2026 Youth Summit dates coming soon!
What to expect from the youth summit
Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) and the Black Men in White Coats Organization seek to provide underrepresented minority youth with exposure to the medical field through robust discussion topics led by content experts including:
- Discussions with dynamic speakers and diverse physician panelists
- Hands on simulation activities
- Educational breakout sessions covering an array of topics including:
- Networking and communication skills
- Hands on CPR training
- Workshops and support for parents & guardians
- Educational guidance from local counselors including how to get into college and medical school
Background
Black Men in White Coats began in 2013 in response to an alarming report that highlighted the decreasing number of black men applying to medical school. KP works closely with high schools, medical schools, and physicians to provide inspiration and mentorship to our youth who may be interested in careers in healthcare. Over the course of the day, students will engage in hands-on activities and network with healthcare professionals from diverse backgrounds.
BMiWCx Youth Summits are locally organized events that bring healthcare professionals together for the single purpose of providing underrepresented minority youth with exposure to the medical field. These summits are independently organized by leaders within the community. They educate students, parents, teachers, and community leaders on what it takes to become a medical professional while allowing them to establish and expand their networks. Kaiser Permanente Undergraduate Medical Education has partnered with Black Men in White Coats to achieve these goals through educational discussion topics and activities with dynamic speakers and diverse panelists. Students of all genders and cultural backgrounds are welcome to attend.
Registration is closed for the 2025 Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit. You may register for zoom the livestream event at the top of this page. Thank you for your interest and we look forward to seeing you at future events.
Highlights from our 2025 Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit coming soon!
Highlights from our 2024 Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 9:00 AM | Welcome from Las Positas College and Kaiser Permanente Dyrell Foster, Ed.D., President of Las Positas College Ted O’Connell, MD, FAAFP, Director of Undergraduate, Graduate, and Continuing Medical Education Kaiser Permanente Northern California & Associate Clinical Professor UC San Francisco School of Medicine |
| 9:10 AM | Presentation from Dale Okorodudu, MD Dale Okorodudu, MD, Founder, Black Men in White Coats |
| 10:15 AM | Middle School Student Workshop: Topic: Elevator Pitch Ruben Gonzalez, MD, Family Medicine, Napa-Solano, Anisha Simpson, MD, KP-SNMA Fellow, Renisha Coleman, DBA, Regional UME/GME Consultant IV |
| High School CPR Workshop Tammy Arnold, MHSA, BTM, CMA (AAMA), Medical Assisting Program Director, American Heart Association Training Center Coordinator Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences |
|
| College Student Workshop: Communication 101 Jesus Rodriguez, MD |
|
| Parent/Guardian Workshop: How to Raise a Doctor Parent panel Moderator: Raymond Davis, MD |
|
| 11:05 AM | Middle School Workshop: Visit program booths and hands-on activities |
| High School Workshop: Social media etiquette and communication Adrienne Silver, MD |
|
| College workshop: How to get to Medical School Hathiya Chea, Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Coordinator KPSOM |
|
| Parent/Guardian workshop: Communication 101 Robert Martinez, MD |
|
| Medical Scholars Pathway (MSP) Only: CV/Resume/Personal Narrative Building Kristin Steffen-Zonsius, MSM, MPH, CPH, SHRM-CP |
|
| 11:50 AM | Visit simulation activity & program booths, and networking lunch |
| 1:00 PM | Middle School CPR workshop Tammy Arnold, MHSA, BTM, CMA (AAMA), Medical Assisting Program Director, American Heart Association Training Center Coordinator Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences |
| High School workshop: How to get to college Terrance Thompson, Transfer Center Coordinator & A2MEND Advisor; Kenneth Cooper, Executive Director – Las Positas College |
|
| Parents/Guardians & College Students Combined workshop: Understanding the College Search and Application process AJ Howell-Williams, Assistant Dean, Undergraduate Admission, Santa Clara University |
|
| 1:50 PM | Physician Panel 1 Moderator: Michael Green, MD |
| Physician Panel 2 Moderator: Robert Martinez, MD |
|
| 2:50 PM | Raffle & Closing Sean Brooks Vice President of Administrative Services Carla Wicks, MD Regional Medical Director-TPMG Equity, Inclusion, & Diversity (EID) Physician Lead-TPMG Health Equity for Women’s Health Advisory Group |
Speaker Bios
Carla Wicks, MD
Carla Wicks, MD
About Me
Dr. Carla Victoria Wicks is a board-certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist with The Permanente Medical Group (Kaiser Permanente) in the East Bay. Originally from Chicago, Illinois, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Dr. Wicks completed her Doctor of Medicine degree at Howard University in Washington, DC and then moved to the west coast and completed her training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center. Immediately following her residency, Dr. Wicks joined The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG) and has been in practice at the Kaiser Richmond facility since 2006. Dr. Wicks has held several leadership roles including Site Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Richmond, Assistant Chief of Service for East Bay Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Assistant Physician-In-Chief (APIC) of Care Experience and Diversity for Kaiser Permanente, East Bay. Dr. Wicks is currently serving as the TPMG Regional Medical Director of Equity, Inclusion & Diversity for Northern California. In this role her vision is to cultivate a culturally responsive and inclusive care climate by aligning the intentions, practices, and actions of our caregivers to meet the needs of the people, patients, and communities we serve in Northern California. Throughout her current term as Medical Director, Dr. Wicks has implemented strategies, developed key initiatives and programming, conducted and supported equity centered research projects, influenced policies and clinical algorithms, and serves as a subject matter expert for equity, inclusion, and diversity in care delivery. Dr. Wicks’ clinical practice embodies general Obstetrics and Gynecology and serves diverse and underserved communities. She co-led the first Centering in Pregnancy group for African American women and families. Dr. Wicks was also leading the Health Equity for Women Advisory Group in TPMG. She is a clinical instructor at the KP School of Medicine and leads other initiatives aimed at reducing disparities for Black women and other vulnerable populations in healthcare. Dr. Wicks is a member of various professional medical societies and nonprofit volunteer organizations in the community. When at home, she enjoys spending time with her loving husband, three adorable children, and her two loveable dogs.
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Jason Singley, Ph.D.
Jason Singley, Ph.D.
About Me
Dr. Singley is a Professor of Physics and has been teaching at Cal State East Bay since 2003. Appointed Dean of the College of Science in 2016, Dr. Singley strives to create a welcoming and supportive environment for students and faculty alike. He is committed to excellence in teaching and is an advocate for the use of innovative instructional practices. Having had a formative experience working on faculty-mentored research as an undergraduate, he is a strong supporter of faculty research and the opportunities it affords for Cal State East Bay students. Dr. Singley has served in a variety of roles at Cal State East Bay including Co-Director of the Semester Conversion Initiative, founding Director of the Center for Student Research, founding Board Member of the Institute for STEM Education, and Chair of the Department of Physics. He received his B.S. degree in physics from San Diego State University; his Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, San Diego; and before joining the faculty at Cal State East Bay was a Postdoctoral Research at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Ted O’Connell, MD, FAAFP
Ted O’Connell, MD, FAAFP
About Me
Ted O’Connell, MD, FAAFP, is the Director of Undergraduate, Graduate, and Continuing Medical Education for Kaiser Permanente Northern California. He is also an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the UC San Francisco School of Medicine. Dr. O’Connell has authored of over 20 medical textbooks, edited 10 additional textbooks, and has written over 900 textbook chapters as well as articles in peer-reviewed medical journals. He is Editor-In-Chief of Elsevier’s Clinical Student, an international medical education platform, and is also the award-winning host of several podcasts. Dr. O’Connell received his undergraduate degree with honors in Psychology and Premedical Studies from the University of Notre Dame. He attended medical school at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and completed his residency and chief residency at UCLA-Santa Monica Medical Center. Dr. O’Connell has completed the Emerging Leaders Program through The Permanente Medical Group, the Leading Innovations in Health Care and Education course through the Harvard-Macy Foundation, the Disruptive Strategy program at Harvard Business School, and the Design Thinking course through the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Southern California Permanente Medical Group. Dr. O’Connell has been the recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award from AmeriCorps and the Points of Light Foundation, the Cecil Cutting Award for Innovation and Leadership from The Permanente Medical Group, and Physician of the Year from the Napa-Solano County Medical Society, and Physician Exceptional Contribution Award from the Southern California Permanente Medical Group.
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Dale Okorodudu, MD
Dale Okorodudu, MD
About Me
To develop tomorrow’s leaders in medicine; that’s his purpose! Dr. Dale Okorodudu MD (aka Dr. Dale) is an award-winning clinician and multiple time best-selling author. Among his accolades, he has been named to EBONY's Power 100 List, honored with the Mentoring King Award, and multiple leadership awards. After reading a 2013 article published by the Association of American Medical Colleges, Dr. Dale launched Black Men In White Coats with the goal of empowering young Black boys and girls to pursue excellence in medicine and beyond. This initiative has since impacted thousands of lives nationwide and continues to contribute to the betterment of healthcare. Dr. Dale was raised in League City, Texas just outside of Houston, then moved to Columbia, Missouri where he earned both his Undergraduate and Medical Degrees from the University of Missouri. Following his stint in the Midwest, he completed his Internal Medicine Residency training at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, then moved to Dallas, Texas where he completed his Pulmonary & Critical Care training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Dale often tells the story of a memorable trip he had while in college. One Friday, he boarded his usual holiday evening flight from St. Louis, Missouri to Houston, Texas. An older, somewhat affluent woman took a seat next to him on the airplane. For the duration of that two hour flight, this woman berated Dr. Dale, telling him how poorly he dressed, how dumb he sounded when spoke, and how he would never be successful if he continued to carry himself in the manner which he did. Little did she know that the young man in a hoodie and sweats was on his way to becoming a medical doctor. Since that day, Dr. Dale has sought to inspire and mentor those who are so often doubted by others, and by themselves. Dr. Dale is grateful to his parents for instilling a sense of personal responsibility within him. He specifically thanks his mother for teaching him patience and encouraging him to hone a gift of curiosity and problem solving. This talent has proven useful beyond his patients’ bedsides as he addresses various societal challenges via innovation. He identifies his dad as the greatest mentor in his life and credits his work ethic to him. Dr. Dale also has three older siblings, all of whom have played integral roles in his successes to date. He describes his wife as “The one who my soul loves, a Proverbs 31 and Titus 2 woman” and together they are raising three wonderful children. When asked why he is so passionate about mentoring, Dr. Dale responds, “I firmly believe that to whom God has given much, much shall be required of. I’ve been given much, so it’s very easy for me to know what I am called to do. Give it all back.”
Adam Ross, MD
Adam Ross, MD
Medical Education
Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont
Academic Interests
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Interventional Psychiatry, Addiction Psychiatry
How I Thrive
Family, Friends, Food
Ruben Gonzalez, MD
Ruben Gonzalez, MD
About Me
Dr. Ruben Gonzalez received a degree in Neuroscience and Physiology, and a degree in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego; and his Medical Degree from the University of Washington, Seattle. He completed his residency training at Contra Costa Family Medicine Residency Program in Martinez. Dr. Gonzalez served as the Chief of Health Education and Diversity for Kaiser Permanente Vallejo and Napa facilities between 2016-2019. He led several initiatives to reduce barriers of care to underserved communities. His work in the area of health disparities and increasing the pool of underrepresented medical students, has won him recognition from the Kaiser Permanente Latino Association who awarded him with the “Visión con Pasión “award in 2015 and their signature “Path Maker” award in 2018. He is also the recipient of the Solano County, Physician of the Year award for 2019. Dr. Gonzalez is currently a core faculty member at Kaiser Permanente Napa-Solano Family Medicine Program and previously served as Assistant Medical Director at the Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health. In addition to serving as Principal Investigator on studies focused on improving health disparities; he is involved in teaching allied health students, family medicine residents, medical students from Touro, UCSF, UC Davis and other affiliated schools. Dr. Gonzalez’s dedication to teaching and serving the underserved is evident in his focus on increasing the number of underserved minority physicians. He is the founder of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Scholars Pathway and is involved in Kaiser Permanente Regional Graduate Education programs geared towards supporting underrepresented students. In partnership with Kaiser Permanente Regional Graduate Education, Kaiser Permanente Napa-Solano Family Medicine Program; and Napa Valley and Solano Colleges, his programs improve students’ academic opportunities, while allowing them to serve and take on leadership positions in their communities.
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Anisha Simpson, MD
Anisha Simpson, MD
About Me
Dr. Anisha Simpson is the 2023-2024 Kaiser-SNMA Fellow. Her work is focused on contextualizing pipeline programs for underrepresented students to succeed and obtain a career in the field of medicine or other allied health professions. She has a strong commitment to health equity and inclusion and will continue to incorporate this in her career as an internist. Her hobbies include dancing salsa, swimming, and spending time with her daughter.
Tammy Arnold, MHSA
Tammy Arnold, MHSA
About Me
KPSAHS (Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences) Allied healthcare educator with over 15 years of experience in topics such as, Medical Assisting, Phlebotomy, community health worker, public health, career development and CPR, and has worked in array of ambulatory care settings, including family practice, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cardiology, Electrophysiology, Pediatrics, Dermatology, and Cosmetic Surgery. Currently the Medical Assisting program director and the Training Center Coordinator for the American Heart Association (AHA) at the Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences in Richmond.
Adrienne Silver, MD
Adrienne Silver, MD
About Me
I graduated from the University of Colorado Medical School in 1996 and completed my Residency in Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Dever in 1999. I started in private practice and then transitioned to Kaiser Permanente, where I served as my department chief from 2006 to 2008. My husband, 3 boys, and I moved to Santa Rosa, California, in 2008, where I joined Kaiser Permanente Northern California. My interest in medical education took off in 2010 when I started as a faculty teacher for residents and medical students teaching about pediatrics. In 2012, I completed a fellowship in Faculty Development and was a founding faculty member for our Kaiser Permanente Family Medicine Residency which started in 2018. In 2019, I was named Director of Medical Education for our facility overseeing 4 residency programs as well as multiple medical student programs. In addition, I have served as the outpatient pediatric director for both medical students and residents, as well as the overall medical student director for medical students who come to our campus. In 2024, I was named Chief of Continuing Medical Education overseeing the CME program for over 400 physicians.
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Keedra McNeill, MD
Keedra McNeill, MD
About Me
Dr. Keedra McNeill is a graduate of Meharry Medical College and completed her pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital of Oakland. She is a pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente in Pinole and is passionate about community work and service to underrepresented communities. She is currently a regional Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Physician Lead. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their two energetic young daughters.
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Michael Green, MD
Michael Green, MD
About Me
I was raised in Washington, DC and had a desire to become a doctor early in life. I graduated from the University of Michigan, and before attending medical school at Howard University College of Medicine I completed 2 years of intramural research training at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. After completing Internal Medicine residency at the University of Maryland I transitioned to fellowship in Hematology and Medical Oncology at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. At Duke I developed an interest in the management of patients with multiple myeloma and other plasma cell disorders. I moved to Oakland, CA in 2016 to join the Hematology department with The Permanente Medical Group in Northern California as part of an initiative for disease specific specialization within a large community practice. My practice is enriched by a large percentage of my panel having multiple myeloma. The landscape for management of multiple myeloma is growing at an astonishing rate. I am an early career African American hematologist/medical oncologist with Kaiser Permanente (KP) in Northern California. KP Northern California is a large integrated health program with almost 10,000 physicians and cares for 4.5 million members, almost 1.4% of all US residents. KP has a robust clinical trial program and is one of the largest enrollers of SWOG. It is one of my career goals to advocate for improving trial access and support for patients with multiple myeloma. Multiple myeloma adversely impacts African American patients and their representation on clinical trials is lacking. This is a critical unmet need, and I would like to develop ways to reduce barriers for entry into clinical trials for under-represented populations. I am passionate about caring for patients with multiple myeloma and advancing myeloma care must utilize thoughtful clinical trials to answer prudent questions where the bulk of patients will be treated, in the community. I have actively participated in enrolling patients on clinical trials not only within KP but also outside of our system. I hope that by participating on this steering committee I will be able to shape multiple myeloma clinical trial enrollment by promoting efforts to increase enrollment in under-represented populations, advocating for inclusion of patient reported outcomes in trials, and answering clinical questions that are prudent to community practice (treatment length and sequencing, patient focused trial end points, and ease of enrollment). With my participation in this effort, I am hopeful to be the voice of community providers to ultimately increase enrollment and participation in clinical trials.
Tariq Shaheed, DO
Tariq Shaheed, DO
About Me
• Born in Los Angeles, CA • Raised in West Georgia • Graduated from Cal Baptist in Riverside CA • Medical degree Edward Via College of osteopathic Medicine • Residency in Ventura CA in internal medicine • Clinical instructor with UC Davis • Currently a fellow in Nephrology at Kaiser Family Foundation Northern California
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Jesus Rodriguez, MD
Jesus Rodriguez, MD
About Me
I'm originally from Mexico, grew up in Madera, and returned to the Central Valley after medical school and training to provide quality medical care to all of my patients. I began practicing family medicine in the community in 2002 and joined Kaiser Permanente in 2009. I was honored with the 2014 Cecil Cutting Leadership Award for work to improve the health of the Latino community. I have appeared on local television and radio and frequently speak at health fairs about issues that are prevalent in the Latino community. I mentor young people, hoping to inspire them to pursue a career in medicine. In October 2010, I was the proud recipient of the Visión con Pasión Physician Award from Kaiser Permanente’s Latino Association (KPLA). KPLA is a multicultural association of Kaiser Permanente physicians and employees who are committed to personal development, multicultural collaboration, and community well-being in the advancement of patient care for Latinos. I consider the Visionary Award a great achievement as I take pride in doing all that I can to motivate and encourage others to do their best and to achieve their full potential. My wife and I have two beautiful children and enjoy family time, team sports, and our church activities. I am always training for some athletic event or another, including marathons and iron man triathlons. I also enjoy playing soccer with my wife, bicycling, riding my motorcycle and coaching my children’s soccer team.
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Leslie Hardy-Hood, MD
Leslie Hardy-Hood, MD
About Me
Leslie Hardy Hood, MD, FACOG is an Oakland native and Assistant Program Director for the Kaiser Oakland OB/Gyn Residency . Her work encompasses resident education, improving cultural humility, equity, inclusion and care experience in the clinical setting. Dr Hardy Hood practices general Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Richmond and Oakland Medical Centers. Her spare time is lovingly divided as a wife, mom, podcast co-host and Varsity women’s basketball fan.
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Oscar Wambuguh, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Oscar Wambuguh, M.Sc., Ph.D.
About Me
My name is Oscar Wambuguh (wam-bow.gle). I am a professor at California State University, East Bay teaching biological and public health sciences. I also coordinate our post-baccalaureate biomedical sciences program. The program caters for students interested in pursuing health professions doctoral careers in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, veterinary science, and podiatry. The program also advises interested pre-health professions undergraduate students including pre-PA, pre-nursing, and pre-physical therapy students.
Kimberly Freeman, MBA, MPP, EdD
Kimberly Freeman, MBA, MPP, EdD
About Me
As Assistant Dean for Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity, Kimberly Freeman assists with development, implementation, and oversight of EID strategy throughout the school with a focus on pathways and intergroup dialogue program development. Ms. Freeman previously served as Associate Dean and Chief Diversity Officer for the USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences; prior to that, she was the UCLA Anderson School of Management Assistant Dean for Diversity Initiatives and Community Relations. She began her career with the Southern California Gas Company, holding a variety of positions in engineering, environment and safety, sales and marketing, regulatory relations, and community relations. In addition to her professional work, Ms. Freeman has been a gubernatorial and mayoral appointee on numerous boards and commissions and currently serves on the boards of the County of Los Angeles Real Estate Management Commission (REMC), Community Partners, and the African American Board Leadership Institute. She is an American Marshall Memorial Fellow and remains active as member of a broad transatlantic network of leaders. She is also a member of the Pacific Council on International Relations. Ms. Freeman earned her first of four degrees in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from UC Berkeley and holds a Master of Public Policy from USC. She also earned an MBA and a doctorate in educational leadership from UCLA.
Tania Castro-Bradt
Tania Castro-Bradt
About Me
Tania Castro Bradt (pronouns: she, her, ella) is an experienced professional in college admission and counseling with over 25 years of experience. She has worked, counseled and mentored students at schools and college admission offices across the country. Tania currently serves as the Director of College Counseling at Head-Royce School in the Oakland/ Bay Area. She works closely with students and families throughout the college admissions process. Prior to Head-Royce, she worked in the Stanford University Office of Admission as an assistant dean of admission and chaired their leadership and admission committees. Tania also coordinated the diversity outreach efforts, directed the transfer application committee process, and the evaluation and reader training program. She has also served on the leadership and admission teams at UC Berkeley and the University of Pennsylvania. She holds several professional memberships, including the National and Western Associations of College Admissions Counseling, the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools, and the Association of Black Admissions and Financial Aid Officers of the Ivy League and Sister Schools. She earned her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, and is a native of Southern California. She identifies as a first generation college student, a proud daughter of Nicaragua immigrants, and single mother. Tania is a passionate educator and is excited to bring her knowledge of college counseling, higher education and selective admission to her work with students and families.
A.J. Howell-Williams
A.J. Howell-Williams
About Me
A.J. Williams is Director of Transfer, Athletic, & International Admission at Santa Clara University. A former first-generation college student, transfer, and athlete, A.J. enjoys working with students, families, and counselors to demystify the college search and attainment process. A.J. has worked in higher education for over 19 years, and is a published author. His most recent book, It Ain’t Rocket Science: College Counseling for Everyone, and the curriculum based on it, are utilized by students, parents, and educators throughout the country.
Kenneth Job, MD
Kenneth Job, MD
About Me
Kenneth Job, MD is a primary care sports medicine physician at Kaiser San Jose and team physician for the San Jose Sharks. He is originally from Fresno, CA where he attended junior college for two years before transferring to UC Davis where he completed his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences. After graduation he completed a post-baccalaureate program before matriculating to UC Davis School of Medicine. He completed his family medicine residency at Long Beach memorial before ultimately completing a one-year fellowship in primary care sports medicine.
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Malcolm Moyer, MD
Malcolm Moyer, MD
About Me
Malcolm Moyer is a 2nd year resident physician at Kaiser Permanente. He chose to go into Internal Medicine because it provides the perfect avenue to provide the specific type of care he wants. The care that involves taking the time in listening to and learning from a patient’s story, building rapport, and developing meaningful relationships with each of my patients. His commitment to medicine is one in which he can personalize and provide the best care for them because he understands that every patient is unique and must be treated as such. He chose to work at Kaiser Permanente because it values equity, inclusion, and diversity. It also shares the understanding that every patient is unique and that there are cultural differences and social factors that influence the health of the patients we serve. At Kaiser Permanente, he aspires to provide compassionate, evidence-based care, work towards health equity, and address the disparities in healthcare amongst underserved populations. Outside of work, he enjoys listening to music, dancing, exercising, hiking, gaming, and getting lost in a good story either through comic books, movies, or television. And he looks forward to meeting you!
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Brenton Davis, MD
Brenton Davis, MD
About Me
Being in a military family, I was born in Alabama and moved to 6 different states before starting middle school. I played soccer in high school and then studied microbiology at Clemson University. In college for sports, I sailed competitively for the Clemson University Sailing Team. After college I moved to Charleston, South Carolina for medical school. I moved to San Francisco for residency and I'm currently a first-year gastroenterology (GI) fellow. I plan to pursue advanced endoscopy as my specialty within gastroenterology.
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Tafor Bonu, MD
Tafor Bonu, MD
About Me
Tafor Bonu was born in Cameroon and grew up in Indiana. He went to Indiana University in Bloomington for college and received his medical degree from St. George’s University in Grenada. He then did his family medicine residency at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria and recently completed a community medicine fellowship focusing on health disparities at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland California. He currently works as a family medicine doctor in Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center. He is passionate about people. He enjoys mentoring and empowering youth, which he has done as a summer camp counselor, substitute teacher, and youth basketball coach. He equally values his opportunities serving adults through volunteering, working in community outreach programs, and providing medical care. Additionally, He is fueled by the disparities faced by people of color in our society, and he desires to be an agent of change for better outcomes. In his free time, he likes hanging out with friends, meeting new people, and exploring the local food scene with his beautiful wife. He also loves working out, playing basketball, and going on bike rides.
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Joel Nortey, MD
Joel Nortey, MD
About Me
Joel Nortey is a dedicated Internal Medicine resident currently in his second year at Kaiser Permanente Oakland. Originally from Gastonia, NC, Joel pursued his passion for science and medicine at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he earned his degree in Biomedical Engineering. Following his undergraduate studies, Joel furthered his education at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, where he obtained his medical degree. Driven by a commitment to patient care and advancing his medical expertise, Joel made the decision to continue his training in Internal Medicine at Kaiser Permanente Oakland. With a keen interest in Hematology/Oncology, Joel aspires to complete a fellowship in this specialized field following the conclusion of his residency. Beyond his medical pursuits, Joel finds joy in various activities, including playing and watching soccer, exploring nature through hiking, and cooking whenever time allows.
Nailah Thompson, DO
Nailah Thompson, DO
About Me
Along with being a Primary Care Physician Dr. Thompson is the program director of the Internal Medicine Health Disparities and Health Equity track at the Oakland Medical Center. She is also the site director for the Internal Medicine Community Medicine Health Disparities Fellowship at the Oakland Medical Center. Dr. Thompson is currently the only Clinical Hypertension Specialist in the Kaiser Permanente East Bay region. In August of 2015, she started a Specialty Blood Pressure Clinic at the Oakland Medical Center as a service to all Black/African American patients in the East Bay with poorly controlled hypertension. This clinic is dedicated to improving blood pressure control in our Black/African American community and addressing and eliminating the disparities that exist in hypertension control in this group. At Kaiser East Bay Dr. Thompson is the Graduate Medical Education Equity Inclusion Diversity Lead and the Elected Director to The Permanente Medical Group Board of Directors for the Alameda and Berkely clinic sites and Oakland medical center. She has been a leader in the EID space for many years leading the East Bay’s Pipeline programs, and been a champion for education on topics such as Bias, Cultural Humility, and being an Anti-racist organization. Dr. Thompson received her B.A. degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from the University of San Diego in 1999. In 2004, she received her osteopathic medical degree from the University of Health Sciences in Kansas City, Missouri. Dr. Thompson completed a three-year Residency Program at the Alameda County Medical Center in Oakland, California in 2007. She served as Chief Resident at the Alameda County Medical Center in Oakland, California from 2007-2008. In 2010 Dr. Thompson completed both her Preventive Medicine Fellowship at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and her Master of Public Health at Columbia University in New York City. Dr. Thompson was designated a Specialist in Clinical Hypertension by the American Society of Hypertension Specialists Program in 2014. In 2016 Dr. Thompson received the Kaiser Permanente African American Association (KPAAPA) Physician Award for Community Service. In 2017 she was awarded the Professional Business Women of California Industry Leader Award in Diversity and Inclusion. Dr. Thompson is from the Bay Area, and is happy to be back home serving the community where she grew up. She has been a Kaiser Permanente representative in area NBA get fit events since 2013, where she and members of the Golden State Warriors Team and Coaching staff go to Elementary schools and talk to children about the importance of healthy eating/drinking and exercising regularly for health and wellness. Dr. Thompson mentors high school and college students from Oakland through programs such as the East Bay College Fund mentoring program, and is an ambassador for the Oakland Promise. She was a member of the Downtown Oakland YMCA Board of Directors 2014-2020 and was appointed co-chair of the board in 2016. In 2020 she became the Board chair of the YMCA of the East Bay Corporate Board and led the YMCA of the East Bay through the pandemic until June 2023. In May of 2023 she was Elected to the Board of Directors for The Permanente Medical Group as representative for the Oakland Medical Center for her peers. Her most important role is her role as mommy to her son, Naim.
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Kenneth Grullon, MD
Kenneth Grullon, MD
About Me
Ken joined The Permanente Medical Group in 1998 and is an OB/GYN and urogynecologist in the Diablo Service Area, a region that spans from Walnut Creek to Antioch in the north and Pleasanton to Livermore in the south. He attended Harvard College and graduated Magna cum Laude. Between college and medical school, Ken spent a year in Peru on a Rotary Foundation Fellowship. After graduating UC, San Francisco Medical School he went on to be an intern, resident, and faculty member at the same institution. Ken continues as an Associate Clinical Professor at UC, SF. Ken has served as the Physician in Chief for the Diablo Service in the Permanente Medical Group since 2014. In this capacity Ken co-leads more than 1,000 physicians who care for 480,000 members at two hospitals and 9 medical office sites plus 3 mental health offices. Ken has sat on the Boards of Directors for both The Permanente Medical Group (since 2006) and the Mid Atlantic Permanente Medical Group (since 2012,) first as an Elected Director than PIC. Ken has served as Treasurer and Chair of the Audit and Finance Committees for MAPMG since 2015-2019 and then Chair of MAPMG Board 2019-2022. Currently Ken serves as the Chair of TPMG Board since 2019. Ken has served as the TPMG NCAL KPLA sponsor in the past and currently serves as the national KPLA sponsor. He is bilingual and bicultural with Puerto Rican and Dominican heritage. He has been married to his wife, Jeanifer for over 30 years and has two wonderful children, Julia (21) and Dylan (27.) In his spare time Ken trains and competes in triathlons.
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Lucy Martinez, MD
Lucy Martinez, MD
About Me
Dr. Lucy Martinez is originally from Wasco, California, a small agricultural town in the Central Valley. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology at Stanford University, along with a minor in Comparative Literature. After college, she continued research in child language development, particularly in promoting English and Spanish language skills in children in San Jose. Dr. Martinez attended medical school at the Charles R. Drew University (CDU)/UCLA Medical Education Program at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She completed residency as the inaugural class of the Kaiser Permanente San Jose Family Medicine Residency program. She completed a Community Medicine fellowship at the Kaiser Permanente San Jose Community Medicine and Vulnerable Populations program. Currently, she is core faculty at the Kaiser Permanente San Jose Family Medicine Residency, where her roles include Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-racism/Allyship (IDEA) Curricular Director, Community Medicine Associate Curricular Director, and Residency Advisor. Her interests include health equity, reducing health care disparities, increasing diversity in medical education, graduate medical education, language concordance in healthcare and adverse childhood experiences.
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Priya Bhattacharjee, MD
Priya Bhattacharjee, MD
About Me
Priya Bhattacharjee is a third-year pediatrics resident at Kaiser Permanente Oakland. She completed her undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley where she majored in Bioengineering with a focus on medical devices with a minor in Creative Writing. She completed medical school at the Keck School of Medicine of USC where she also participated in the Health, Technology, and Engineering program. As a medical student, she served as president of the Bravo Mentorship Program, mentoring 7th and 8th grade students interested in science and medicine. Priya is interested in pediatric hematology and oncology and will be pursuing an MPH at UC Berkeley next year. She is also passionate about pipeline programs and is an active member and team lead of the KP Pediatrics resident EID committee.
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Roderick Vitangcol, MD
Roderick Vitangcol, MD
About Me
I grew up in Northern California and attended UC Berkeley for my undergraduate degree in Biophysics. After college, prior to attending medical school at UC Davis, I worked in an immunology research lab at a major bio-technical company. Throughout medical school, I enjoyed all aspects of medicine (internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics). I was highly attracted to the specialty of Family Medicine because of the underlying philosophy of treating the whole person (biopsychosocial model). In 1999, I completed my residency training at the University of California Davis Medical Center in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. During my training, I enjoyed taking care of all aspects of my patients’ health care (preventive health as well as acute treatment of illness). When I searched for job opportunities in the community, it was important for me to find a group practice that helped foster my training in Family Medicine. The cornerstone of Family Medicine and primary care is the prevention of acute and chronic illness. Kaiser Permanente has, in its roots, the goal of prevention of illness and promotion of health wellness. It was a natural fit for me to join Kaiser Permanente. Our medical group’s philosophy of comprehensive care is unmatched by any other medical group in the country. I enjoy the autonomy that Kaiser Permanente affords me, as well as the support of the finest physicians in the community. In addition to my clinical responsibilities (direct care for my patients), I am the Physician in Chief (Chief of Staff) for the Kaiser Sacramento Medical Center. It is truly an honor for me to serve in this capacity as I am able to support my physician colleagues to deliver the best care to our patients throughout the Sacramento region. During my time away from the clinic and hospital, I enjoy spending time with my amazing wife of over 30 years, Liza, and our four intelligent and beautiful daughters, who are now young adults pursuing their careers and personal dreams. I am so proud of them all!
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Arnab Mukherjea, Dr.P.H., M.P.H.
Arnab Mukherjea, Dr.P.H., M.P.H.
About Me
Dr. Arnab Mukherjea is an Associate Professor of Public Health at California State University (CSU), East Bay and currently serves as Department Chair. Arnab also holds an administrative appointment as Faculty Fellow for the Health Professions with the CSU Office of the Chancellor and is a core member of the Asian American Research Center for Health. He earned his undergraduate (BA in Molecular & Cell Biology with a minor in Education) and graduate (MPH in Health & Social Behavior with specialization in Multicultural Health; DrPH in Applied Health Disparities Research) degrees at the University of California (UC), Berkeley and postdoctoral training (Tobacco Control and Chronic Disease Prevention) at UCSF and UC Davis. Arnab's applied research interests broadly revolve around using community-engaged methods to understand and address health disparities among understudied Asian & Pacific Islander (API) subgroups, with a particular focus on contextual and culturally-framed risk factors. He firmly believes that community participation is essential for affected groups to understand, address, and ultimately take ownership of their own individual and collective health prospects. Arnab is humbled to have served as a mentor to countless students who have identified and pursued values-oriented career paths in the health professions, include many who have assumed positions of leadership and social impact.
Questions about this event? Please contact:
Michelle Loaiza, MSHCA
michelle.b.loaiza@kp.org
Melissa Wong, MPH
melissa.m.wong@kp.org