PATRONUS PRIVATE HEALTH MANAGEMENT PHYSICIAN ROSTER September 2015
ROBERT G. DARLING, MD, FACEP CHIEF, PRIVATE HEALTH MANAGEMENT In 1996, Dr. Darling became the first board-certified emergency medicine physician to serve the President of the United States as White House Physician. He served President Clinton, Vice President Gore, their families, and other presidential support units at the White House, Camp David, classified emergency relocation facilities, and aboard executive aircraft including Air Force One. He also provided primary care and protective medical support services in more than 40 countries with no Western-type backup medical care. Dr. Darling played a key role in developing Top Secret emergency contingency plans bearing constitutional impact, countering the greatest threats to the continuity of the presidency. After completing his tour as White House Physician, Dr. Darling served as emergency physician, flight surgeon, and Director of the Aeromedical Isolation Team for the Operational Medicine Division of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). In the latter role, he specialized in mitigating the medical consequences of biological weapons and bioterrorism. Dr. Darling has also served as the Director of the Navy Medicine Office of Homeland Security, where he guided Navy Medicine in preparing for the medical and public health consequences of natural and man-made disasters in hospitals and clinics throughout the world. After Captain Darling retired from the Navy in 2006, he was named Director of the Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine, where he led health care reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, prepared for pandemic influenza outbreaks, conducted HIV/AIDS educational initiatives in the Caribbean and South America, and prepared for and responded to other humanitarian disasters worldwide. Dr. Darling holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with honors from Adelphi University and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS). He completed his transitional medical internship at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and basic flight training at the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute (NAMI) in Pensacola, Florida. He served as flight surgeon aboard the aircraft carrier USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN-71) and was second seat qualified in both the F-14A and A-6E tactical jets. He has been published in numerous professional journals and has lectured around the world. ANDY, DESJARDINS MD, FACEP CHIEF MEDICAL DIRECTOR, PRIVATE HEALTH MANAGEMENT Dr. Desjardins is a senior partner of the Sharp Memorial Emergency Physicians Group. In this role, he provides state of the art and cutting edge care and treatment for critically ill and injured patients in the greater San Diego area. In addition to his service on the Emergency Department Supervisory Committee, Dr. Desjardins is a nationally recognized expert regarding standard of care for Emergency Physicians. Previously, Dr. Desjardins served as a Commissioned Officer in the United States Navy. During his military career, he was staff attending physician at Camp Pendleton Emergency Department in California and the Flight Surgeon and Air Combat Element Surgeon for Marine Attack Helicopter Squadron 167 and the Second Marine Air Wing, Jacksonville, North Carolina. Dr. Desjardins also served at NASA as a NASA Flight Surgeon, providing medical care and mission support to our country's finest aviators and astronauts. His focus then was wellness; physical readiness and optimization; preventive medicine; and contingency planning and implementation for medical emergencies. Dr. Desjardins has significant experience using genomics, advanced digital technology, and tele-health systems to optimize doctorpatient interaction and communication. Dr. Desjardins holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with honors from Wake Forest University and a Doctor of Medicine degree from Virginia Commonwealth School of Medicine. He was Chief Resident during his residency in Emergency Medicine at Naval Medical Center San Diego. Additionally, he completed specialty training in aerospace medicine at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas and the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute in Pensacola, Florida.
DUANE CANEVA, MD MEDICAL DIRECTOR, MARITIME Dr. Duane Caneva is an emergency medicine trained physician with expertise in emergency preparedness, national and border security, disaster management, preparedness and response to weapons of mass destruction including chemical, biological, and radiological incidents. He has worked real-world incidents from the tactical to the strategic perspective at the highest levels of the Federal Government. He served a 23 year career in the US Navy. His tours included serving as the Undersea Medical Officer (UMO) on board the USS Kentucky (SSBN-737) and a tour with the Naval Special Warfare Group ONE, providing medical care and diving medicine support for US Navy SEALs based on the West Coast. After completing his residency training in emergency medicine at the Naval Medical Center San Diego, he served as Department Head of Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Medical Director at the US Naval Hospital in Okinawa, Japan. Other positions he has held include Senior Medical Officer (SMO) for the US Marines Chemical Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF), Head, Medical Preparedness in the Navy Medicine Office of Homeland Security, staff physician in Emergency Medicine at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Emergency Department, (during which he deployed as Head, Shock Trauma Platoon at Camp Fallujah, Iraq), Director for Medical Preparedness Policy in the Biodefense Directorate on the White House Homeland Security Council/National Security Staff and Director, Emergency Preparedness on the US Navy Surgeon General staff. Dr. Caneva has also served as the CBRN consultant to the Office of the Attending Physician at the US Capitol, as Adjunct Professor at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) and as codirector of the post-graduate level Weapons of Mass Destruction Course. He earned his MD degree from the University of Chicago and a Master s of Science in National Security Strategy from the National War College. RON POROPATICH, MD MEDICAL DIRECTOR, RESEARCH AND DESTINATIONS Dr. Ron Poropatich is the Executive Director of the Center for Military Medicine Research and Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. In addition, he also serves as a Senior Advisor for Telemedicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Poropatich served 30 years on active duty in the US Army, retiring in 2012 at the rank of Colonel with extended assignments at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (1985-2012) and the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. He served as the Deputy Director of the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (2006-2012) where he managed an annual $1.2 Billion medical research portfolio, and developed novel research programs/technologies in medical informatics and telemedicine. Dr. Poropatich led the US Army from 1992-2012 in the development and deployment of telemedicine across 22 time zones for remote consultation for both overseas and stateside US Army locations. He served as the US Army Medical Informatics Consultant from 2000-2008. Since 1996, he has served as an Associate Editor for the Telemedicine and e-health Journal. He is the former Chair of the NATO Telemedicine Expert Team (2000-2012), and the former President (2002-2003) and Board Member of the American Telemedicine Association since 1995. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine in Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians and Fellow of the American Telemedicine Association.
LEW HOFFMAN, MD MEDICAL DIRECTOR, AVIATION Dr. Lew Hofmann is the Director, Medical for Shoreland, Inc. and Red Cross Volunteer Physician to the Pentagon Flight Medicine ClinicFrom 2000-2009, Dr. Hofmann served as the White House Physician for the Vice President, and Director, Vice Presidential Medical Operations. In this capacity, Dr. Hofmann orchestrated comprehensive medical support for the Vice President and his travel team, and developed contingency plans to safeguard an Enduring Constitutional Government. Following his service at the White House, Dr. Hofmann was selected to command the Pentagon Flight Medicine Clinic at Andrews Air Force Base, Camp Springs, Maryland, where he was the senior flight surgeon for Air Force One. During these years, he traveled to over 100 countries. In addition to delivering medical care around the globe and around the clock, Dr. Hofmann liaisoned with international medical executives while evaluating their healthcare systems and challenges. Dr. Hofmann has practiced the full scope of Executive and Family Medicine; from austere outposts in northern Japan to community-level teaching hospitals in the southeastern United States, to major medical centers in the National Capital Region. He has extensive deployment experience, having served as the sole physician for Operation Quicklift in the Balkan War, accompanied United States congressmen throughout Africa, and participated in countless Department of Defense Banner Special Air Missions. Dr. Hofmann graduated summa cum laude from Creighton University in 1984 as an ROTC Distinguished Graduate. In 1988, he earned his MD from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He completed residency specialty training in Family Medicine and is certified in medical hypnosis and acupuncture. Colonel Hofmann received his flight surgeon wings from the School of Aerospace Medicine in San Antonio, Texas. He is a graduate of both the Air Command and Staff College, and the Air War College. He holds an academic appointment as an Assistant Clinical Professor in Family Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences School of Medicine. Dr. Hofmann retired with the rank of Colonel on October 1, 2010 having accumulated more than 900 flight mission hours (including 71 combat hours) on 17 airframes. For service that brought great credit upon the Nation, the Secretary of Defense awarded him the Defense Superior Service Medal. DAN BESKIND, MD, MPH, FACEP MEDICAL DIRECTOR, PRIVATE HEALTH Dr. Beskind is an associate professor at the University of Arizona in the Department of Emergency Medicine. He is the Emergency Medical Services Director of Banner University Medical Center and is internationally recognized for his expertise in disaster preparedness and response. Dr. Beskind has published numerous book chapters and articles in peer-reviewed publications, and has been selected and named Best Doctor in emergency medicine for the past 6 years. Previously, Dr. Beskind served on the medical staff at Canyon Ranch Health Resort performing executive health and wellness evaluations. He has significant experience in health and wellness optimization using functional and integrative medicine. Additionally, he is trained in biometrics, acupuncture, cardiac functional analysis, and has his master s degree in public health. Dr. Beskind holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Vermont and his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Vermont College of Medicine. He completed his Residency in Emergency Medicine and also did a fellowship in Emergency Medical Services at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
MARIO RAMIREZ, MD MEDICAL DIRECTOR, CORPORATE Dr. Mario Ramirez is an emergency medicine physician who most recently served as one of fifteen White House Fellows appointed by President Barak Obama. During his term, he served as a Special Assistant to the Secretary for Health and Human Services. In that capacity, he assisted with the U.S. domestic response to Ebola, helped coordinate implementation of the President s Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria agenda, and served as the Acting Director for the Office of Pandemic and Emerging Threats within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs. Prior to his White House Fellow term, he served as a Major in the United States Air Force. He was the Assistant Medical Director of the 779th Medical Operations Squadron Emergent Care Center at Andrews Air Force Base where he provided emergency medical care to neonates through adults. He deployed as the head of a Critical Care Air Transport Team to Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan from 2012-2013 where he and his crew evacuated 50 gravely injured soldiers over 150 combat flight hours under hazardous conditions and was awarded the Aerial Achievement Medal with an Oak Leaf Cluster. Prior to his Air Force commission in 2011, he served on the teaching faculty at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and was a special instructor at the Nashville Police Academy He is also an active community volunteer with experience as a mentor for children with learning disabilities and as a member of the Tennessee Disaster Medical Assistance Team. He is an accomplished researcher in both basic and clinical science as well as in homeland and national security policy. He is board certified in emergency medicine and completed an emergency medicine residency and EMS fellowship at Vanderbilt University. He received his BS in biology from Stanford University and an MD from Harvard Medical School, and a Masters Degree in Public Policy from Harvard s Kennedy School of Government.