Steve Maron, MD – President and CEO
Steve Maron, MD, joined VEP in 1990. As President and CEO, Dr. Maron establishes the vision of excellence for VEP and oversees all aspects of the management and growth of our emergency departments and hospitalist programs. Dr. Maron continues to work as a frontline physician in several VEP emergency departments.
Dr. Maron earned his BA at the University of California at Davis and his MD at Hahnemann School of Medicine in Philadelphia. He designed and taught a course in Wilderness Medicine. Before assuming the VEP presidency in 2001, he served as an emergency physician at several VEP hospitals and provided medical care through Doctors Without Borders in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ghana, West Africa, and Nicaragua.
Mitesh Patel, MD, MBA, FACHE, CPE – Chief Operations Officer
Prior to joining VEP Healthcare, Dr. Patel served as the Vice President of Medical Affairs at Woodland Memorial Hospital since 2014, and brings with him more than 20 years of diverse healthcare operations management, teaching, and clinical experience. Areas of expertise include physician relations, process improvement, and staff development.
He also served as the Vice President of Operations and Chief Medical Officer for the NorthBay Hospital and Vaca Valley Hospital, part of the NorthBay Health Care Group in Solano County.
Dr. Patel received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biochemistry from University of California, Berkeley. He received his medical degree from University of Health Sciences/the Chicago Medical School; and completed his Emergency Medicine Residency at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Patel also holds a Master of Business Administration/Health Care Management from University of Phoenix. In addition to being board certified in emergency medicine, he is also a certified physician executive and a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Dr. Patel’s oversight responsibilities include: operations management, business development, marketing, strategic planning, and program development, legal and corporate counsel, and new clinical service offerings. He will also help provide contract start-up support and assist with driving performance at VEP’s sites. Dr. Patel enjoys books on tape, travel, and golf.
K. Kevin Park, MD, FCCP – Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care Services
Dr. Kevin Park joined VEP in 2015 as the Medical Director of Critical Care and Cardiopulmonary Services at Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital. He received his MD at Saba University School of Medicine. He has completed residency in internal medicine at UMDNJ-NJMS in Newark, NJ. He also completed his fellowship in pulmonary and critical care at Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona. He has held a faculty position at University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu, Hawaii at Queens Medical Center. Dr. Park currently serves as the Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care Services for VEP.
Dr. Park lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons. In his free time enjoys cycling, running, and swimming.
Gary Tamkin, MD, FACEP – Vice President of Provider Development
Dr. Gary Tamkin joined VEP in 2004 as the ED Medical Director of two EDs, Mercy Medical Center Merced and Emanuel Medical Center. Dr. Tamkin received his Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health from Brown University, and his MD from the University of California, Irvine. He completed his emergency medicine residency at the Alameda County Highland program of the University of California, San Francisco, where he served as Chief Resident and where he met his wife, Sandy, who also practices emergency medicine. Dr. Tamkin is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. He lectures nationally and continues to teach emergency medicine at Highland Emergency Medicine.
Dr. Tamkin has a passion for pre-hospital care, having served as the Bay Area Medical Director of American Medical Response. Currently, he is the statewide Medical Director for the California Highway Patrol. He is also a past president of the California chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Dr. Tamkin and Sandy live in the San Francisco area with their two children, Emily and Megan.
Rob Wyman, MD – Chief Quality Officer
Dr. Robert Wyman joined VEP in 2008. As Vice President of Quality, Dr. Wyman oversaw clinical quality, patient safety, operational efficiency, patient satisfaction, and regulatory compliance at all VEP emergency departments. In 2018, Dr. Wyman took on the role of Chief Quality Officer.
Dr. Wyman earned his BA at Boston University and his MD at New York University School (NYU) of Medicine. Before joining VEP, he worked for over 20 years in academic, urban, and suburban EDs in the New York metropolitan area. He has been an ED Director for a total of 14 years at several EDs including Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, NY, and an EMS Medical Director for almost a decade.
More recently, Dr. Wyman earned a Master’s in Management in the Advanced Management Program for Clinicians at NYU. He also is a Certified Physician Executive and is certified in Health Care Quality Management. In addition, he has served on the executive teams of several hospitals, both as a Vice President of Patient Safety and a Chief Medical Officer.
Dr. Wyman’s vision for VEP Healthcare is to ensure that all of our emergency departments combine highly capable providers, evidence-based practices, and essential systems for the provision of safe, high-quality medical care and that we have the data to demonstrate it.
Ron Dieckmann, MD, MPH – Director of Pediatrics
Dr. Dieckmann received his AB from Harvard College, his MD from Stanford University School of Medicine, and his MPH from the University of California, Berkeley. He was the Chief of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at San Francisco General Hospital for 25 years and is Professor Emeritus of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Dieckmann created and administers our VEPeds™ program, which ensures that EDs comply with the national guidelines for pediatric care. He is the co-founder and co-Editor-in-Chief of PEMSoft, a powerful decision-support software program for pediatric emergency care. Additionally, Dr. Dieckmann is the founder and chairman of Kids Care Everywhere, a philanthropic organization that brings pediatric resources and expertise to countries throughout the developing world.
Brian Dawson, MD, MBA, FACEP, CPE – Regional Vice President
Dr. Brian Dawson became a part of the VEP family in 2015 when his group chose VEP to help manage several sites. He has served as an emergency medicine physician at several of those sites clinically, as a medical director, and later as a regional medical director. He completed medical school at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina where he also completed his residency in emergency medicine. Dr. Dawson received his MBA from the PEMBA program at UT Knoxville in 2012 and has been active in several leadership roles in his local community hospital, where he is currently serving as the Chief of Staff. He has also served as a representative and officer for the Virginia chapter of ACEP and has started and invested in several small businesses as a way of giving back to others in his community.
Dr. Dawson and his wife, Mary, a family medicine physician, have two boys, Evan and Blaine, who keep life active and interesting in Abingdon, Virginia, which is where they call home. The Dawsons are passionate about active outdoor activities, running, biking, swimming, mountain biking, skiing, and many more. They enjoy being a part of the VEP family because VEP chooses to put the patients first and prioritize quality medical care with respect and value for people, both those who serve and those who are served.
Marc Futernick, MD – Regional Medical Director (Southern California)
Dr. Marc Futernick joined VEP in 2011 as the Medical Director of Emergency Services at California Hospital Medical Center (CHMC). CHMC is a trauma center and the oldest hospital in Los Angeles. Dr. Futernick has been the Medical Director at CHMC since 2006 and worked at Santa Monica-UCLA prior to that. Dr. Futernick received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles, and his MD from Tulane University Medical School. He completed his emergency medicine residency at the University of California, San Francisco-Fresno. Dr. Futernick serves on the Board of Directors of the California Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians. His current focus is to improve the quality of care given to patients with psychiatric emergencies. He lives in Pasadena with his wife, Christy, and his two teenage sons, Ben and Matthew.
Walid Ghurabi, DO – Regional Medical Director (Southern California)
Dr. Wally Ghurabi is Medical Director of the Nethercutt Emergency Center at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, a position he has held since 1981. He also serves as medical director of the Santa Monica Fire and Police Departments and trains paramedics and other “first responders” on various aspects of emergency medicine, including pre-hospital care.
Dr. Ghurabi has been at the heart of the hospital’s response to several major disasters, including the Northridge earthquake in 1994, the Farmer’s Market tragedy in 2003, and the Santa Monica shootings in 2013. He directed activities at the Nethercutt Emergency Center, where victims from these incidents were taken for treatment.
In addition to overseeing emergency services at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, and advising Santa Monica fire and police personnel on medical issues, Dr. Ghurabi co-chairs UCLA Health’s Emergency Management Steering Committee and serves on numerous other committees. He also is a member of both the hospital’s and health system’s Board of Advisors.
A fellow in the American College of Emergency Physicians, Dr. Ghurabi completed his training and residency in emergency medicine at Michigan State University before coming to California in 1980. During his illustrious career in emergency medicine, Dr. Ghurabi has cared for tens of thousands of people needing emergency services and has helped save countless lives.
He also has trained hundreds of resident physicians and paramedics, who, in turn, have put those lifesaving skills into practice to help others. Dr. Ghurabi is a recipient of the American Red Cross of Santa Monica’s “Spirit Award” for his work in promoting emergency preparedness, educating fire and police personnel, and taking care of the Santa Monica community.
For Dr. Ghurabi, medicine is both a passion and a family affair. His wife, Hilda, and his daughter, Tamar, are nurses, while his daughter, Micheline, is an emergency physician in Orange County and his son, Raffi, is completing his residency at Pacific Hospital in Long Beach.
Sandy Herman, MD – Regional Medical Director (KS, NC, TN)
Dr. Sandy Herman is certified in emergency medicine by the American Association of Physician Specialties and has been a practicing emergency physician for more than 30 years. He previously has held ED medical director positions at other hospitals and is currently a VEP Regional Director.
Past president of the Tennessee chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians earlier in this decade, Dr. Herman has an exceptional track record of leading improvements in ED quality and efficiency.
Stephen Liu, MD – Regional Medical Director (Southern California)
Dr. Stephen Liu joined VEP in 2011 as Emergency Department Associate Medical Director at California Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles. In 2013 he became Emergency Department Medical Director at White Memorial Medical Center in East Los Angeles, which has a volume of about 60,000 per year.
Dr. Liu grew up in Texas and then attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating with a BA in Economics and Chemistry. After also earning his Doctorate at the University of North Carolina, he completed the Stanford/Kaiser Emergency Residency Program at Stanford University.
Dr. Stephen Liu is a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and serves on the Board of Directors of the California Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians. He lives with his wife and their two dogs and cat in Glendale.
Ivan Ventura, PA-C – Chief APC Officer
Ivan Ventura is a Physician Assistant, graduating from University of California, Davis, PA program in 2003. He worked in family practice for two years and worked per diem in the emergency room where he discovered his true passion for emergency medicine and the challenges it poses. Mr. Ventura became the APC Director at Mercy Medical Center–Merced and shortly after, Regional Director of APCs, and in 2014 Chief APC Officer for VEP. In this role he has the privilege of interacting with many of VEP’s sites and assists in department flow with implementation of the Rapid Patient Management (RPM™) system, and Human Resources issues. He has participated in many contract start-ups that have now become profitable sites for VEP.
Mr. Ventura’s hobbies are swimming (when he has the opportunity!) and watching movies. He is a father of three wonderful children: Eli 9, Evan 7 and Elyse 4 (yes…they like names that start with “E”), which, along with work, give him little time to swim or watch movies!
Ivan has served two terms (now on third) in VEP’s Board of Directors. He looks forward to the learning experience and the opportunity to continue VEPs legacy of success in providing quality medical care, and continuing participation in shareholder and provider camaraderie.
Marc Hudock, PA-C – Vice President of Clinical Services
Marc Hudock joined VEP in 2001. He was raised in the Sacramento area and now lives in Folsom, California. Mr. Hudock graduated from University of Nevada, Reno, in 1997 with a Bachelors in Health Science Pre-Medicine with a minor in Biology. He subsequently received his certificate in Physician Assistant Studies from Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California, in 2001. Mr. Hudock has served as Allied Health Site Director at several facilities for VEP including Woodland Healthcare, Dameron Hospital Association, and currently at Sutter Solano Medical Center in Vallejo, California, where he has been key in implementing new processes to improve patient flow and patient care. Mr. Hudock’s strengths include operations support, new contract, and program development. He frequently travels to many facilities with the VEP family of hospitals to work with the local physicians and APC’s on a variety of patient care topics. He was Chief Allied Health Officer for VEP for over eight years and has been largely responsible for the growth of the advanced practice clinician role within VEP Healthcare.
Kelly Danna – Chief Financial Officer
Kelly Danna joined VEP in 2016 as Interim Corporate Controller and advanced to Chief Financial Officer in 2017.
Kelly came to VEP from Sutter Health Medical Foundation with a fascinating background in positions such as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Executive Officer.
She earned her Bachelors in Business Administration with an accounting concentration from California Polytechnic State University and then went to school for a Master’s in Business at Golden Gate University in San Francisco.
In addition to her extensive experience in finance and accounting, Kelly works in real estate as a Broker Associate.
Elmira Katebian, JD – Corporate Counsel – Contracts
As Corporate Counsel-Contracts, Ms. Katebian is responsible for reviewing, drafting, and advising on all of our contracts, ranging from healthcare services, independent contractor, corporate vendor, managed care, non-disclosure, leases, and credit facility agreements. She is also responsible for the formation, corporate governance, and management of our business entities, trademarks, and HIPAA policies.
Prior to joining VEP, she had several years of experience in-house in an engineering firm in a contracts, corporate governance, and finance capacity. She holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of San Francisco School of Law and an undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of California at Irvine. Ms. Katebian is licensed as an attorney in California, New Jersey, and is working toward her New York license in 2019.
Kevin Dement – Senior Director of Revenue Cycle Management
As Senior Director of Revenue Cycle, Kevin Dement oversees and directs the overall activity, direction, and management of the billing department. Simply put, he’s tasked with developing ways to make the company more revenue.
He was born in Great Britain and has traveled the world as a child of a U.S. Air Force Veteran. At age 16, his family moved to the United States and started volunteering in the local Emergency Department in Victorville, California where he had amassed over 6,000 volunteer hours when he graduated high school. Kevin earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Social Ecology with an Emphasis in Psychology and a minor in Education from the University of California, Irvine. While in college he worked as an Emergency Room Technician. He’s been in healthcare for over 25 years, with highlights in Revenue Cycle that has included Liver and Kidney Transplantation at Sutter in San Francisco, Unified Physician Management, which is the largest OB/GYN group in the country in beautiful Boca Raton, Florida, and has started his own business developing and managing medical practices, with a heavy emphasis in Revenue Cycle. In his spare time, he loves spending time with his husband of 19 years and their son. He’s an avid traveler and a foodie who enjoys eating fabulous meals and doing the next best thing of talking and blogging about them.
Justin Chatten-Brown, MD – Board Member 
Larry Halem, MD – Board Member
Adin Levine, MD – Board Member 
Stephen Pratt – Board Member 
Shayne Smith – Board Member