Pejman Salimpour

Dr.
Pejman Salimpour
Alma materUCLA
Washington University School of Medicine
Occupation(s)Physician, Business Executive, Professor, Statesman

Pejman Salimpour is an Iranian-American physician, professor, and business executive. He is the co-founder of both CareNex Health Services (now part of Anthem and Plymouth Health, the latter of which previously owned Alvarado Hospital in San Diego, California.[1] Salimpour is credited as the lead physician in a campaign that successfully challenged the legality of certain exclusivity agreements between hospitals and doctors' groups, opening hospitals to more physician specialists and enabled patients to be seen by physicians of their choice.[2]

Early life and education[edit]

Salimpour was born in England and grew up in Tehran, Iran along with two sisters and younger brother Pedram Salimpour. His father was a pediatrician and the family lived in a Persian Jewish community during the Iranian Revolution in the late 1970s.[3] Amid escalating violence, Salimpour immigrated to the United States. He was 17 years old at the time and moved to Philadelphia to live with an uncle who immigrated to the United States a few years prior.[3] Salimpour taught himself English by spending his nights at a library, reading books in English and translating them into Persian by looking up each word in a dictionary.[3]

Salimpour's family immigrated to the United States about six months after he did, settling the family in Los Angeles, California. His father started working at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and eventually opened up a pediatric office in the area.[3] Salimpour attended the University of California Los Angeles where he earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1983.[3] He moved on to Washington University School of Medicine where he earned his medical degree in 1987 before completing his residency at Harbor–UCLA Medical Center in 1990.[4]

Career[edit]

In the field of medicine, Salimpour has been a practicing physician, professor, business executive and owner of medical facilities. As a physician, he practices part-time in the Salimpour Pediatric Medical Group, the practice founded by his father,[5] and he previously served as chief of pediatrics at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.[6][7]

Salimpour first gained national attention for his work in the medical field in the mid-1990s when he led an initiative that fought exclusivity contracts that hospitals had with physicians.[4] These agreements barred competing physicians from caring for patients at the hospitals, limiting patient's choices of physicians who could care for them.[2] Salimpour's efforts on patients' behalf began after he was informed by Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center that his patients could not be seen by any neonatologists from his practice.[2][8] He had developed a practice that included perinatologists who treat high-risk pregnancies as well as neonatologists who treated the sickest newborns.[9]

As part of his campaign, Salimpour led other physicians, nurses, the California Medical Association to petition the California State Legislature and the California Health and Human Services Agency.[2] After a two-year fight that included lobbying lawmakers and the filing of an anti-trust lawsuit, hospitals were made to allow neonatologists to see patients in hospitals that received state funding, regardless of exclusivity agreements.[2] With this change, patients had the right to be seen by the physician of their choice, regardless of any attempt by a hospital to limit which physicians could practice at their facility.[2]

Pejman Salimpour with former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

Salimpour's work as a business executive and entrepreneur in the field of medicine including the co-founding of two medical companies and co-ownership of one of San Diego's largest hospitals. He is the co-founder of CareNex Health Services, a health-care technology company that specializes in neonatal and perinatal disease management.[1] The company was founded in 2005 along with his brother Pedram and was acquired by WellPoint (now Anthem) in 2013. The brothers also founded the physician-owned company Plymouth Health, formed specifically for the purpose of acquiring Alvarado Hospital Medical Center in San Diego, California.[1] Prior to the purchase, the hospital was owned by Tenet Healthcare Corporation which was accused of paying kickbacks to physicians for referrals to the hospital.[10] Tenet settled a civil complaint filed against them, which included a $21 million settlement and agreement to either close or sell the hospital. Salimpour and his company closed on the purchase in 2007, paying approximately $36.5 million for the hospital.[1] He invested millions of dollars to upgrade the hospital's equipment and bring in some of the nation's top physicians. He made the decision to sell the hospital to Prime Healthcare Services in 2010.[11]

Salimpour served as a statesman in 2005 with a White House appointment to serve on the National Latino Healthcare Task Force and the United States Small Business Administration National Advisory Council.[4][12][13] Outside of government appointments, he was elected to the board of directors for the American Academy of Pediatrics (California Chapter) and the Los Angeles County Medical Association.[12] He is also a member of the House of Delegates of the California Medical Association as well as a board member of the California Medical Association Political Action Committee.[14]

Salimpour is also an educator, working as a professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine.[6] His work in the field of medical education led him to write Photographic Atlas of Pediatric Disorders and Diagnosis, a book that he co-authored with his brother Pedram and his father Ralph Salimpour.[15]

Awards and recognition[edit]

Pejman Salimpour receiving Washington University Award in April 2012.

Salimpour has been recognized by numerous organizations for his work. He received a Distinguished Record of Service Commendation from former California Governor Gray Davis for his work with children in the State of California.[4] In 2012 he was honored with an Alumni Achievement Award from the Washington University School of Medicine[4] and in 2014 he was listed as one of Hollywood's Top Doctors by The Hollywood Reporter.[16] He has been listed as a "SuperDoctor" by L.A. Magazine for five consecutive years beginning in 2010.[17]

Personal life[edit]

Salimpour is involved in philanthropy efforts related to his field. He is the co-founder of NexCare Collaborative, a 501c3 organization that helps find affordable health insurance for poor families in the Los Angeles area.[6] It also provides free referral services for foster children to have access to needed medical services.[18] Also known as First 5 LA Connect, the Collaborative provides a call-in line with bilingual staffers who help assist those needing affordable health care or referrals.[19]

Salimpour is married to Daphna Salimpour, an architect and interior designer, with whom he has three daughters.[3]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "Tenet to sell Alvarado hospital to physicians". American Medical News. 20 November 2006. Archived from the original on 29 August 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Klein, Sarah A. (15 May 2000). "Doctor wins hospital fight". American Medical News. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Darce, Keith (26 December 2006). "Up to the challenge". U-T San Diego. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Salimpour receives Washington University School of Medicine Alumni Award". Washington University in St. Louis. 8 August 2012. Archived from the original on 12 September 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  5. ^ Greene, Jay (5 February 2007). "Changing of the guard at Alvarado". Modern Healthcare. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  6. ^ a b c Darce, Keith (28 October 2006). "Group led by doctors to acquire Alvarado". U-T San Diego. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  7. ^ Lin II, Rong-Gong (23 October 2009). "Swine flu surges in California, but vaccine remains scarce". The Los Angeles Times.
  8. ^ Lee, Don (24 July 2002). "Patients Caught in Dispute Between HMO, Hospitals". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  9. ^ Estrich, Susan (15 July 1999). "With Liberty and Justice for All". Daily News of Los Angeles.
  10. ^ "Tenet's sale of Alvarado is complete". Los Angeles Times. 2 January 2007. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  11. ^ Lavelle, Janet (17 November 2010). "Prime Healthcare buys Alvarado Hospital". UT San Diego. Archived from the original on 31 October 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  12. ^ a b Malloy, Elizabeth (27 October 2006). "Plymouth Health to purchase Alvarado Hospital". San Diego Daily Transcript. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  13. ^ "Dr. Pejman Salimpour Appointed to National Latino Healthcare Task Force". Social PC. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  14. ^ Crowe, Deborah (12 March 2007). "Valley Doctors Latest Patient Requires Intensive Care". Los Angeles Business Journal via Omninet. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  15. ^ Salimpour, Ralph R.; Salimpour, Pedram; Salimpour, Pejman (2013). Photographic Atlas of Pediatric Disorders and Diagnosis. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 9781451178111.
  16. ^ "Hollywood's Top Doctors Revealed". The Hollywood Reporter. 10 September 2014. Archived from the original on 8 February 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  17. ^ "Pejman Salimpour". L.A. Magazine SuperDoctors. Archived from the original on 30 December 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  18. ^ Wenig, Gaby (11 December 2003). "Wanted: Homes for Jewish Foster Children". Jewish Journal. Archived from the original on 3 March 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  19. ^ "Good Call for New Parents". The Los Angeles Times. 17 March 2004.

External links[edit]

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