Member Physician of the Month – March, 2023

Biography:
Dr. Day is a practicing gastroenterologist and a professor of medicine at UCSF and the Chief Medical Officer at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG). His research interests focus on organizational design, quality and systems improvement, and development of efficiency models for healthcare system delivery to vulnerable patient populations. Like many other healthcare providers, a large majority of his recent work centered on combating the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic his work ensured that the ZSFG campus was operationally prepared for COVID-19 surges, implemented a large-scale vaccine program for staff and patients, and helped to coordinate a city-wide effort and communication strategy in responding to the pandemic. Other activities he has worked on as CMO have been leading operational teams to implement an integrated electronic medical record in our healthcare system, helping in the re-design of a new outpatient ambulatory and specialty care center, and building, coaching, and developing physician leaders.

Cultural Practices:
“Growing up, I was raised a great deal by my grandmother who was Oglala Lakota from Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and the matriarch of our family. From her I learned active listening, thoughtful compromise, humble inquiry, and a deep commitment to serving my community. These early experiences strongly influenced my leadership style and how I evolved into a physician leader. One cultural practice that I learned from my grandmother was the art of storytelling, a practice that I continue to this day.”

What AAIP means to them:
“AAIP has been a driving force in supporting and coaching me to become the physician I am today. It has provided me with a space to make friends, build a community, learn, mentor future healthcare leaders and work towards improving health in the American Indian/Alaskan Native community.”

Interests:
“Traveling with my husband to new places, going to gym, gardening, and raising and spending time with our two Chihuahuas, Sole and Xime.”