GMA Healthcare Providers (GMA) and Dignity Health Medical Foundation (DHMF) have announced that GMA is joining the Dignity Health family, and will change their name to Dignity Health Medical Group - Bakersfield.

Dignity Health Medical Group – Bakersfield currently includes four medical group locations and 13 providers. With the addition of GMA, the newly expanded Dignity Health Medical Group – Bakersfield footprint will include nearly 40 providers and eight convenient locations, strengthening patient care delivery and access to high quality, affordable care in Kern County.

From left to right: Xenia Roldan, MD, Meenakshi Sachdeva, MD, Farhan Shah, MD, Matab Singh, MD, Pam Smith, FNP, Jing Zhou, MD, Katherine Thomas, MD, John Young, MD, Edwin Youngstrom, DO, Adnan Al Shaer, MD, Kristin Brown, FNP, Igor Garcia-Pacheco, MD, Romona Dolan, PA, Lorenc Malellari, MD, Geeteshwar Mangat, MD, Sudhir Kakarla, MD, Parvez Memon, MD, and Debbie McDowell, FNP. 
Not pictured: Uzma Yousuf, DO, Edda Tortolero, NP, Ritam Sidhu, MD, Anuj Bansal, MD, Fakhruddin Hasta, MD, and Phyllis Adjei, PA.

“We remain committed to serving the growing health care needs of Kern County,” said Dr. C. Vincent Phillips, GMA Healthcare Providers. “We look forward to partnering with Dignity Health Medical Group – Bakersfield to continue to deliver high quality, affordable care for our patients.”

The newly expanded group will leverage best practices and experience from both organizations to the benefit of patient care in the community. Together they will offer primary care (family medicine and internal medicine) as well as a wide range of specialties, including critical care, geriatrics, pediatrics, general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), endocrinology, urology, colorectal surgery, as well as inpatient hospitalists. The GMA Comprehensive Care Center, which is a team-based Patient-Centered Medical Home program, will also continue as part of Dignity Health.

“GMA and Dignity Health Medical Group - Bakersfield are both well known for delivering high-quality, care and this partnership will result in increased collaboration and integration between our providers and our hospitals to the benefit of patient care,” said Jon Van Boening, Senior Vice President of Operations, Dignity Health Central California Service Area.

There is no action that patients need to take as a result of this announcement. They can continue to see their same primary and specialty care physicians and providers and, they do not need to change health plans. Patients with questions can visit DHMF.org/Bakersfield.

“We look forward to partnering with GMA to broaden access to high quality, local care in Kern County,” said Dr. Hemmal Kothary, Interim Medical Director, Dignity Health Medical Group - Bakersfield.

DHMF supports physician medical groups, independent physician associations, and network providers, representing 1,500 employed and independent providers across California.