Administrator
Toni Corbin
Mountain West Region Executive Vice President of Operations | Southwest Medical
With over 30 years of experience in healthcare administration, Toni Corbin has dedicated her life to ensuring patients have exceptional, compassionate care. Serving as executive vice president for Southwest Medical, Corbin is responsible for the clinical, operational and financial administration of the organization and, ultimately, it’s 375,000 patients.
“An administrator creates a welcoming, open-minded culture and a safe environment for their team to feel comfortable voicing their opinion,” explained Corbin of her role. “They build and invest in relationships to include teaching, coaching and mentoring team members, while also clearly communicating expectations, goals and measuring performance.”
Motivated by her mother, who was a hospital-based nurse and single parent to two daughters, Corbin has been passionate about the healthcare field from a young age. Her mother’s compassion to help others inspired her to be a part of improving the healthcare system as an administrator.
“The most rewarding part of my job is connecting with patients,” explained Corbin. “Developing a relationship with the community we serve is very important to me. Understanding patient health needs and creating an integrated healthcare system that is able to provide helpful solutions for patients is what drives me.”
Since beginning her career at Southwest Medical in 1972, Corbin is most proud of all that she has helped the organization accomplish since then, including expanding and building 45 healthcare facilities in southern Nevada among other achievements.
“Southwest Medical serves a diverse patient population in southern Nevada and we have successfully built a comprehensive service portfolio that allows our patients to choose how they want to receive their healthcare services,” said Corbin.
She added, “It’s an honor to have received this award, but it’s truly the entire team that is deserving of the recognition – everyone from our front desk employees to our providers who all work tirelessly to ensure quality, patient-centered care.
Care Provider
Brian Iriye, MD
Managing Partner | High Risk Pregnancy Center, MOTHER Program
Farzad Kamyar, MD
Director of Collaborative Care | High Risk Pregnancy Center, MOTHER Program
Serving as leaders at the High Risk Pregnancy Center (HRPC), Drs. Brian Iriye and Farzad Kamyar noticed a gap in treatment for pregnant women with substance use disorders. To fill that gap, they helped create a program from the ground up called the Maternal Opioid Treatment Health Education and Recovery or MOTHER program at HRPC.
“In the past 20 years, our nation has been deeply impacted by opioids. It is one of the great public health emergencies of our time.,” said Kamyar. “The work we do with the MOTHER program at HRPC has a direct impact in saving and improving the lives of both women and their children.”
“The practice has really set the standard for high risk healthcare,” added Iriye. He went on to explain that the MOTHER program was able to address an important issue that was previously without sufficient treatment. “We felt like we had to step in,” he said.
Both Drs. Iriye and Kamyar are exceptional leaders and physicians individually. Together, and with the help of their team, they have managed to care for a vulnerable population that had been overlooked.
“I feel that being able to hear about a patient’s life experiences is one of the greatest privileges we, as physicians have,” said Kamyar. “Sometimes just listening and trying to understand is one of the most effective forms of treatment we can offer.”
“Our practice has stepped up for the community that we love to provide a very important service,” added Iriye. “I am lucky enough to be around families during some of the most important and happiest moments of their lives.”
Educator
Christina Madison, PharmD
Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice | Roseman University of Health Sciences
Founder and CEO | The Public Health Pharmacist
Having volunteered as a candy striper at UMC at the age of 12, Dr. Christina Madison’s love of healthcare runs deep.
“I caught the teaching bug and a love for medical education during my residency and have been working in academia ever since,” Madison explained. She has been with Roseman University for 13 years and is an associate professor of pharmacy with the school. In addition, she started a public health consulting firm called the Public Health Pharmacist.
Madison places a high value on education and believes it is something that is carried on throughout an individual’s life. She defines an educator as, “Someone with a passion for knowledge that values the impact of spreading that knowledge to others.” Madison went on to add, “I am a lifelong learner and continue to grow. My goal is to impart that love of learning to my students so they can continue to make a positive impact on their communities.”
In addition to her work as an educator, Madison is an expert in public health and infectious disease, which has made her an asset during the coronavirus crisis. “I have had the opportunity to speak on behalf of Roseman to give my expert commentary to the public on updates regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) infection and disease,” she explained. “Accurate, factual and reliable information getting out to the public has been imperative during these challenging times.”
With all of her accomplishments, Madison finds her work as an educator most fulfilling. She is most rewarded in, “getting to educate the next generation of healthcare professionals and showing them how far we have come as a profession, and how far we are going.”
Community Partner
Shadaba Asad, MD
Medical Director of Infectious Disease | UMC
Luis Medina-Garcia, MD
Infectious Disease Physician | UMC
During a global pandemic infectious disease specialists are vital to helping care for those impacted. Two such specialists have established themselves as invaluable physicians during this time. Drs. Shadaba Asad and Luis Medina-Garcia work together at UMC and are on the frontlines of helping those afflicted with COVID-19.
“To me, medicine is about public service,” explained Asad. “I’ve spent my career working for organizations that are deeply involved in serving their communities. Being a community partner means responding to the unique needs of the people you serve while striving to improve the lives of your friends and neighbors across the community.”
“A community partner rises to the occasion to meet the needs of its members, especially during difficult times,” added Medina-Garcia. “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, UMC has served as an integral partner to our community.”
Asad joined UMC in 2013 and was drawn to infectious disease medicine during her time as a medical student. Medina-Garcia too felt a calling to work in infectious disease medicine and joined Asad at UMC in 2016, having previously worked as a medical student at the hospital. Both are rewarded by the work they do and feel blessed to be able to assist the southern Nevada community during this time.
“At UMC, I have the opportunity to work with a world-class team of professionals who share my enthusiasm for serving the community,” said Asad. “I’m able to leave work every day knowing that I made a difference and had a positive impact on my community. That is an incredibly rewarding feeling.”
Medina-Garcia added, “There is nothing more rewarding than helping patients recover and return home to their families.”
Volunteer
Cassandra McDiarmid
Third-Year Medical Student | Touro University Nevada, College of Osteopathic Medicine
I think sometimes people think that volunteering requires a lot of time, skill or effort. In reality, the smallest thing can help someone else,” said Cassandra McDiarmid, a third-year medical student with Touro University Nevada. “We all have skills that can be used in a variety of ways and it’s important to come together as a community, especially in times of crisis, such as now, giving back and helping each other.”
McDiarmid has a passion for helping others, While serving in a variety of student leadership roles, McDiarmid used her skills to lead Touro University, and her fellow students, in the creation of #MedReady, a website that offers a variety of volunteer services to the community during the COVID-19 crisis. The website is McDiarmid’s brainchild and helps Touro students find volunteer opportunities in three primary areas, K-12 online tutoring, undergrad and MCAT online tutoring and general community assistance.
“We have been able to provide over 500 hours of medical volunteering, assisting at the Cashman Center with COVID screening,” she said. “We also provide pre-health profession mentoring and tutoring for the community, something I am extremely passionate about.”
She started the #MedReady system with the help of fellow Touro students Parisun Shoga and Ashlie Bloom and under the guidance of College of Osteopathic Medicine’s dean, Dr. Wolfgang Gilliar.
“The most rewarding thing has been hearing how much the people we are helping appreciate what we are doing, as well as hearing from our student volunteers at Touro the impact this has had on them,” said McDiarmid. “Early on in the COVID pandemic, the number of students who reached out to me and asked what we are doing and how we could help the community was astonishing. I’m so grateful to be a member of this community that just wants to help.”
McDiarmid has a bright future in medicine and plans to pursue a residency in obstetrics/gynecology. She is also currently conducting research in women’s health education to identify deficits in health knowledge and create ways to improve health literacy.
Innovator
Kevin Kapov, DO
Chief Clinical Innovation Officer | Southwest Medical
When “innovation” is part of an individual’s professional title, it’s likely a word they know well. That’s certainly true for Dr. Kevin Kapov who serves as chief clinical innovation officer at Southwest Medical. In his role, Kapov works to set the organization apart while improving health outcomes. This work led him to start the Center for Clinical Innovation to bring fresh ideas to a clinical environment.
“An innovator looks at the standard situation and thinks about it differently,” said Kapov. “I attempt to look at a task from the point of the end-user, be it the medical provider or patient. A successful outcome makes life easier for the end-user.”
The center that Kapov launched and helps run looks at possible innovations and tries to create clinical pathways to implement them for providers and patients. The center supports the innovations through technology, training resources and support.
“It is great to find solutions that result in an improved work environment for staff, a better outcome for the patient or improved efficiency in our ability to deliver care,” Kapov said.
The Center for Clinical Innovations has a variety of focuses the team looks at to improve in some way. Some of the innovations from the center, such as a continuous glucose monitoring program, have been scaled up and are being used throughout southern Nevada with the hope to expand the program nationwide.
Having joined Southwest Medical in 2013, Kapov has found a calling helping the organization provide innovations for providers and patients. “I entered healthcare later in life,” explained Kapov. “I enjoy assisting people in solving issues. Sometimes it just takes another set of eyes on the issue to get through it; that is what we do in medicine.”
Non-Profit
Alan Ikeda, MD
Chief Medical Officer | Cure 4 the Kids Foundation
Every day I keep trying to do more for individual patients and their families,” explained Dr. Alan Ikeda.
Ikeda’s drive to do more is essential in his role as chief medical officer at Cure 4 the Kids Foundation where he consistently works to improve patient treatments and encourages collaboration with other organizations.
“We at Cure 4 the Kids Foundation believe that cancer treatment is more than just chemotherapy,” said Ikeda. “It takes a lot of hard work and effort to ensure treatment is accurate, streamlined and administered properly.”
Under his leadership, the non-profit works to treat children holistically, looking at the individual rather than simply their disease. He advocates for inclusion in clinical studies and oversees medical staff, administrators and physicians within the organization to maintain high standards.
“We acknowledge that cancer treatment has an impact on the social, financial, education and emotional aspects for our children,” said Ikeda. “It impacts family time and enjoying other events. Thus, we have professionals in other areas such as physical therapy, child life, neuropsychology, teaching and counseling available on-site.” He went on to add, “In addition to the other support we provide, we are about to debut the state’s first education center within our clinic. Through a partnership with the Clark County School District (CCSD), Cure 4 the Kids Foundation will have a certified CCSD teacher on-site to work with children receiving treatment.”
Ikeda is passionate about his work and the mission of Cure 4 the Kids Foundation. “It’s an outstanding mission,” he said. “I believe that people recognize what we do is special and know that to make it happen it takes a lot of hard work and effort.”
Physician
Deborah Kuhls, MD
Professor of Surgery, Chief, Section of Critical Care | University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Medicine and Medical Director, Trauma ICU | UMC
Dr. Deborah Kuhls is passionate about the work she does for the southern Nevada community. She has been in healthcare for 27 years and worked in Nevada for 20 of those years. She currently serves multiple roles as a professor of surgery for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) School of Medicine and a program director for the school’s Surgical Care Fellowship Program, among other roles. Kuhls is also a medical director for the trauma intensive care unit at UMC in southern Nevada.
Kuhls has been on the frontlines of the many crisis’ southern Nevada has faced in recent years from the October 1 shooting in 2017, where she quickly helped implement the hospital’s mass casualty plan, to the more recent COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the nation. Her calm and comprehensive leadership is directly responsible for saving countless lives.
When the UNLV School of Medicine began three years ago, Kuhls answered the call of educator to help train the next generation of physicians. She is an advocate for education and believes medical professionals have a responsibility to share their expertise to medical groups with less medical sophistication, both in the U.S. and around the world.
“The more you learn about Dr. Kuhls, the more you realize that she is a physician who believes in service responding to concern, and involvement by highest commitment,” said Peter Harasim, editorial associate director for the UNLV School of Medicine. “Dr. Kuhls understands that the cause of better healthcare in the community is still ahead of us, that it is an enduring purpose. It is a call to arms without bloodshed or violence, something that she has dedicated her life to. We are fortunate to have her in southern Nevada.”
Lifetime Achievement
John Fildes, MD
Associate Dean for External Affairs, Professor and Inaugural Chair of the Department of Surgery | University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Medicine
Dr. John Fildes began his career in healthcare in the South Bronx of New York during the 1980s. From there he served in a multitude of roles that encompassed research, education, trauma and surgical critical care, among others. In 1996, Fildes was recruited to help grow UMC from a Level 2 Trauma Center into a program with a solid reputational. In 1999, Fildes saw UMC become the first, and only, Level 1 Trauma Center in Nevada.
Today Fildes works as an associate dean for external affairs, a professor and was the inaugural chair of the Department of Surgery with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) School of Medicine.
“Lifetime achievement is the sum of notable success that someone achieves during their professional life,” explained Fildes. “Each of these successes must be evaluated on their merits and judged to be outstanding in their field.” With a lifetime of success to choose from, Fildes’ career would certainly fit that definition.
When evaluating what it takes to be successful, Fildes advice is to, “Always listen and seek to understand what you are hearing. Treat everyone the way you would want your family to be treated. Work hard, be thorough and always finish strong.” Finally, he added, “Always work toward the shared vision.”
Fildes truly has a heart for his patients and has made them the focus of his career. “Patient care is the most rewarding part of my work,” he said. “Patient care, at its core, is about alleviating pain and suffering while working towards a cure. I am grateful that I can help patients and provide a positive healthcare experience.”