Leadership + Faculty
Chair’s Message
Welcome to the Department of Medicine at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center. As part of our commitment to medical education and residency training, we have been able to recruit outstanding, highly trained and very motivated faculty to the Department of Medicine. All of our faculty members are UCLA-appointed and are known for their clinical teaching, commitment and dedication to advancing the education of our trainees, from medical students to residents and fellows, and for providing the best care to our deserving underserved patient population. The residency program is the core of our educational mission, and it is my privilege to lend it my full support.
Soma Wali, MD, FACP
Chair of Medicine,
Olive View-UCLA Medical Center
Executive Vice-Chair of Medicine
for Affiliated Hospitals at UCLA
Professor of Clinical Medicine,
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Program Directors
Laxmi Suthar, MD, FACP
Program Director
UCLA-Olive View Categorical & Preliminary Internal Medicine Residency
Designated Institutional Official
Olive View-UCLA Medical Center
Associate Professor of Medicine
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
General Internal Medicine
Paul Salama, MD, MPH
Associate Program Director
UCLA-Olive View Internal Medicine Residency
Director of Quality Improvement
Assistant Health Sciences Clinical Professor/David
General Internal Medicine
Gezman Abdullahi, MD
Associate Program Director
UCLA-Olive View Internal Medicine Residency Program
Residency Continuity Clinic Director
Olive View-UCLA Medical Center
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Primary Care
Ashley Suraweera, MD
Ashley Surwareera, MD
Associate Program Director
UCLA-Olive View Internal Medicine Residency Program
Inpatient Curriculum Lead
Core Faculty
Siamak Basiratmand, MD
Core Clinical Faculty / UCLA–Olive View
Internal Medicine Residency Program
Assistant Medical Director
Mid-Valley Comprehensive Health Center
Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Richard Tennant, MD, FACP
Core Clinical Faculty / UCLA–Olive View
Internal Medicine Residency Program
Director of Ambulatory Medicine
Olive View-UCLA Medical Center
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Hospital Medicine
Vinhfield Ta, MD, FACP
Core Clinical Faculty
UCLA-Olive View Internal Medicine Residency Program
Chief Medical Information Officer
Olive View-UCLA Medical Center
Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Hospital Medicine
Matthew McCullough, MD
Core Clinical Faculty
UCLA-Olive View Internal Medicine Residency Program
MS3 Inpatient Medicine Clerkship Site Co-Director
Olive View-UCLA Medical Center
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Hospital Medicine
Vincent Chan, MD
Core Clinical Faculty
UCLA-Olive View Internal Medicine Residency Program
Director of Medicine Procedure Service
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Pulmonary & Critical Care
Lakshmi Sadasivam, MD
Core Clinical Faculty
UCLA-Olive View Internal Medicine
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Hospital Medicine
Elizabeth Canales, MD
Jeison Recinos, MD
Core Clinical Faculty
UCLA-Olive View Internal Medicine Residency Program
Hospital Medicine
Junya Kayano, MD
Core Clinical Faculty
UCLA-Olive View Internal Medicine Residency Program
Hospital Medicine