medical Association and the UCD representative to the AMA Medical student Section. She sat on the reference committee on Federal Legislation for the 1982 CMA annual session and was the student delegate to the CMA Commission on Federal Legislation.

During internship and residency she was active in the California House Officer Medical Society as Region I councilor and served as vice-president in 1985-6. She was a member of the CMA committee on Pharmacy and Therapeutics from 1987 to 1990. She was the CHOMS delegate to the AMA Resident Physician Section 1984-1987 and Alternate Delegate for the California Delegation to the AMA house of Delegates in 1986.

Steven R. Una, MD Business Location:  Castro Valley, CA Medical Specialty:  Internal Medicine/Infectious Diseases 2012 Committees: Audit / Loss Prevention / Underwriting

Doctor Una has been a member to the MIEC Board of Governors since 2008 and was an Advisor to the Board for two years prior to that. He practices Internal Medicine/Infectious Diseases at Eden Medical Center, Castro Valley, California. Dr. Una has served as President of the Medical Staff, as well as Chief of Internal Medicine, and Chairman of Pharmacy and Therapeutics, and Chairman of Infection Control. He is a Past-President of the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association (ACCMA), and is a Trustee of the California Medical Association representing the ACCMA, and serves on the CMA Medical Services Committee, the Pay for Performance Technical Advisory Committee, the Dispute Resolution Technical Advisory Committee, and has served on multiple reference committees to the House of Delegates. He also served as a member of the solo and small practice forum of the CMA. He is the President of Bay Area Preferred Physicians (BAPP), an FTC appropriate PPO super-messenger model contracting organization sponsored by multiple county medical associations in California. Dr. Una is the Secretary of Affinity Medical Group, an independent physician-owned and managed IPA of 800 physicians, which serves the East Bay region of Northern California

Ann Vercoutere, MD Business Location:  Greenbrae, CA Medical Specialty:  General, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery 2012 Committees:  Finance & Investment / Underwriting

Doctor Vercoutere has been a member of the MIEC Board of Governors since 2006. Dr. Vercoutere is a board certified general surgeon who has practiced in Marin for over twenty years. She is a member and a past President of the Marin Medical Society and presently serves as Chief of General and Thoracic Surgery at Marin General Hospital. She served on the Board of Directors of the Marin Individual Practice Association for more than fifteen years and continues to serve on the Finance Committee. Memberships include the California Medical Association and the American Medical Association.

 

Chairman Emeritus

Bradford Cohn, MD Business Location: San Francisco, CA Medical Specialty: Pediatrics, Legal Medicine 2012 Committees: Government Affairs / MIEC PAC CA Advisory

Doctor Cohn served as Chairman of the MIEC Board from its inception in 1975 until December 2008. He now serves as a member of the Government Affairs Committee and the MIEC PAC CA Advisory Committee. He is a Board-certified, 50-year veteran pediatric practitioner, former Department Chairman at St. Mary's Hospital, and Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at University of California, San Francisco. Doctor Cohn has served as President of the San Francisco Medical Society as well as the California Medical Association, Chairman of the California Delegation to the American Medical Association, and is proud to be an Honorary Member of the Idaho Medical Association. He has chaired the Professional Liability Committees of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association. He also served as President of the Physicians Insurers Association of America, and is recipient of the California Medical Association’s MacLaggan Award for Medical Political Action. Doctor Cohn is the author of numerous papers and presentations to medical, legal and lay audiences.