Innovative diagnostic care and preventative therapy

Dr. Chung graduated from University of California at Berkeley with Honors and obtained his M.D. from Medical College of Wisconsin where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. He completed his internship and residency at the University of Chicago Medical Center and fellowship in GI and Hepatology at Scripps Clinic and Green Hospital in La Jolla, California. Before joining Digestive Care Consultants, he was a faculty in the Division of Gastroenterology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Associate Professor of Medicine at UCLA School of Medicine. His main area of interest is interventional endoscopy with emphasis on diagnosis, staging, and endoscopic therapy of gastrointestinal malignancies and benign conditions of pancreaticobiliary system and esophagus.

Dr. Eysselein was raised in Germany and received his M.D. from the University of Wuerzburg (Germany). He completed his residency and fellowship in GI/Hepatology at the University of Essen, Germany. After finishing his training, he joined the Division of Gastroenterology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. He took over as Chief of the Division in 1991. He was the first to develop Endosonography (EUS) in the Los Angeles area for the diagnosis and staging of gastrointestinal tumors and cancers. Dr. Eysselein has a keen interest in biliary and pancreatic diseases as well as tumors (diagnosis, staging and endoscopic interventions) of the gastrointestinal tract. His interests include sailing, tennis, and traveling with his family.

Dr. Fukunaga was raised in Honolulu and moved to California to attend UC Davis. He received his M.D. from UC Irvine, where he graduated second in his class and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at West LA VA Medical Center where he also served as Chief Medical Resident. He then completed his fellowship in GI/Hepatology and additional ERCP training at USC Medical Center. Dr. Fukunaga’s areas of interest are biliary endoscopy, therapeutic endoscopy, and Hepatitis B. He is currently the Chairman of the GI Subcommittee at Torrance Memorial Medical Center. His interests include coaching his sons in their many sporting activities.

Dr. Ha completed his undergraduate and M.D. at UC Irvine. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the Wadsworth VA Medical Center in Los Angeles and then moved on to USC Medical Center for fellowship in GI/Hepatology. Dr. Ha has particular expertise in liver disease, including Hepatitis B & C. He is a member of the American Gastroenterological Association and the Southern California Society of Gastroenterology. He is also a consultant for the Asian Health Foundation and is an active member of the Vietnamese American Cancer Foundation. Dr. Ha has a passion for collecting rare art and traveling.

Dr. Hakim earned her bachelor’s degree and her medical degree in an accelerated combined program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She continued her journey west to Phoenix and completed a residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in GI/Hepatology at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center and Hayden VA Medical Center. She is a member of the American College of Gastroenterology, and has received the Governor’s Award for clinical research. She is also a member of the Southern California Society of Gastroenterology. Dr. Hakim has experience in treating patients in all aspects of GI with a particular interest in nutrition and women’s health. She lives in the South Bay with her husband.

After completing his Residency at the University of Michigan, Dr. Holt moved to California to complete his Fellowship in Gastroenterology at UC San Diego. He has been a clinical instructor at the University of Michigan and UC Irvine. Dr. Holt began practicing at DCC 25 years ago. He has been active on numerous hospital committees and professional organizations. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and was the founder and President of Unified Physicians of South Bay IPA. Dr. Holt spends his free time traveling with his family and enjoying time with his grandchildren.

Dr. Patel received his B.S./M.D. and completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan. He went on to pursue a fellowship in GI/Hepatology at Stanford University Hospital and Clinics. He then joined DCC with a particular interest in colon cancer detection/prevention and inflammatory bowel disease. He is a member of the American College of Gastroenterology, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the Southern California Society of Gastroenterology. Dr. Patel and his wife raise their three children here in the South Bay.

After graduating from Medical School in India, Dr. Riyaz completed his residency in Internal Medicine at USC Medical Center, where he also served as Chief Resident. He stayed there to finish his fellowship in GI/Hepatology and continues to be a Voluntary Faculty member at the USC Medical Center. Dr. Riyaz is a member of the Southern California Society of Gastroenterology and the American Gastroenterological Association. In addition to practicing general GI/Hepatology, his professional areas of interest include therapeutic biliary endoscopy and GI bleeding. In his spare time, Dr. Riyaz tries to keep up with his two children.

Dr. Sattler received his bachelor’s degree at the UC Berkeley and his M.D. from USC. His accomplishments include election to Phi Beta Kappa as an undergraduate and to the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. He completed his residency training and GI/Hepatology fellowship at Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Los Angeles. Dr. Sattler is the Medical Director of the Endoscopy Center at Skypark, and his major area of interest is therapeutic biliary and therapeutic endoscopy. He has been practicing medicine in the South Bay for over 20 years and enjoys skiing and traveling with his wife and two daughters.

Dr. Tran completed his Residency in Internal Medicine at USC Medical Center after receiving his medical degree from UC Irvine. He practiced medicine at Kaiser Permanente for four years before deciding to follow his interest in digestive diseases. Dr. Tran completed his Fellowship in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Kaiser Medical Center in Los Angeles where he gained extensive experience with advanced endoscopic procedures and treating patients with advanced liver disease. He makes his home in the South Bay with his wife and two children.

Dr. Hsu graduated with honors from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor with a bachelor of science in biology. He received his doctor of medicine degree from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston and completed his residency training in internal medicine at McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University in Chicago. He completed his gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Michigan Hospitals in Ann Arbor in 2007. Dr. Hsu was in private practice in Kansas City, Missouri before moving to California in 2019. He was with UCLA for 2 years before joining Digestive Care Consultants.

Although he has conducted research and published papers on esophageal and gastric motility disorders, Dr. Hsu also has an interest in general gastroenterology, hepatology, and biliary and pancreatic diseases. He derives professional satisfaction from providing individualized care to patients with complex medical issues through clinical analysis and the use of the most advanced clinical tools. He performs general endoscopic procedures — including EGD and colonoscopy — and advanced endoscopic procedures such as stent placement and ERCP. Dr. Hsu is board certified in gastroenterology. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball and traveling with his wife and three kids.

Dr. Shue is originally from the Boston area. He completed his undergraduate studies at Brown University and received his M.D. from Tufts University School of Medicine. He completed his internal medicine residency at University of Massachusetts Medical School, after which he moved to Los Angeles, where he completed his GI/Hepatology fellowship at LAC+USC Medical Center. Dr. Shue then completed his advanced endoscopy fellowship at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he gained extensive experience in ERCP, EUS, and enteral stenting. As such, his primary area of interest consists of advanced endoscopy and its utilization in the diagnosis and treatment of pancreaticobiliary disorders and gastrointestinal tumors. Dr. Shue is also an active member of the AGA, ACG, and ASGE. In his spare time, he enjoys exploring LA, trying out new restaurants, hiking, skiing, and playing the guitar.

Dr. Bernstein has a Bachelor’s of Science in Physiology from McGIll University. He received his M.D. from the University of Western Ontario and went on to do his Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology training at the University of Toronto, where he was chief resident. He then completed a fellowship in patient safety and quality of care through the VA Quality Scholars Program. Before joining DCC, he was an Assistant Professor of Medicine at University of Toronto and staff gastroenterologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. During his time there he founded the Gastroenterology Rapid Referral Clinic, the first of its kind in Canada. His clinical interests include hereditary colon cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. Dr Bernstein is a member of the American Gastroenterology Association and Southern California Society of Gastroenterology. In his spare time, he enjoys the outdoors, basketball, tennis and exploring his new home in Southern California with his wife and three children.

Tanuja was born and raised in Southern California. She received her Bachelor’s of Biology degree at UC Irvine. She then went on to pursue her Bachelors of Nursing degree at Loma Linda University. She completed her Masters in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner program at UCLA. Tanuja has worked in multiple specialties including Family Practice, Allergy/Asthma, Physical Medicine/Orthopedics and Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT). She joins DCC with many years of experience. She enjoys living in the South Bay with her husband and two children.

Pamela Almario earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Colegio de San Juan de Letran- Calamba (Philippines), and her Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner Program from University of Phoenix. Pamela is dual board-certified by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), as well as the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). She has been in health care for more than a decade. Her experience includes Acute care, Geriatrics, Urgent care, and Gastroenterology.

Pamela is a member of several professional organizations including California Association for Nurse Practitioners; Sigma Theta Tau, the International Honor Society of Nursing; and American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Her interests include photography, badminton, trying out new restaurants and hanging out by the beach.

Erin obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Health Sciences and Minor in Psychology from Chapman University. After working as a Home Health Aide for a patient with Spinal Muscular Atrophy and as a physical therapy aide, she then attended Western University of Health Sciences and received a Master’s Degree in Physician Assistant Studies. Erin brings her hands on-skills and knowledge from her prior experience of working as an Urgent Care PA. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and attending cycling classes. She is a South Bay native, and is excited to be working for the community she grew up in!

Joanne was born and raised in South Korea, and moved to America in her early 20s. She’s bilingual in English and Korean. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at California State University, Long Beach. She then completed her Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner program at California State University, Long Beach. Joanne worked in the Adult Float unit and Medical Surgical unit at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center to advocate culturally and socially diverse patient populations with compassion. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and volunteering at church.