Ana Ivanova, MD
OCMA member since 1998
Ana Ivanova, MD, a family practitioner at St. Jude Heritage Medical Group in Yorba Linda, was given St. Joseph Health System's 2005 Values In Action Award. St. Jude Heritage Medical Group is part of the Orange-based St. Joseph Health System.

The annual award honors physicians, nurses and employees who exhibit the core values of St. Joseph Health System: dignity, service, excellence and justice. Dr. Ivanova was recognized for demonstrating "justice" in her medical practice and outreach to patients.

"What motivates Dr. Ivanova is not what motivates most physicians," says Bob O'Neil, executive director of physician relations for St. Jude Heritage Medical Group. "Dr. Ivanova is motivated by compassion and the desire to serve the underserved. What motivates her is the very definition of why we hope people go into medicine."

Dr. Ivanova works tirelessly to promote the well-being of senior patients, going beyond expectations for typical medical group physicians by caring for seniors in skilled nursing facilities. She does so not with the idea of curing all their ailments, but rather to tend to their needs and make their lives more comfortable and meaningful.

"When I visit patients in local nursing homes, they rave about how well Dr. Ivanova takes care of them," says Lytton Smith, MD, a Yorba Linda family practitioner and geriatrician. "She takes extra time to make an all-around decision about the patient's level of functioning and well-being. Most doctors would just make a diagnosis and move on."

Lawrence Sharpe, MD, and Vellore Muraligopal, MD
RCMA member since 1976 and SBCMS member since 1980 respectively
Lawrence Sharpe, MD, and Vellore Muraligopal, MD, were named recipients of The Unforgettables Foundation 2005 Drs. Larry Tomasi and Nuria Pages Unforgettable Pediatrician Award. Sponsored by the foundation, the award is given to superior pediatricians in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The mission of The Unforgettables Foundation is to help low-income families provide dignified, appropriate burials for their deceased children.

A pediatrician, Dr. Sharpe has been treating children at Riverside Medical Clinic for more than 30 years. In addition to working in his busy practice, Dr. Sharpe volunteers as a school pediatrician at the California School for the Deaf in Riverside. There, Dr. Sharpe treats students weekly who require physical exams or reside in the infirmary.

"It is always very rewarding to have something good said about you," Dr. Sharpe says. "I think I do a good job at taking care of people. I spend a lot time with my patients and try to make my practice personable and personal."

A highly skilled neonatal-perinatal pediatrician, Dr. Muraligopal has been treating children in the Inland Empire for more than 20 years, many from very poor families. Dr. Muraligopal has developed, organized and managed neonatal intensive care units at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, St. Bernardine Medical Center in San Bernardino, and Community Hospital of San Bernardino.

Drs. Sharpe and Muraligopal were recognized at The Unforgettables Sixth Annual "Lights for Little Lives" walk and awards ceremony on Dec. 31, 2005, in Loma Linda. For more information, visit www.theunforgettables.com.

Robert Kotler, MD
LACMA member since 1980
Kotler, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, released his second book, titled "The Essential Cosmetic Surgery Companion," this past October. The guide is a workbook that includes essential questions patients must ask their cosmetic surgeons during consultations. An expert on E! Entertainment's "Dr. 90210," Dr. Kotler is also the author of "Secrets of a Beverly Hills Cosmetic Surgeon: The Expert's Guide to Safe, Successful Surgery."

"This is the first workbook dedicated entirely to the consultation process," Dr. Kotler says. "It helps protect against poor decision-making by providing an agenda of the most important issues to be discussed."

The book features a 5-minute telephone screening script to use when speaking with a surgeon's office manager before committing to a consultation; checklists for the 14 most popular procedures, such as rhinoplasty, breast augmentation and liposuction; the 29 most important questions to ask at the consultation; and a 37-question quiz to rate and compare cosmetic surgery practices.

"The better educated the patient, the greater the prospect for a successful relationship between doctor and patient, and the greater likelihood of that patient being satisfied," Dr. Kotler says. "In the end, what all doctors--regardless of specialty--wish for is a satisfied patient."

Dr. Kotler is the founder of the Cosmetic Surgery Specialists Group of Beverly Hills. He has performed more than 6,000 major procedures during his 28 years in private practice. He is also a clinical instructor of head and neck surgery at UCLA.

Thomas Horowitz, DO, and George Ma, MD
LACMA members since 1984 and 1979 respectively
Horowitz, a Los Angeles family practitioner, and Ma, a Chinatown internist, were quoted in the Los Angeles Times article "Medi-Cal Cut Threatens Poor, Disabled" on Jan. 2. The story covered how the governor's new 5 percent Medi-Cal provider cut would decrease physician enrollment in Medi-Cal and reduce access to care for California's most vulnerable patients.

In the article, Dr. Horowitz said the Medi-Cal program doesn't come close to covering his practice costs. "We can't serve anyone if we don't stay in business," he told the newspaper. "Physicians often spend far more time fighting the system to get the medicine and tests [patients] need," than they do with the patients.

Dr. Ma told the newspaper that decreasing reimbursement makes it difficult for him to stay afloat, but he said he is determined to treat the underserved no matter what. He said he immigrated to the United States from Shanghai more than 40 years ago with $100 and a few pieces of clothing, so he feels an obligation to help his mostly Asian and Latino clients. "It makes no business sense," he said. "We're doing it purely out of altruism."

The difficulty in specialty care for this population is also significant, according to Dr. Ma. "If someone fractures their arm, I can't find an orthopedic specialist who will take Medi-Cal, and it's the same with neurosurgery," he said. "I can't find a psychiatrist, so I end up being the psychiatrist. It's not my specialty, but what am I going to do?"