UCLASFVP.org | Management Team

The UCLA-San Fernando Valley Program has a solid management team of experienced faculty and staff with expertise in all aspects of medicine. Every member of our program has a vested interest in its management; however, the management team is responsible for the short and long-term aspects of its development, hence ensuring the program's security and growth.

Although our faculty and staff have many professional accomplishments, below are brief introductions into selected aspects of their roles at the UCLA-San Fernando Valley Program:

Soma Wali, MD
Program Director
Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine
Since joining the faculty at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center in 1998, Dr. Wali has been passionate and devoted to the continual improvement and quality of medical education for medical students, residents, fellows and colleagues. She received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Psychobiology from the University of California, Los Angeles and her MD from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1994. She completed residency training from 1994-1997 in Internal Medicine at the UCLA-San Fernando Valley Program; followed by one additional year as Chief Resident. In 1998, she accepted a faculty position and at the same time completed a two-year medical education fellowship at UCLA. Since joining Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, she has been the recipient of multiple teaching awards from students and residents. In 1999, she received the UCLA School of Medicine Teaching Appreciation Award and the VA Sepulveda Medical Center Teaching Appreciation Award. Dr. Wali served as Associate Program Director for the UCLA-San Fernando Valley Program from 2000 to 2003, and then she was asked to be program director and continues in this role. She has been successful in introducing new curricular experiences including a curriculum in Complementary and Alternative Medicine. In 2000, Dr. Wali became the inpatient Internal Medicine Clerkship Director for the UCLA 3^rd year students at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center. Since assuming this responsibility, evaluations of medical students for this rotation have soared to the point that it is the highest rated UCLA 3^rd year student clerkship in Internal Medicine. As a result of her hard work, the Olive View-UCLA Medical Center inpatient and outpatient rotations are a favorite choice for UCLA medical students. Soma is one of the top three faculty members who have been listed as “excellent teachers” by UCLA medical students system wide in the clerkship over the past three years. In recognition of her teaching success she was awarded the 2004 UCLA Award for Excellence in Education. Dr. Wali has been invited to give several presentations at ACP and SGIM annual meetings both regionally and nationally. As a tribute to her hard work and dedication, last year Dr. Wali was the recipient of the SGIM’s California Regional Clinician Educator Award. Moreover, at the international level, she has been invited to speak in Switzerland, Taiwan and Canada. Dr. Wali continues to improve her clinical teaching skills as well as her leadership skills. In 2004 she was nominated and completed a healthcare executive training program at the Anderson School of Management at UCLA. In 2006, she was selected to complete a month long faculty development training program in clinical teaching at Stanford University. Her current goals include clinical research as well as more research in medical education, as she would like to establish great research opportunities for residents and medical students at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center.

Michael Rotblatt, MD, PharmD
Associate Program Director
Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine
Another former Program resident and chief resident, Dr. Rotblatt is one of our top faculty members (Faculty Role Model and Outstanding Attending awards in 1999 & 2002), and is intimately involved in the educational curricula of the program. With a degree in Pharmacy as well as General Internal Medicine, Dr. Rotblatt brings a unique knowledge of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutics to the program. In addition to teaching in the clinics and on the wards, he participates in didactic education sessions on a variety of diverse topics such as pain management, dyslipidemia, ACLS, and “housestaff teaching & feedback”. He coordinates the monthly Journal Update lectures, and provides a monthly Pharmaceutical Update. He has a special interest in Herbal Medicines, Dietary Supplements and other CAM disciplines, and he co-authored the 2002 book Evidence-Based Herbal Medicine. He has authored a number of book chapters and articles in the medical literature, and is an active teacher at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine.

Elijah Wasson, MD
Associate Program Director
Associate Professor of Medicine
Dr. Wasson graduated from UCSF in 2001 as an inductee into the Gold Headed Cane Society (only 3 graduates elected each year for best composite performance in medical school). The unique patient population, emphasis on medical education, and collegial atmosphere drew him to Olive View’s Internal Medicine training program. Dr. Wasson was awarded the Outstanding Intern and Resident of The Year while in training. As Chief Resident, Dr. Wasson developed the logistics and curriculum of the innovative ambulatory medicine rotation, which you can read about on this website. His clinical time is spent attending general medicine clinics, inpatient wards, and managing the weekly skin biopsy clinic. His vision is to provide and teach medical care that is patient centered and sagaciously uses the resources that are provided at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center. Additionally, Dr. Wasson enjoys teaching housestaff how to appraise medical literature during his monthly Journal Club. He has lectured at ACP meetings and has given Grand Rounds at Asahi General Hospital in Japan. His personal time is best spent with his beloved daughter, Ella. Otherwise, you will find him enjoying his favorite pastime; bicycling through the San Gabriel Mountains near his home in the foothills.

Scott Lundberg, MD
Associate Program Director, Combined IM/EM Residency
Assistant Medical Director
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine
Clinical Faculty, Department of Emergency Medicine
As a June 2004 graduate of the UCLA/OVMC Combined IM/EM Residency, Dr. Lundberg is the newest addition to our faculty, serving primarily as a hospitalist on the inpatient ward service. He also works one shift a week in the Emergency Department as clinical faculty, and has been active in integrating the two specialties for our program. He is the founder and medical director of a Medical Follow-up clinic where IM residents see patients recently discharged from the ED who require further management, as well the author of a new curriculum for IM residents rotating through the Emergency Department. Dr. Lundberg gained recognition as a teacher during residency, earning the award for best teacher in IM during his second year and for most outstanding resident in IM during his third year; and he is dedicated to continuing the fine tradition of clinical teaching here at Olive View.

Dennis Cope, MD
Professor of Medicine
Chair of Medicine, Olive View - UCLA Medical Center
Vice-Chair, UCLA Department of Medicine
Dr. Cope is a general internist with a special interest in hands-on care of patients. He has had a career dedicated to building of primary care programs for patient care, education, and research at UCLA Medical School and the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston. He has held distinguished leadership positions in these two organizations as well other national organizations such as the Veteran's Health Administration (VHA). Dr. Cope has been recognized as a superb clinician-teacher and as an innovative administrator who has held responsible positions in large organizations. He has returned to Los Angeles to seek a new career at Olive View, since he is convinced that the Program can continue to grow to become one of the leading training sites in general medicine.

Peter Balingit, MD
Hospitalist Fellowship Director
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine
Dr. Balingit completed internal medicine residency training at UCLA SFVP and joined the faculty in 2001 after receiving the Pramod Gan, M.D. award as best third year resident in medicine at Olive View. As an academic hospitalist, he attends on the inpatient ward service six months yearly. He also supervises the general internal medicine consultation service two months a year, and serves as attending physician in the primary care, urgent care, and pre-operative clearance clinics. As associate program director, Dr. Balingit helps develop the outpatient internal medicine curriculum. He created training modules in managed care/utilization management principles and peer review for the Profession of Medicine seminar series. As chair of the utilization review committee at Olive View, Dr. Balingit also monitors and gives feedback to attending physicians and housestaff regarding utilization of hospital resources. In addition to his involvement with the residency program, Dr. Balingit is deeply interested in medical student education. He is site director for the third year UCLA medical student clerkship in ambulatory internal medicine at Olive View. He was awarded a citation for “Teaching Excellence and Dedication to Medical Students” by the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA class of 2003.

Siamak Basiratmand, MD
Director, Continuity of Care
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine
Dr. Basiratmand's graduation from this Program coincided with the growth of the County's community clinic system. His direct contribution and commitment to this development has helped bring about an effective patient-care facility where housestaff and medical students gain valuable experience. Additionally, he is a sympathetic patient advocate who has willingly volunteered his time to work with the emotionally demanding County Refugee Assistance Program. His availability, commitment to teaching, desire to help, and loyalty to the practice of medicine makes him a role model to our students and residents.

Stanley Dea, MD
Curriculum Coordinator
Director of Endoscopy Lab
Director of Endoscopic Training (UCLA Affiliated Fellowship Program)
Assistant Professor of Medicine
After completion of his fellowship at UCLA (including a year of Advanced Endoscopic training at Olive View), Dr. Dea entered private practice giving him a different perspective in teaching. He returned to academics as Director of Endoscopy at the Greater Los Angeles VA Health Care System and has been Director of Endoscopy at Olive View since 2000. Dr. Dea is an energetic advocate of education as shown by his background in teaching GI fellows at UCLA as well as dietetic interns at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. He has used his prior training as an aerospace engineer to bring advanced technology to teaching. Dr. Dea has done pioneer work in using computers to enhance medical education such as the use of electronic documents and browser-based tools. Currently Dr. Dea is active in updating the housestaff curriculum as well as improving the housestaff noon lecture series.

Katherine Yu, MD
Director, General Medicine Clinics
Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine
A former graduate of the Program, Dr. Yu is known for her excellent grasp of and ability to teach core clinical topics, and for her concerns for her patients. She maintains primary care responsibility for a panel of medically complex patients and has established a "Terminal Primary Care" clinic for ambulatory patients who have declined further chemotherapy for malignant diseases. Her commitment is to improving the teaching program, patient care, and the residents' experiences in the Primary Care clinics.

Mark DeVany
Program Manager
As a member of the UCLA-San Fernando Valley Program’s management team, Mr. DeVany is dedicated to the improvement of education through professional management. Mr. DeVany arrived at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center in the spring of 2004 from his position at the UCLA Department of Medicine, Education Office. While at UCLA Mr. DeVany was the Education Coordinator for all medical student clinical clerkships and elective sub-internships for the Department of Medicine. This extensive background in medical student education provides him with a unique vision for enhancing our housestaff’s training experience. He is also a member of the Housestaff Education Committee (HEC) and the Intern Recruitment and Selections Committee and serves as an influential liaison between the program and all relevant internal and external agencies.

Norman Belisle
Assistant Program Manager
After having worked on the Medicine Wards for a considerable number of years, Mr. Belisle finally joined the UCLA San Fernando Valley Program's Management team in June of 2005. His operational knowledge and familiarity with housestaff are tremendous assets to the program. Mr. Belisle is intimately involved with the daily activities of the program and he also assists the Program Director and Program Manager when necessary. His extraordinary reputation within Olive View-UCLA Medical Center has provided our team with a confident liaison between the program and other hospital staff and programs.

It must be noted that, the Program’s leadership at Olive View is committed to serve as champions of our patient's interests and the education of our housestaff and students. It is our desire to create an environment conducive to learning and growth: this is the driving philosophy of this dynamic team of program administrators.