WASHINGTON HEALTH MEDICAL GROUP - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- President of the Washington Township Medical Group
- President, Washington Township Medical Group
Albert L. Brooks, MD, is President of the Washington Township Medical Group and Chief Medical Officer of Washington Township Medical Medical Group. In his leadership roles, Dr. Brooks collaborates with administration, physicians, clinical leaders and staff to ensure delivery of the highest quality of care and service. Long a passionate advocate for women's health, he attended Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, where he completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Later, at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Berkeley, Calif., he became Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, President of the Medical Staff, and served on the Board of Trustees. Arriving at Washington Hospital in 2004, Dr. Brooks helped establish the successful OB Hospitalist program, and served as its director before assuming a role as Chief of Medical Services at the Hospital. In 2007, he became president of the newly founded Washington Township Medical Group, and in 2010 was named Chief Medical Officer of Washington Health Medical Group.
Dr. Veerappan is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. He received his medical degree from the University of Madras, Madras, India. He completed his residency at LaGuardia Hospital, New York (affiliate of Cornell University) and specialty training at Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY.
Dr. Veerappan is on staff at Washington Hospital. Dr. Veerappan has extensive minimally invasive endoscopic skills with special interest in pancreatic biliary endoscopy. He has been in private practice since 1992.
Affiliations
Gastroenterology
Education
Medical School
Beth Israel Medical Center
Job Titles:
- Institute of Silicon Valley Neurosurgery, Neurological Surgery, Radiation Oncology
As Chief Financial Officer of the Washington Health Medical Group, Daniel Nardoni, MBA, is responsible for the daily and long-term financial operations of the organization. He has served in a variety of top financial positions in his 25-year career. Daniel has experience as a Public Accountant with the accounting firm Arthur Andersen and their health care practice, and he was a Senior Accountant for Sutter Health in Northern California. Joining Washington Hospital Healthcare System in 2000 as a Senior Accountant, he later became Budget Manager. At the Hospital, Nardoni has also held positions as Senior Director of Budgeting and Ancillary Financial Services, and in 2015 became Assistant Chief Financial Officer. In 2017, he accepted the position of Assistant Chief Financial Officer of Washington Health Medical Group, and became Chief Financial Officer in 2018. Daniel holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in accounting from California State University, East Bay, and earned his Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Administration from University of California, Irvine.
Dr. Benedict Villanueva is board-certified in Infectious Disease with a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines. He earned his medical degree at the same university and continued on with his postgraduate training stateside in New Jersey and California. His journey culminated with an Internal Medicine Internship at the University of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey, Hackensack University Medical Center; an Internal Medicine residency at the same university; and an Infectious Disease fellowship at UCLA-affiliated hospitals, VA Medical Center, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Villanueva spent his time on the west coast at various locations in California and Nevada helping his local communities and now is here with us at Washington Health Medical Group as one of our Infectious Disease physicians.
Dr. Villanueva chose internal medicine and Infectious disease because he believes that an internist can be the conduit for patients to help navigate both their preventive and wellness care. Moreover, Dr. Villanueva continued with infectious disease as his subspecialty because he maintains a high level of fascination with the different types of infections and what their effects are on the body's various systems.
When it comes to Dr. Villanueva's philosophy of care, his first and foremost focus is to deliver the highest quality of care to his patients whilst using the best and most up-to-date, evidence based approaches. It is also important, he notes, to do so in a "compassionate manner-making the patient as comfortable as possible." This approach has led Dr. Villanueva to both practice medicine with his patient's best interest in mind and to maintain a high degree of transparency to aid in the understanding of their health care.
Dr. Villanueva is well practiced and experienced with his former and concurrent roles as: an infectious disease physician at Infectious Disease Medical Group, Inc; a medical director in the Antibiotic Stewardship Program; an infection control physician at UC Davis; associate professor at University of Nevada Hospitals; and as Urgent Care specialist physician at Southern California Kaiser in Los Angeles.
In his free time, Dr. Villanueva loves to travel as much as possible to absorb in as much of the world as he can and collect souvenir magnets from adventures. Although he enjoys playing golf, he laments that "golf doesn't like me back." He also enjoys spending time with family.
Affiliations
Internal Medicine & Infectious Diseases Multi-Specialty Clinic
Education
College
Bachelors University of Santo Tomas, College of Science
Job Titles:
- Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics
- Interim Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Bettina Kurkjian, Interim Chief Medical Officer of Washington Health Medical Group, brings over two decades of clinical and leadership experience to her role. A board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist, Dr. Kurkjian is recognized for her patient-centered philosophy and dedication to collaborative, high-quality care.
She earned her medical degree from the University of California, Irvine in 1993 and completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in 1997. Throughout her career at Washington Health Medical Group, Dr. Kurkjian has held multiple medical staff leadership roles, including department chair and service on credentials, Quality of Resource Management, and quality improvement committees. She has also contributed to systemwide operational enhancements through her work with the Lean Promotion Office.
Dr. Kurkjian is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology
In her current role as Interim Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kurkjian continues to advance the organization's commitment to excellence in care, clinical quality, and physician engagement.
Job Titles:
- Internist
- Location Information
Dr. Harman Chawla is an internist, board certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics and fellowship trained in Infectious Disease. His internal medicine practice focuses on the clinical management of infectious diseases including the elderly. Dr. Chawla received his medical degree in India at Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical College before completing his Internal Medicine residency at New York Medical College and Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. He completed a fellowship in Geriatrics a Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey followed by an Infectious Disease fellowship at Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School. A member of the American Geriatric Society, Dr. Chawla has authored articles relative to the management of geriatric patients with various infectious diseases including AIDS and other bacterial infections.
Dr. Joyce Lu is board-certified in vascular surgery with a Bachelor of Science degree from University of California, Los Angeles, California (UCLA) and Medical Doctorate from Albany Medical College, Albany, New York. During her time at Albany Medical College, Dr. Lu received two notable acknowledgements and awards. First, the Albany Medical College Richard O. Shapiro Prize for having the most meaningful contribution to the well-being of the class. Secondly, she received the Gold Humanism Honor Society Award which honors those that demonstrate excellence in clinical care, leadership, compassion, and dedication to service. Dr. Lu completed her vascular surgery residency at Spectrum Health Network, Grand Rapids, Michigan. After her residency, she joined on as a vascular surgeon at South Valley Vascular at Visalia, California. Recently, she joined Washington Health Medical Group as one of our vascular surgeons.
Dr. Rakesh Safaya is board-certified in Vascular Surgery and brings nearly three decades of experience to his practice. His journey began with a Master of Science degree in General Surgery from the University of Kashmir in India, followed by his medical degree from Government Medical College Srinagar. Dr. Safaya honed his skills after his education to various hospitals and medical centers in California, Washington, Texas, and New York. He completed his general surgery training at Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, before receiving a fellowship in vascular surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He has recently joined Washington Township as one of our vascular surgeons.
Dr. Stella Asuquo is board certified in both General and Vascular Surgery with a Bachelor of Science degree at Oregon State University. She earned her medical degree at Indiana University School of Medicine and continued her postgraduate training on the East Coast: General Surgery Internship and a General Surgery Residency both at Albert Einstein College of Medicine-Montefiore Medical Center as well as a Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Fellowship at New York and New Jersey respectively. Dr. Asuquo made her way west to California first at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital and now here with us at Washington Hospital as one of our Vascular and Endovascular Surgeons.
Emily Gentry, PA-C, is a Physician Assistant who joined our General Surgery team in March, 2022. A native of Southern California, she completed her Bachelor of Science degree in biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Emily earned a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies degree at Southern California University of Health Sciences in Whittier, Calif., where she graduated with honors. Her experience in a variety of clinical service specialties is considerable, from ENT to plastic surgery to family medicine and more. She has a passion for community service and is a member of several national organizations devoted to advanced clinical care.
Flavio Oliveira, MD, PhD, is an Otolaryngologist (Ear, Nose and Throat specialist) and Head & Neck Surgeon at Washington Health Medical Group. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and Medical Doctorate (MD) from the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Oliveira then completed internship and residency at Stanford where he was a chief resident.
Dr. Oliveira believes it is a privilege to enter someone's life during a vulnerable moment, with the potential to alter their path, reduce suffering, and enhance health and happiness. This deep responsibility drives his philosophy of care and commitment to approach every patient interaction with the same level of compassion, empathy, and attentiveness that he would extend to his closest family members.
As a former high-level professional athlete, Dr. Oliveira was naturally attracted to the surgical procedures of the head and neck. He believes that the commitment and dedication necessary to develop the dexterity, precision, and focus required to excel in sports parallel the skills essential for surgical excellence. While he values the intricacies of surgery, he equally advocates for non-surgical medical interventions, ensuring holistic patient care.
In his free time, Dr. Oliveira enjoys spending time with his wife and kids. He also enjoys playing sports and traveling to explore nature - with a keen interest in mountain areas.
Affiliations
ENT/Otolaryngology
Head & Neck Surgery
Education
Medical School
Medical Doctorate University of California San Franisco
Harpreet Singh, MD, is a board-certified family medicine physician at our Warm Springs Clinic in Fremont.
Dr. Singh, who joined Washington Health Medical Group in 2019, was inspired to practice family medicine by his desire to build long-lasting relationships and provide a full spectrum of care for his patients. "I want to address not only my patients' medical health, but also their psycho-social health," he explained.
Practicing medicine at Washington Health Medical Group is a homecoming for Dr. Singh, who grew up in Fremont, where his parents still live.
"At Washington Health Medical Group, I have an opportunity to help my patients to a better tomorrow," Singh said. "We want them to make healthy lifestyle choices, be inspired to achieve their goals, pursue higher education, and stay positive and persistent."
Dr. Singh received a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical engineering from the University of California, Davis. He then studied medicine at St. George's University School of Medicine, both in the U.K. and in Grenada, West Indies, and participated in several clinical clerkships in the U.S. He has been an associate physician at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in Santa Clara, and at U.S. HealthWorks Medical Group in Union City.
In addition to providing health care to the community, Dr. Singh is passionate about improving the overall quality of life for its residents, especially in terms of literacy. He is active in fundraising events, such as the Run for Health, where the funds are used to purchase books for children, as well as discussing literacy with his patients' parents.
Dr. Singh's interests also include reading, hiking, basketball, music and cooking. He and his wife look forward to one day starting a family. "This is a wonderful community in which to raise a family," said Singh, whose expertise has been certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. "The diversity here, and essentially the feeling of home, are very important to us."
Harsh Agrawal, MD, is board-certified in interventional cardiology, cardiovascular disease, and internal medicine. He earned his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from Bharti VidyaPeeth Medical University, Pune, India. He started his internal medicine residency at West Penn Allegheny Health System at Temple University School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, and completed it at Olive View Medical Center at UCLA. Subsequently, he pursued three fellowships: cardiovascular medicine fellowship at the University of Missouri, Columbia, MO; interventional cardiology fellowship at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, affiliated with Tufts University, Boston, MA; and structural fellowship at UCSF. Prior to joining Washington Hospital Healthcare System in 2021, Dr. Agrawal practiced at UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco. He now contributes his expertise to WHMG's Cardiology care team as one of its providers.
Dr. Agrawal's desire towards becoming a doctor were two-fold: observations of his native country's shortcomings in healthcare and his familial history of practicing physicians. These factors reinforced his commitment to the medical profession. Recognizing the prevalence of cardiac conditions among adults, Dr. Agrawal chose to specialize in cardiology to provide targeted care in this area. Additionally, the field's pioneering advancements in minimally invasive surgeries further attracted him, offering new possibilities for patients previously deemed high-risk or inoperable.
Dr. Agrawal's care philosophy prioritizes his patients above all else, driven by his personal connection to the treatment they receive. His father's battle with heart disease has deeply influenced his perspective, cementing patient care as his top priority. With this commitment, he strives to improve the healthcare climate and enhance people's experiences.
In his free time, Dr. Agrawal enjoys hiking, soccer, reading medical journals, and teaching.
Affiliations
Cardiology
Education
Medical School
Medical Doctorate Bharati VidyaPeeth Medical University
Dr. Achanta completed medical school at Gandhi Medical College, Hyderabad, India. He completed general surgery residency at a Tufts University affiliated hospital in Boston, and a laparoscopic surgery fellowship at USC, Los Angeles, California. Following his training, he served as clinical instructor in surgery at USC, Los Angeles, and then as staff surgeon at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Orange County, California. Dr. Achanta became a member of the surgery department at Washington Hospital, Fremont, California in April 2001 after joining a Fremont based multi-specialty group practice.
Tommy John Surgery - Named for a Major League Baseball pitcher who underwent the procedure, Tommy John surgery is a condition often used to treat pitchers and others who suffer damage to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), often from overuse. This condition is highly safe and affective, but the recovery period post-operation can last up to 18 months. Discuss the pros and cons of this procedure, as well as post-surgical care and recovery, with your orthopaedic surgeon at Washington Health Medical Group.
Dr. Dugoni, Jr. is a 4th generation San Franciscan, specializing in general and oncologic surgery and is a member of Washington Health Medical Group in Fremont. He is a graduate of University of California San Francisco Medical School. He found an interest in surgery at UCSF while doing his surgery rotation at San Francisco General Hospital. He trained further under the auspices of Dr. William Blaisdell, the influential surgical educator at the University of California, Davis.