Sacramento Magazine December 2022

You don’t need to leave town to leave the world behind.

Table of Contents / Staff Box / Editor’s Note / Contributors

TO GIVE

By Dorothy Rice

TOP DOCTORS

Toussaint MearsClarke, M.D.

By Sena Christian

EVAN PATIENT – SPINAL RECONSTRUCTION

When an accident left Evan with a broken back and an X ray that showed he may never walk again, his UC Davis Health orthopedic surgeon and physical therapists refused to give up on him. Driven by an unfailing care plan and nonstop determination, today Evan is back on his feet and back in the gym. Find a UC Davis Health doctor you connect with today.

Midtown owned and operated, Little Relics provides artisan and fine contemporary jewelry as well as custom and full-service repair. At the helm and leading the circus, Susan Rabinovitz, trained with Masters from around the world (over 1,000 hours with mentors) earned certified recognition as a Graduate Jeweler, Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts. Susan, also, had the esteemed privilege to be the only female competitor in Stuller’s International Battle of Benches, 2019. In an e ort to continuously provide quality service, Susan is currently accepted and attending GIA, Graduate Gemologist Program (eta completion fall 2023). Wed–Fri. 11-5:30 • Sat & Sun 12-4

Certified

PUBLISHER

Dennis Rainey

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Krista Minard

ART DIRECTOR

Gabriel Teague

EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR

Darlena Belushin McKay

DINING EDITOR

Marybeth Bizjak

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Sasha Abramsky, Luna Anona, Mark Billingsley, Diana Bizjak, Cathy Cassinos-Carr, Ed Goldman, Dorsey Griffith, Jennifer Junghans, Angela Knight, Elena M. Macaluso, Reed Parsell, Kari L. Rose Parsell, Bill Romanelli, Thea Marie Rood, Nora Heston Tarte, Mari Tzikas Suarez, Catherine Warmerdam, Sara E. Wilson

ART GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Debbie Hurst

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Kat Alves, Gary and Lisa Ashley, Mike Battey, Beth Baugher, Francisco Chavira, Debbie Cunningham, Wes Davis, Terence Duff y, Tim Engle, Kevin Fiscus, Aniko Kiezel, Ryan Angel Meza, Tyler Mussetter, Stephanie Russo, Rachel Valley, Susan Yee

Congratulations to our Top Docs!

Congratulations to Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group doctors voted among the best in our community by their peers. We are humbled and honored to be recognized for our dedication to care.

Sanaz Abderrahmane, MD Infectious Disease

Murali Adusumalli, MD Hospital Medicine Roksana Ali, MD Family Medicine

Adeela Ansari, MD Endocrinology, Diabetes, & Metabolism

Shaunye Belcher, MD Family Medicine

Parimal Bharucha, MD Critical Care Medicine & Pulmonary Disease

Rohit Bhaskar, MD Cardiology

Shivani Bhutani, MD Geriatric Medicine

Carrie Black, MD Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Benjamin Bluth, MD Hand Surgery

Elyn Bowers, MD Dermatology

William Bragg, MD Orthopedic Surgery

Zachary Brewer, MD Cardiac/Thoracic Surgery

Renee DeBose, MD Gastroenterology

Michael Dengel, MD Neurology

Darshan Dhingani, MD Critical Care Medicine & Pulmonary Disease

Priyal Dholakiya, MD Gynecologic Oncology

Costanzo DiPerna, MD Thoracic Surgery

Robert Dias, MD Sleep Medicine

Kevin Elliott, MD Gynecologic Oncology

Howard Fan, MD Neurology

Wiley Fowler, MD Gynecologic Oncology

Yong He, MD Dermatology

S. Rubina Inamdar, MD Allergy & Immunology

Joelle Jakobsen, MD Breast Surgery & General Surgery

Ashkan Javaheri, MD Geriatric Medicine

Rajeswari Jayaraman, MD Hospital Medicine

Mary Ann Johnson, MD Dermatology

Mohammad Kabbesh, MD Infectious Disease

Rana Khan, MD Gastroenterology

Jesse Kramer, MD Dermatology

Binita Mandal, MD Allergy & Immunology

Palaniappan Manickam, MD Gastroenterology

Jasminder Momi, MD Nephrology

Allen Morris, MD Cardiac/Thoracic Surgery

Deanne Nyland, MD Ear, Nose, & Throat

Christopher Olson, MD Family Medicine

Jennifer Overbey, MD Obstetrics & Gynecology

Ushir Patel, MD Nephrology

Roopinder Poonia, MD Nephrology

Ajay Ranade, MD General Surgery

J. Bianca Roberts, MD Family Medicine

Sameera Sandhu, MD Hospice & Palliative Medicine

Debby Sentana, MD Hospital Medicine

Gurvinder Shaheed, MD Hematology & Oncology

Kapil Sharma, MD Cardiac Surgery

Samer Shihabi, MD Hematology & Oncology

Shoab Siddique, MD Ear, Nose, & Throat

Karanjit Singh, MD Cardiology

Peter Skaff, MD Neurology

Jason Spears, DO Hospital Medicine

Christian Swanson, MD Breast Surgery & General Surgery

Jane Tsai, MD Internal Medicine

Trevor Williams, MD Thoracic Surgery

Jeffrey Yee, MD Hospice & Palliative Medicine

Jojet Zara, MD Family Medicine

Shuhao Zhang, MD Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Robert Zimmerman, MD Infectious Disease

For more information about our services and providers, please visit dhmf.org/dhmmg.

CEO Stefan Wanczyk PRESIDENT John Balardo

FOR ISSUES OF THE MAGAZINE

SUBSCRIPTIONS To establish a subscription or make changes to an existing subscription, please call (866) 660-6247 or go to sacmag.com/subscribe.

SINGLE COPIES AND BACK ISSUES

To purchase back issues, please call (866) 660-6247.

TO SUBMIT MATERIAL

STORY IDEAS Have you spotted something appropriate for editorial coverage in Sacramento Magazine? Please submit as much information as possible about the subject to Darlena Belushin McKay at darlena@sacmag.com. Keep in mind that we maintain a relatively strict local boundary— Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer and Yolo counties— and our lead times run long, with most issue lineups completed four months prior to publication.

WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS AND

ILLUSTRATORS If you are interested in contributing to Sacramento Magazine, please send information to (writers) Krista Minard, krista@sacmag.com or (photographers and illustrators) Gabriel Teague, gabriel@sacmag.com. Include a cover letter, résumé and links to previously published work.

ADVERTISING Interested in advertising or a digital media package? Please visit sacmag.com/advertise

PUBLISHED BY SACRAMENTO MEDIA LLC

ALSO PUBLISHED BY SACRAMENTO MEDIA LLC:

The Written Word

In summer 2012, I joined a group of others at a coworking space in midtown to concept a student writing workshop. The local literacy organization 916 Ink was in its infancy at the time—I believe founder Katie McCleary was running it primarily from her kitchen table—and it would be teaming with Visions in Education charter school to bring a new creative writing program to VIE’s high school students. The challenge before us: Come up with a curriculum that enabled true creativity to bloom in hearts and on the page, while teaching a bit of literary craft within an environment that felt psychologically safe to a broad mix of kids coming from all backgrounds. Called “Finding Your Voice,” that workshop brought some 25 or so teenagers into a classroom, where they wrote fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry every Friday morning all semester. I participated as a 916 Ink volunteer “Inspirator,” writing alongside the kids, providing feedback on their work (and sharing my own), then helping prepare their work for publication in the class anthology (a real, professionally designed book with an ISBN number). I continued in that volunteer position every semester until 2020.

My experience dovetails with two stories in this issue: Dorothy Rice’s piece about the local literary community (Dorothy was an Inspirator who wrote beside me the last couple years I volunteered at Ink) and Sena Christian’s story about finding a volunteer opportunity that’s the right fit. Start by finding your passion, Sena’s story suggests. For me, that was easy—at that point, my daughters and their friends were teenagers, and I enjoyed that age tremendously. (Yes, really!) Also, I was exploring the craft of fiction in my own creative writing endeavors. This made working with Ink and high school students the perfect fit for me. Not only did I bring a little bit of expertise to the writing table, but I learned so much from the others in the room—especially the kids, whose talent and creativity overwhelmed me every Friday. That, I believe, is the true magic in volunteering. It’s not just what you provide, but the way it fills your soul.

This issue also includes our annual Top Doctors list. I cheated a little this year. A reader emailed me in early November to tell me he was facing hip replacement surgery and ask if his doc was on this year’s list. I broke protocol and shared the information prior to publication. The answer was yes, so it was an easy reply. Even though there are plenty of great local docs who aren’t on the list, it’s always nice when someone facing the operating table discovers theirs is. Happy holidays!

KRISTA MINARD krista@sacmag.com

AND THERE’S MORE . . .

Coming soon, for newcomers and visitors, Explore Sacramento published by Sacramento Media— is a guest and relocation guide packed with information about the region. For copies, go to sacmag.com/ sacramento-guest-relocation-guide.

Sacramento Magazine’s free newsletter, The Daily Brief, goes to email subscribers every weekday. Catch the latest updates in dining, arts and entertainment, wine, recreation, health (including COVID case counts) and more. You’ll also find links to other community news and resources and social media posts that have caught our eye. Subscribe at sacmag.com/newsletters.

CONTRIBUTORS

Cathy Cassinos-Carr

“The best part about interviewing doctors is the surprising things they reveal,” says Cathy Cassinos-Carr, who regularly writes about health (among other things) for Sacramento Magazine. For this issue, she interviewed eight doctors in eight different specialties. “Every one of these doctors impressed me with their passion for the work,” she says. A lifelong journalist, Cathy has previously been a newspaper reporter and a magazine editor. She obsesses daily about food, music and cats.

Kelly Barr

An avid reader, artist Kelly Barr loves imagery related to writing, typography and books. “I wanted to show that even in the digital era, there’s nothing quite like a book you can hold in your hands, or picking up a pen to write your stories and ideas on paper,” says Kelly, who illustrated the story about Sacramento’s liter ary scene. She lives in Amador County with two small children. “I have a fully stocked bookshelf of favorite titles waiting for me.”

Nora Heston Tarte

As a travel journalist, Nora Heston Tarte has the opportunity to visit many distinct and captivating places. “One of my favorites has always been Las Vegas,” she says. “Not only does it have arguably the best food in the United States; the flashy lights, the prestige of performances and the sheer volume of activi ties available to visitors make every trip to Sin City feel different than the last. I’ve never gone and not discovered something new.”

’Tis the Season

On five nights in December, Nevada City’s downtown comes alive with Victorian Christmas. Gas lamps, period decorations, roasted chestnuts and costumed carolers help turn the streets into a magical rendition of Dickensera cheer. (But you can also get a selfie with Santa.) See page 21 for more info.

The 916

Nevada City Chamber

Holiday Fun

WHETHER YOU BELIEVE THE PANDEMIC IS OVER OR NOT, ONE THING SEEMS REAL: THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS IN FULL BLOOM IN THE SACRAMENTO REGION AFTER SEVERAL LESS-THAN-IDEAL HOLIDAYS. HOLIDAY SHOPPING, TREE LIGHTINGS AND CHILDREN’S FESTIVITIES FILL THE CALENDAR. SOME EVENTS HERE ARE OLDER THAN YOUR GRANDMOTHER; OTHERS ARE NEW CELEBRATIONS WITH A CONTEMPORARY FLAIR. CLEARLY, THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE. M. S. ENKOJI

THEATRE OF LIGHTS

(SACRAMENTO)

Downtown Sacramento’s holiday light show will return from Nov. 23 to Dec. 24 in Old Sacramento Waterfront, which will transform into a 19th century winter wonderland. Drawing thousands of people, the light display has made best-of lists in The Los Angeles Times and The Chicago Tribune. Light shows begin at 6 p.m. every evening. godowntownsac. com/holidays

DOCO HOLIDAY MAKERS MARKET (SACRAMENTO)

DOCO is partnering with River City Marketplace to transform DOCO plaza into an open-air market from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 17 in downtown Sacramento. Peruse local vendors’ and artisans’ holiday offerings while listening to holiday music. Looking for one-of-a-kind handcrafted gifts?

Jewelry, artwork, candles, bath and body products are some of the offerings. docosacramento.com

TWELVE DAYS OF MIDTOWN

(SACRAMENTO)

Explore the sprawling celebration that runs from Dec. 1 to 12 throughout Sacramento’s midtown, with hundreds of holiday promotions and treats. Every day, expect different goodies, like a pop-up bar, a chance to make a holiday craft or holiday performances. In years past, shoppers scored free holiday mugs with purchases or paused to sample a wintry vegan shake. exploremidtown.org

NATOMAS TREE

LIGHTING —The South Natomas Community Center throws open the doors this year for a tree-lighting celebration after a couple years of drivethrough events. The tree-lighting starts at 6 p.m. on Dec. 2. Sip hot chocolate while you browse community booths. Maybe shake hands with your councilmember or even the mayor, who have dropped in for past tree lightings. business.natomas chamber.org

ILLUMINATION HOLIDAY FESTIVAL

(ELK GROVE) —The festival from 1 to 6 p.m. on Dec. 3 will light up the city’s crown jewel, a 56-acre public space with a senior center, aquatic center and park. Known as Dictrict56, the complex will host the multicultural family celebration for the third year. Experience how other countries celebrate the holidays through the holiday marketplace, including food vendors. The Parade of Lights begins at 6 p.m., followed by the tree lighting of the contemporary Ribbon Tree, which resembles a giant ribbon in the shape of a tree. elkgrovecity.org

Theatre of Lights & Twelve Days of Midtown: Francisco Chavira / Illumination Festival: City of Elk Grove

NEVADA CITY VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS —Ever wanted to don Victorian winter wear for holiday shopping? Here’s your chance. The Nevada City Chamber of Commerce will present a throwback to another era on Dec. 4, 11 and 18 from 1:30 to 6 p.m. and Dec. 7 and 14 from 5 to 9 p.m. A Victorian experience under authentic gas lights with period decorations will feature costumed carolers and a chance to sample roasted chestnuts. About 100 vendors, also costumed, will offer crafts, gifts and food. Santa is available for selfies. You might see a walking toy soldier and a Christmas tree. Check out the display of a miniature Dickens Village in the Alpha Building windows at 210 Broad St. Parking is sparse. Shuttles will be available. nevadacitychamber.com

A CORNISH CHRISTMAS (GRASS VALLEY)

Want a little small-town charm during your holiday shop ping? Head up to Grass Valley for a Cornish Christmas, an homage to the early English immigrants who worked the local mines. Every Friday beginning Nov. 25 and run ning through Dec. 23 from 6 to 9 p.m., you can shop 100 small businesses downtown for the perfect gifts. As a Cornish choir serenades, enjoy food vendors and a visit with Santa Claus. downtowngrassvalley.com

OLD TOWN ELK GROVE DICKENS

STREET FAIRE —Elk Grove’s Old Town will kick off the holiday sea son from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 26 with craft ven dors, holiday music, food and shopping. Find spe cial activities for children in Tiny Tim Alley near the Old Town Plaza, includ ing story time with Mrs. Claus. The fair will be followed by a tree lighting at 6 p.m. at the corner of Elk Grove Boulevard and Walnut Avenue. Stay for hot cocoa and cookies for children with Santa and Mrs. Claus. dickens streetfaire.com

CHRISTMAS IN FAIR OAKS TREE

LIGHTING —For the second year, the Fair Oaks celebra tion will not feature a parade because of construction in the village, but festivities will move to Fair Oaks Park for the Dec. 3 tree lighting. From 2 to 6 p.m., live music, performances, craft vendors, games for children and food trucks will lead up to the big event. forpd.org

TREE GROVE AND NORTH POLE TAVERN (ROSE VILLE) —Stroll Vernon Street Town Square from Nov. 30 through Dec. 8 to see trees decorated by different organizations and businesses. Santa will be there, along with music and food vendors. The city’s tree on the square will be lit Dec. 1 between 6 and 8 p.m. For grown-ups, the North Pole Tavern opens on the square from 6 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 2. For $10 get six tastings of wine or beer. The evening benefits recreation pro grams for at-risk youth. roseville.ca.us

FOLSOM CHRISTMAS ARTS AND CRAFTS

FAIR —More than 200 vendors will line the streets of Folsom’s historic down town from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 4, rain or shine. Look for handmade crafts, listen to musicians and grab some food along the street where miners once shopped. The Folsom His toric District Association encourages shoppers to use light rail, which stops in Old Folsom. During the fair, passengers can ride for free on the Gold Line, which serves Folsom. Garage parking is $2 and will be limited. historic folsom.org

CREEK 45TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE

Head into nearby wine country be ginning at 5 p.m. Dec. 2 and 3 for an evening of browsing and shopping in this quaint Motherlode destination. On Dec. 3, come by the plaza for hot chocolate and a meet-up with Santa. sutter creek.org/suttercreek-amadorcounty-events

SUTTER

Green Light on Red Light

BY MARK BILLINGSLEY

Jennifer Sharp is not a serial entrepreneur. She’s not trying to capitalize on any weight-loss or health care fads. What she o ers is the same healing that she experienced three years ago after more than six years spent trying to recover from a terrible car crash.

Sharp and her husband, Christopher, own Enlighten Red Light Therapy Center o Fulton Avenue on the second floor of a nondescript, two-story o ce building. A decade ago, Jennifer, now 38, nearly died in the crash. She spent six years in and out of the hospital searching for pain relief and hoping to rise from her wheelchair. Then she found red light therapy.

“I struggled with pain and mobility, I had a lot of surgeries, I had depression and anxiety and I gained a lot weight,” she says. “I tried all types of di erent therapies, medications and procedures.”

Red light therapy is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Admin istration. The light-emitting diodes on the mats used at Enlighten, which opened in 2019, are set to the red wavelength, or to near infrared depending on the therapeutic need of the client, Jennifer says. The red light can penetrate up to two inches through skin, tissue, blood and bone. Two major ways the light then acts on the body are by increasing cells’ mitochondrial energy production and by building up cells’ anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory defense systems, according to Ari Whitten, M.S., author of “The Ultimate Guide to Red Light Therapy,” which cites 382 references on various aspects of the therapy.

“Most of us have what I call malillumination; we don’t get enough sunlight,” Christopher says. “We are like plants in a way, in that we are photoreceptive. Obviously, we don’t feed o the light like plants, but we heal o of the light. Isolating these (visible light) spectrums to benefit the function of the cell is more or less biohacking cellular modulation . . . and it works.”

We are bombarded by waves of energy from the sun, some invis ible such as infrared and ultra-violet light, but also visible light

within a spectrum that moves from the longest wavelength (red) to the shortest (blue and violet).

It was the red-light wavelengths that quickly lowered her inflam mation left over from the accident, Jennifer says. “All my energy was spent dealing with that inflammation,” she says. “The RLT eventually allowed my body to start tangibly healing. I went from a wheelchair, to a walker, to moving pain free without the walker. It strengthened my circadian rhythm so I was getting better sleep. It was just a cascade of benefits.”

Her clients pay $39 for an initial consultation and therapy sessions and, assuming they see results, can sign up for a variety of RLT packages. The RLT therapy sessions typically last 30 minutes with 10 minutes spent on a body vibration tool that looks like a pogo stick. The vibration helps with circulation and to stimulate the lymphatic system to flush out toxins, especially for those clients seeking weight-loss benefits, Sharp said.

For those battling insomnia or anxiety and depression, the Sharps utilize a face panel, a semi-circle of red LEDs that rests about six inches above a client’s head.

Karen Krueger travels from Woodland to Sacramento twice a week just for RLT. There are closer RLT centers, she says, but she likes the friendly approach and care she received from the Sharps in the nine months since her first consultation. Krueger says she was looking for alternative therapies for knee inflammation, her wrinkles and her weight.

“When I first started, I had to pull myself up the stairs to their o ce,” Krueger says. “Now I don’t. I have noticed a change in my face, my body composition and an improvement in my knees. I work out a lot, and I’ve really noticed a di erence in my muscle recovery times, and my strength has really improved a lot.”

Could this therapy help heal what ails you?

Jennifer Sharp treating a patient

THE RED LIGHT CAN PENETRATE UP TO TWO INCHES THROUGH SKIN, TISSUE, BLOOD AND BONE.

A Very Moorish Christmas

One of the city’s most distinctive historic houses will be open to the public as part of this year’s Sacred Heart Holiday Home Tour on the first weekend in December. The David Lubin House, a Moorish mansion on 39th Street at the edge of East Sac’s Fabulous 40s, is one of five homes that will be decorated for the holidays for the long-running tour.

The house was built in 1924 for the son of pioneer businessman David Lubin, who founded a mail-order business that later became known as the Weinstock-Lubin Company. The house—a fantasia of arabesque design, with a spire, domes and lots of elaborate metal grillwork— stands out in a sea of classic colonials, Tudors and Craftsman bungalows.

“It’s a unique home,” says interior designer and stager Taige Clark, who’s decorating the house for the tour with her business partner, Deborah Flye-Goto of SquareOne Staging and Design. One of the most unique features is an interior wooden slide that runs from an orchestra balcony to a ballroom below. Simon Lubin, the original homeowner, built the slide for his three kids; it is reputed to be so fast that the children had to sit on pillows to safely use it. The designers plan to place pillows covered in Moroccan textiles at the slide’s bottom. And in a nod to the house’s history, they’ll display historic photos and parts of an 1891 Weinstock-Lubin catalog. Their holiday décor will rely on lavish jewel tones, maps of Moroccan and, in the kitchen, a display of Moroccan spices. “We’re going over the top,” Clark promises. The Sacred Heart Holiday Home Tour takes place Dec. 2–4. Tickets are $30. For tickets or more information, go to sacredhearthometour.com/tickets. MARYBETH

BIZJAK

Tips To Steal

Holiday tours are great sources of holiday décor ideas. Several of the designers on this year’s Sacred Heart home tour shared their top tips for decorating for the holidays:

*Don’t decorate your tree with a mishmash of unrelated ornaments, says Taige Clark. Instead, invest in an assortment of baubles in various sizes but the same shape (balls, perhaps, or maybe tear drops). And use lots of them for big impact.

*Place greenery in unexpected places, like tucked into a bookshelf or behind a wall sconce. “You can make a really big impact without breaking the bank by using a lot of greenery,” says interior designer Katrina Stumbos. Don’t limit yourself to traditional evergreens; Stumbos likes to use magnolia leaves and olive branches.

*For a rustic twist on Christmas, designer Lauren Williams of Revive Design Co. suggests decorating your tree and mantel with wood bead garlands. To save a bit of money, she likes to weave faux greens into real evergreen garlands. And for a timeless holiday look, she says you can’t lose with lots of candles and all-white lights on the tree.

Eggnog Facts

BY REED PARSELL

As bewildering as it is to the rest of us, many people seem to sincerely look forward to drinking eggnog as part of their holiday celebrations. We appalled head-shakers point to the ingredients: “Eggs, egg yolk, sugar, milk, heavy cream and vanilla extract,” as identified by the Food Network. “It’s often spiked with brandy and topped with freshly grated nutmeg and/or cinnamon sticks.”

OK, there is probably a good defensive argument to be made about the brandy. This is the holiday season, after all. But what about the primary ingredients? Let us examine them one by one in the spirit of this column: How sustainable are they?

Eggs: Foodprint.org, which measures the impact of foods on the environment, animal welfare, farmworkers and consumers, reports that the average American eats 277 eggs a year. The good news for eggophiles is that such a staggeringly high amount of production is less environmentally destructive than it would be

SUSTAINABLE SAC

for most meats. Because of eggs’ delicacy, though, they require a lot of packaging.

Egg yolk: Elaborations on this subcategory would be a challenge, but online videos of commercial yolk-extraction machines suggest that the process includes substantial energy use and waste.

Sugar: The World Wildlife Fund says that it takes almost nine gallons of water to produce one teaspoon of sugar, and adds that “sugarcane production often pollutes freshwater ecosystems with silt and fertilizers washed from farms, as well as plant matter and chemical sludge from mills.” Furthermore: “Sugarcane covers 65 million acres of land worldwide, and a dozen countries use at least 25 percent of their farmland to grow it.”

Milk: Rather than describe dairy milk’s often-cited and shrugged-off negatives (related to deforestation, groundwater pollution, methane, human health and animal cruelty, among other dreadful things), maybe for the purposes of civility we could consider, for a moment, eggnog made with a plantbased milk. Which dairy alternative is best? According to The Guardian, hazelnut, soy and oat milks are the least-destructive

environmentally, with soy coming closest to matching dairy milk’s protein punch.

Heavy cream: This bovine product has all the negatives that milk does, but if you are craving a glass of cold comfort, consider this relatively upbeat passage that UC Davis animal-science expert Conor McCabe wrote a year ago: “What is the difference between the glass of milk you enjoy today and the one that your grandparents drank decades ago? While they may look and taste similar, the present day one has a much lower carbon, water, and land footprint. In short, it’s better for the environment than ever before.”

Vanilla extract: Sustainability-wise, vanilla is a bad-news, good-ish-news, notgreat-news kind of situation. Basically, vanilla beans are a very water-intensive crop (bad), more than 99 percent of the vanilla extract consumed globally is artificial (good-ish), and—according to treehugger.com—artificially produced vanilla extract “contains synthetically prepared products like guaiacol from wood pulp, petroleum, and other chemicals.” (Not great!)

So, in light of all that . . . hot apple cider, anyone?

Find your way back to the little things that matter.

Don’t let joint pain put life on hold or remove you from the day-to-day you once knew. When the pain is gone, the little things feel far more special—like enjoying your morning coffee with two sugars and no painkiller.

At Dignity Health, we can help show you the way back to the things you’ve been missing. Two of our hospitals are among only 17 in California certi ed by The Joint Commission for Advanced Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement, offering the highest quality of personalized care for a full range of conditions. Learn more about our services at DignityHealth.org/SacramentoOrtho

Explore

1222

inside: Vegas, baby!

Off The Strip

Las Vegas Boulevard isn’t the only thing to see while you’re in Sin City.

The Neon Museum, a graveyard for the neon signs of old Vegas

BY NORA HESTON TARTE

When it comes to visiting Las Vegas, The Strip (Las Vegas Boulevard) is usually the main attraction. With its high-rise casinos, opulent restaurants and streetside entertainment, it’s almost always a good time. But maybe you’re looking to get away from that particular hustle and bustle, or you want to explore a slightly less-touristy—or at least di erent— version of Vegas. There is plenty to see, do and taste away from the main stretch.

Fremont Street and Downtown Las Vegas—If you’ve ever asked a server or driver in Las Vegas their favorite place to dine or grab drinks, I bet they told you the locals tend to flock to Fremont Street and the surrounding down town area.

FREMONT STREET EXPERIENCE is akin to a “mini-strip.” It has the casinos, yardhigh frozen drinks, street entertainers and concert stages, all packed into a shorter stretch of blocks. A canopy shields the concrete, pedestrian-only walkway from the elements.

The Experience is also home to one of Las Vegas’ newest hotels. CIRCA RESORT & CASINO is a destination for sports fanat ics, with its huge indoor sports b ook and outdoor Stadium Swim pool. In the Stadium, a 40-foot-high LED screen plays the games of the day. (You’ll need viewing tickets during the larger sporting events.) There are also live table games, and you can find the daily spreads overhead onscreen when you’re ready to place your bets inside. The best part? This can all be accomplished from any of the six swimming pools, with a cocktail in hand. The hotel backs up to Fremont Street Experience, so you can walk out the casino entrance and into the mayhem. No children are allowed at this 21-and-over property.

The rest of Fremont Street Experience is a playground for visitors of all ages. Live music plays throughout the day on small stages. There’s also ax throwing, indoor go-kart racing and a movie prop museum filled with things like costumes from “Alien vs. Predator,” a fish finder from “Jaws” and Thor’s hammer from “Ragnarok,” along with original and replica movie props for sale. An eatery called HEART ATTACK GRILL requires diners to wear hospital gowns (provided by the res

taurant, of course), serves its alcohol in IV bags and grants free food to anyone who weighs in at more than 350 pounds.

Throughout the rest of downtown, which is undergoing a metamorphosis, you’ll find plenty of good food, much of it made by former casino restaurant chefs who decided to go out on their own.

THERAPY, which turns from a restaurant into a nightclub dubbed RELAPSE after hours, is known for its creative menu, with dishes like chicken and red velvet wa es.

CARSON KITCHEN serves caviartopped deviled eggs and wild boar tacos, and PEYOTE has a New American menu heavy on Mexican-inspired dishes and diet-friendly cuisine with options for soy chorizo and other vegan substitutes. Perhaps the easiest way to taste it all is on a

LIP SMACKING FOODIE TOUR , where you’ll visit four locations over two and a half hours, feasting on seasonal, farm-to-table fare at chef-driven hot spots.

Main Attractions—Several of Vegas’ highlights actually occur o The Strip. AREA15 is a neon playground housing arts production company Meow Wolf’s instal lation, dubbed OMEGA MART, where you can climb through grocery store freezers, skid down tunnel slides and drink at a secret bar. Outside of Omega Mart, art recovered from the Burning Man playa marks the entrance and, inside, the expe rience continues with black lights sur rounding a garden-themed bar. Business es o ering ax throwing, simulated golf and VR rides take up space between restaurants and retail shops.

DOWNTOWN CONTAINER PARK is another draw. Made entirely out of shipping containers, the shopping mall has everything from two-story restaurants and bars to small shops and an outdoor playground. In all, 45 shipping contain

ers of various sizes and colors were used to construct the park. At night, another piece of art, a large praying mantis atop a working vehicle, shoots fire from its antenna at the entrance.

After dark, THE NEON MUSEUM glitters. It also hosts tours during the day. It’s basi cally a graveyard for the neon signs of old Vegas, with everything from huge hotel marquees to those infamous dancing showgirls and cowboys. Inside, you can purchase your own piece of iconic Las Vegas with a bulb pulled from the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign or poker chips f rom a since-closed casino.

At THE MOB MUSEUM , learn the history of organized crime and law enforcement in all kinds of fun ways, including with

NATURE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY

Many know you can grab a fullday tour from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon or take a smaller sprint to Hoover Dam. But those aren’t the only places to soak up the great outdoors. Those who frequent the city may not even be aware that you are only about 30 minutes from RED ROCK CANYON NATIONAL CONSERVA TION AREA . Red Rock Canyon is a national reserve outside of the city. You can head out for yourself for hiking or climbing adven tures (either guided or on your own) or take a tour. PINK JEEP TOURS are a staple in the Southwest. You’ll be plucked from your hotel and caravanned in a pink Jeep to the gorgeous scenery just outside of city limits. This is one of the best ways to learn the Na tive American history of the area and get to many of the best viewpoints without planning a long hike. As an added bonus, the Red Rock Canyon visitors center is home to a gang of desert tortoises—Nevada’s state reptile— that have been rescued from nearby homes. (They are illegal to own in Clark County.)

YOU’LL BE PLUCKED FROM YOUR HOTEL AND CARAVANNED IN A PINK JEEP TO THE GORGEOUS SCENERY JUST OUTSIDE OF CITY LIMITS.

Fremont Street Experience

Laughlin

Barry’s at Circa Resort & Casino

Omega Mart, Meow Wolf’s art installation inside Area15

The secret room at The Underground Speakeasy & Distillery inside The Mob Museum

Peyote

Top row left: Anthony Mair; top row right: Kate Russell; middle row left: PC Pathfinder Productions; bottom row left: Giovanni Gagliardi/Adobe Stock

cameos from the big mobsters of the time period. After you’ve soaked up the experience, head downstairs to THE UNDERGROUND SPEAKEASY & DISTILLERY, where a small patch of wall gives way to a secret room. The presentations get creative: Some drinks arrive hidden in books, and gin-based cocktails are poured into minibathtubs as a nod to the Prohibition era.

Just barely o of The Strip, PALMS CASINO RESORT is one of the larger casinos apart from those on Las Vegas Boulevard. It has a storied history, including stints as the fi lming location of “The Real World: Las Vegas” and as the spot that formerly housed The Playboy Club. After about two years with its doors closed to the public, the property was sold and reopened this past April. The infamous GHOSTBAR is still on the 55th floor of the Ivory Tower, pro ering sparkling views of The Strip. Here you can enjoy your drink on the veranda or splurge on bottle service. A large opening ensures that even from “inside,” guests get the best views.

Next door to the entrance to GhostBar is SCOTCH 80 PRIME . A true casino steak-

house with white tablecloths and servers dressed in suits, this restaurant serves an over-the-top meal worth the price tag. Daring seafood towers and tomahawk steaks are just the beginning. The bone marrow and beef tartare will get you started, and a list of old fashioneds brings a hint of unexpectedness—and smoke— to the table. Insider tip: Don’t leave without dessert. The s’mores are wrapped in a ball of chocolate, melted tableside using real fi re, for a show that brings the Las Vegas experience right to you.

Laughlin, Nevada—About 90 minutes from Las Vegas sits the city of Laughlin. Designated as a resort town, it brings the same charms of The Strip (gambling and booze) to a laid-back locale. It feels more like the small Nevada towns speckled throughout the state, each of which boasts its own casino resorts. Laughlin provides a good time for people who want to partake in the Las Vegas lifestyle without hitting the big city.

What makes Laughlin stand out is its location on the Colorado River, which runs through town, enabling beach time

Avoid Artificial Knee Replacement

and water sports. Hop aboard the USS RIVERSIDE and get a guided tour. The tour picks up on the Riverwalk, a paved walking path that connects Laughlin’s handful of casinos, including a HARRAH’S Or choose to set out on your own by renting jet skis or kayaks.

A big upside to this neighboring town is the table limits for gambling. Instead of dropping $50 per hand, you can spend your day leisurely playing with $5 bills while you sip free liquor. If you want to take in the view, THE COVE inside of AQUARIUS CASINO RESORT sits right on the water and provides video poker, as well as food and drinks.

Surprising to many, the entertainment in Laughlin doesn’t play second fiddle to Vegas. Just this year, the area’s big venues— DON LAUGHLIN’S RIVERSIDE RESORT HOTEL AND CASINO , HARRAH’S LAUGHLIN BEACH RESORT and LAUGHLIN EVENT CENTER —have hosted big acts including Chris Young, Hall & Oates, Kid Rock and Sara Evans.

If you didn’t rent a car, hire AWG Ambassador for a chau eured day trip from Las Vegas to Laughlin.

Voted among the very best by our peers.

Congratulations to Dignity Health Woodland Clinic for connecting our communities to great health care and top doctors. We are humbled and honored to be recognized for our dedication to our patients.

Natasha Bir, MD General Surgery

Wanda Blaylark, MD Occupational Medicine

Carmine Cammarosano, MD Ophthalmology

Christie Carroll, MD Dermatology

Craighton Chin, MD Ear, Nose, & Throat

Angelina Crans Yoon, MD Allergy & Immunology

Shazia Faiz, MD Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism

John Forsyth, MD Occupational Medicine

Halima Karim, MD Neurology

Diana Lau, MD Rheumatology

Joyce Loeffler, MD Urology

Thomas Magrino, MD Colon & Rectal Surgery

Rajan Merchant, MD Allergy & Immunology

Dennis Meredith, MD Orthopedic Surgery

Kene Ofili, DPM Podiatry

Daniel Parker, MD Sports Medicine

Sonia Reichert, MD Hematology & Oncology

Seth Robinson, MD Critical Care Medicine & Pulmonary Disease

Sudershan Singh, MD Infectious Disease

Michael Starkweather, DPM Podiatry

Kevin Stokke, MD Cardiology

Hoang Tran, MD Hand Surgery

Jason Umphress, MD Gastroenterology

Karen Win-Vroom, MD General Surgery

Amira Zaid, MD Obstetrics & Gynecology

Matthew Zavod, MD Ear, Nose, & Throat

For more information about our services and providers, please visit dhmf.org/woodland, or call (530) 668-2600.

WOODLAND DAVIS

Woodland Clinic 632 West Gibson Road

Cottonwood Clinic Advanced Imaging & Surgery Center

Second & Third Floors 1321 Cottonwood Street

Cancer & Neurosciences Center

Haarberg Building 515 Fairchild Court

Woodland – Neurology 1119 Cottonwood Street

Railsback Clinic 1207 Fairchild Court

East Woodland Clinic East Woodland Urgent Care 2081 Bronze Star Drive

Davis Clinic 2330 W. CoveII Blvd.

Davis Specialty Clinic 2440 W. Covell Blvd.

time to gi ve

BY SENA CHRISTIAN PHOTOS BY TYLER MUSSETTER

Mary Terrell spent almost three decades in a demand ing career at a big corporation and was weeks away from retirement when a stranger sitting next to her at the hair salon asked an unsettling question: What were her retirement plans?

Terrell, who was retiring relatively young, planned to clean out some closets and sleep in. The stranger suggested she find a passion to pursue instead. “Oh, well, I don’t really have a passion because my passion has been the work I’ve done for the last 28 years since I was out of school,” Terrell recalls telling the woman. ‘‘‘Well,’ she said, ‘I would suggest you find something.’”

The exchange gave Terrell pause. She went home and sat down on the couch with her cockapoo, Misty, snuggled into her lap. “I’m sitting here thinking: What is my passion? What

Thinking of volunteering? Let your passions and skills lead you to the right fit.

do I love? I love this dog,” Terrell thought. “I know it sounds corny, but it’s the absolute truth.”

She had identified her passion and, since 2003, has de voted her time and energy to Placer SPCA, a companion animal welfare organization based in Roseville. She started as a part-time humane educator and retired from that posi tion in 2012, shifting into a volunteer role, first working with dogs and more recently handling administrative tasks.

If not for the involvement of volunteers like Terrell, who contribute labor, expertise and heart, nonprofit organizations would be hard pressed to achieve their missions. Volunteers often constitute a group of invaluable workers who steeply outnumber paid sta . Volunteerism improves the quality of life in our communities, says Holly Brown, program man ager of the nonprofit HandsOn Sacramento, The Regional

Center for Volunteerism, which provides a free volunteer website service engaging more than 8,000 volunteers for roughly 780 nonprofits and about 100 businesses and gov ernment agencies in the greater Sacramento region.

“This is a critical time for volunteers to engage,” Brown says. “More than serving one another, volunteerism contributes to the social capital of any given city [and] region.”

Taking the Initial Steps

Aspiring volunteers have options. They can tutor children, walk shelter animals, play music for hospice patients, hold babies in neonatal intensive care units, deliver food to peo ple who are unhoused, set up seasonal events or help with emergency response, such as medical professionals who

Mary and Dave Terrell volunteering at Placer SPCA

provide first aid at large public gatherings or sta shelters for people displaced by climate disasters like floods or wild fires—a growing need.

New volunteers typically first look for an organization whose mission aligns with their own passions. Next, many organizations require orientation and training. (Some have gone virtual or hybrid as a result of the pandemic.) Finger printing and a background check could be required.

More specialized training might follow, including for volunteers at Sacramento-based Meals on Wheels by ACC, who learn how to handle sensitive patient health informa tion. As court-mandated reporters, they also complete elder-abuse training. Volunteers for the home-delivered meals program then shadow existing drivers for at least two days, says volunteer services specialist Robin Smith.

The hospice program of Kaiser Permanente Northern California currently includes 27 active volunteers (down from pre-pandemic levels of around 60), all of whom submit ted an application and interviewed with the volunteer manager. A background check, drug screen, proof of vac cination, orientation and training follow for those selected to participate.

For Placer SPCA, training is dependent on the volunteer’s specific role. If someone wants to interact with dogs, for instance, they start with learning how to socialize a dog within the habitat. They advance to dog walking, which requires another virtual training and being paired up with a liaison volunteer for in-person lessons on campus. “Most of our volunteers have had pets in their life,” says Tami Schmitz, director of programs and volunteers. “They know how to walk the dog. But the whole point of this training is to make sure we’re all being consistent, handling the animals the same exact way.”

Organizations aim to set realistic expectations with new volunteers early on about the commitment involved, says Placer SPCA chief executive o cer Leilani Fratis, who started her career in animal welfare as a volunteer on Saturdays. She declined fun weekend invitations to honor the commit ment. “It’s not to say that volunteering is going to take up your entire life . . . but I think you do need to think about how you’re going to carve out that time,” says Fratis, whose organization requires a minimum of four hours per month for six months to keep a volunteer active.

Separately from HandsOn Sacramento, Brown is also responsible for coordinating volunteers and organizations for active disasters and emergency food and shelter programs for the Sacramento region. Wildfire emergencies kept her swamped during late summer and early fall working with the Sacramento County O ce of Emergency Services. She says spontaneous volunteers—those who respond to a call to help without having formal training—have become a significant need in the wake of more frequent or severe wildfires, floods, earthquakes, pandemics and severe weather. Vetted volunteerism also remains critical, she says, referring to trained teams ready to deploy, such as volunteers with the American Red Cross or The Salvation Army.

Volunteer opportunities, however, do exist for those who can’t or don’t want to make unpaid work a regular item on their to-do list. The Davis Community Garden on Fifth Street, for instance, needs up to 10 volunteers every other week to help with weeding, mulching and beautification projects in the garden’s public spaces, says city of Davis volunteer program coordinator Kellie Vitaich. And while she might appreciate people bringing their own gardening gloves, no prior training, background check or ongoing com mitment is requested. There’s just a simple waiver to sign.

Finding the Right Organizational Fit

Celia Nicolos, an Elk Grove resident and volunteer at Sac ramento-based Saint John’s Program for Real Change, which serves women in crisis and their children, says incorporating volunteer hours into her weekly routine has been critical to her honoring the commitment. “I’ve just made it a complete priority,” she explains.

When the youngest of Nicolos’ five children graduated from high school in 2018, the empty nester realized she could give her newfound time to a nonprofit. The former soccer mom, as she describes herself, then in her late 50s, could also put her familiarity in a kitchen to use. She had cooked a lot of meals for her kids over the years.

Holly Brown (far right), who received the 2022 Volunteer Manager of the Year award from Directors of Volunteers in Agencies, with other notable volunteers in the community

Spontaneous volunteers have become a significant need in the wake of more frequent or severe wildfires‚, floods‚ earthquakes‚ pandemics and severe weather.

Bill Taylor

At Saint John’s, she chops fruits and vegetables and helps prep lunches for the residents—anything to reduce the workload of sta . “They have a fabulous, very hardworking chef there, and I see it as my duty, as with the other volunteers that come in and out of the kitchen, to make his job easier,” she says. But she gets something out of the arrangement, too: “You just feel really good when you help other people. It feeds our souls.”

Nicolos says her Christian faith immediately drew her to Saint John’s, which started in 1985 as an emergency shelter of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Sacramento. For others, fi nding the right organizational fit can take trial and error, but people shouldn’t be deterred if they don’t think they possess the perfect skill set or if they have a physical or other type of limitation.

Placer SPCA, for example, has a contingent of seniors who walk dogs, but only appropriate ones—not a 30-pounder who pulls on a leash, but perhaps a 10-pound, well-trained terrier. Volunteers also sta the Placer SPCA Thrift Store in Roseville, which relies on up to 90 volunteers to sort donations, welcome customers and work the register. For the organization’s 600 to 675 registered volunteers, other roles include fostering animals, socializing cats and dogs, o ce work and helping at fundraisers or mobile events, Schmitz says.

Similarly, Meals on Wheels’ Smith says that if people have a particular strength, they’ll fi nd a way to make it work.

Some volunteers perform vehicle maintenance, handle newsletter communications or call participants who may be lonely to o er a friendly check-in. Before the pandemic, Meals on Wheels by ACC had 250 to 500 volunteers. The roster now includes 180 drivers. The organization could use more: Currently, there’s a waitlist of about 1,000 people needing services. Drivers do much more than deliver hot and frozen meals to the roughly 1,700 people in the homedelivered meals program.

“We really rely on our volunteers to build relationships with our participants,” Smith says. “Almost all of our participants on the home-delivered meal program are isolated, frail and homebound with little to no outside support. So really their drivers are the only person that some of them see and talk to on any given day, and that driver is building up that rapport with them.”

The participant gets social interaction, and the volunteer can watch for changes in cognitive or physical abilities, Smith says. As the volunteer makes polite conversation, they’re also checking to see if the senior suddenly lost 15 pounds or went from alert to confused. Volunteers visually scan for bruises or wounds. They listen for anything disconcerting, like if the participant says her paid caregiver hasn’t been showing up.

It’s a hefty responsibility and means volunteers act as advocates, speaking up for the participants and their needs so the organization can better serve them.

At Saint John’s Program for Real Change, Celia Nicolos helps prepare lunches for program residents.

A Meals on Wheels by ACC volunteer delivers food to a veteran.

Mary DuBose began volunteering for the hospice program of Kaiser Permanente Northern California in 2011, shortly after retiring as an attorney. Her duties vary from patient to patient, and she says flexibility is a much-needed quality in those who work with hospice patients, who have a life expectancy of six months or less. She may sit and watch television with a patient, or they may play dominoes together. While some patients are ambulatory and want to talk, others are bedridden and prefer silence.

“You just kind of go with the flow and put into action those listening skills and empathy, and look toward the patient and his or her family for your direction as to what you’re going to be doing,” DuBose says.

Vance Purcell, the home health and hospice service director for Kaiser Permanente Northern California, says patient care volunteers provide emotional support and practical assistance to patients and their families, which can include companionship, listening, reading and light housekeeping. He also needs volunteers to run errands, make patient checkin calls and assist with anticipatory grief counseling and bereavement support for the families.

While hard skills can be useful, Purcell’s program needs volunteers with qualities much harder to teach: empathy, compassion, kindness and a willingness to lend an ear. “It really takes somebody special to want to be there in these very di cult times,” he says. “Every experience through hospice is di erent, every patient’s experience, every family’s experience, and it’s really important to have people that are there to support people as they live out their last days.”

“The Heart and Soul” of an Organization

During the summer, employees of local construction company Teichert visited Saint John’s to help out. One time, it was a team of about 40 volunteers for a facility improvement project; another time, about eight volunteers served dinner to women in the program. Volunteer contributions from individuals and companies over the past year probably accounted for a quarter of a million dollars of improvements and repairs that the organization did not have to directly pay for, says CEO Julie Hirota. “So it’s huge.”

Volunteerism helps mitigate the cost of sta ng for onetime needs, like facility improvements, and ongoing needs, such as work in the donation warehouse or assistance in the child care center, all to help the nonprofit’s overall goal of serving more than 500 people annually, about half of whom are children. Before the pandemic, Saint John’s had roughly 450 registered volunteers, a number that has sharply dropped since 2020, although interest is rising again, Hirota says.

Smith, of Meals on Wheels by ACC, says volunteer contributions directly result in cost savings and a better product. She points to how the organization recently switched vendors for its home-delivered meals program to Brick House in Elk Grove, which prepares restaurant-quality frozen and hot meals (following certain nutritional standards).

The nonprofit 916 Ink in Sacramento had 80 volunteers who provided critical support in the past school year, says executive director Ian Hadley. Most volunteers work

one-on-one with students or help get their writing ready for publication. He says volunteers are “the heart and soul” of the organization. Right now, 916 Ink could use at least 120 volunteers to accommodate the significant expansion of its creative writing and reading tutoring programs, Hadley says.

“We simply would not be able to have the same level of impact on our students’ academic and social-emotional jour neys without our community volunteers,” Hadley says. “Everything that we do at Ink is centered around people giving of themselves to positively influence young people who need our attention, our time and our commitment.”

Meanwhile, at Kaiser Permanente, hospice volunteers are part of a terminal patient’s interdisciplinary team, which includes physicians, nurses, other clinicians and pharmacists. They all come together to talk about the total care of the patient; insight provided by the volunteer is crucial to this process, Purcell says.

For Placer SPCA, Fratis estimates volunteers contribute up to 100,000 hours a year doing work that ensures the animals get quality care and attention. But more volunteers are needed, as there are always more tasks to be done. “We’re in constant triage,” she says. “We don’t know what to expect every day, and so we remain busy at all times.”

Nonprofits benefit significantly from the involvement of volunteers, but the converse is also true. When Mary Terrell’s husband, Dave Terrell, retired after 30 years as a repairman for Xerox, he faced the same dilemma his wife did on the eve of her own retirement. “I was encouraging him to get involved in something, because sitting around the house all day is not good, not productive and not a way to live,” Mary says.

Since 2006, Dave has been both a part-time paid handy man for Placer SPCA and a volunteer. Today, he assists with the Pet Mobile a couple times a month, along with helping around the center, doing laundry and cleaning, working at the thrift store and taking care of whatever else is needed. His favorite part is when an animal gets adopted. “[It’s] very satisfying when you’re able to get that dog, cat, rabbit to a good home,” he says. “The animals and the people—they’re just so happy when they leave.”

The Terrells got Misty when she was about 8 years old from someone who could no longer take care of her. Mary still wonders, if Misty hadn’t jumped into her lap that one after noon, whether she and Dave would have ever connected with Placer SPCA. They have now spent years as volunteers, doing work that matters for an organization they deeply value.

The Terrells say they see this same passion in their peers. Volunteers stepped up big time during the Mosquito Fire in September to help procure, sort and transport donations for animals in the care of Placer County Animal Services, which handled more than 400 evacuated pets, Fratis says. Evacuees with their pets could also pick up donated supplies from the Placer SPCA community center in Roseville, which volunteers assisted with.

That same month, steady rains hammered the area for a couple of days. That didn’t scare o the Placer SPCA volun teers. “These dog walkers never stopped,” Mary Terrell says. “They’re like, OK, we’ll break out the umbrellas. Let’s keep going. We’ve got to get these dogs out.”

Dave and Mary Terrell

At Kaiser Permanente, hospice volunteers are part of a terminal patient’s interdisciplinary team‚ which includes physicians‚ nurses‚ other clinicians and pharmacists.

Kaiser Permanente’s Vance Purcell

Write On

WHILE SACRAMENTO MIGHT NOT Q UITE QUALIFY AS A CITY OF LITERATURE, IT’S GOT LOTS TO OFFER ITS CREATIVE WRITERS.

BY DOROTHY RICE ARTWORK BY KELLY BARR

Is Sacramento poised to join Iowa City and Seattle as the third UNESCO City of Literature in the United States, joining Edinburgh, Prague and Barcelona in the International Creative Cities Network?

In a word, no.

Nonetheless, the River City has plenty to o er its creative writers. A review of the criteria for applying to be designated a City of Literature—which include the presence of independent bookstores, cultural diversity, literary organizations and events, libraries and colleges—shows that we check many of the boxes. Additionally, an informal survey of area writers of varied ages, genres and stages in their writing practice revealed what they value about the Sacramento writing community, and what they think we lack.

Note: While this article relates to “creative” writing, which includes fiction, poetry and narrative nonfiction but not journalism and traditional nonfiction, much of its information may interest any writer. The term “creative” is used for clarity regarding this article’s scope, not to imply other types of writing aren’t creative.

Finding a Writing Community

When I retired from 35 years in state government to pursue my dream of becoming a published writer, find ing other writers to help me navigate new, unknown terrain was challenging. Now that it’s been over a decade, a frequent lament I hear from new writer friends goes something like this: “There’s nothing in Sacramento. I have to drive to the Bay Area for anything worthwhile.”

So how did I and other area writers find community? You know what they say about Sacramento being two hours from anywhere you’d rather be? The same could be said about the writing universe. It may sound like I’m about to agree that we’re a cultural backwater. Hold that thought.

Many area writers found people from their Sacra mento community at the Napa Valley Writers Conference (I met my writing partner there), Community of Writ ers (Olympic Valley), San Francisco Writers Conference, Sonoma County Writers Camp, Book Passage Mystery Conference (Corte Madera), Lit Camp (Bay Area/Men docino County) and others. Sometimes you have to leave town to find someone who was back home all along. For others, the area’s colleges and universities have been the golden ticket. The creative writing classes o ered by the LOS RIOS COMMUNITY COLLEGE campuses are accessible, reasonably priced and high value. And for older adults, both THE RENAISSANCE SOCIETY , under the Sacramento State university umbrella, and the UC DAVIS EXTENSION PROGRAM’S OSHER LIFELONG LEARNING

o er seminars, events and courses including memoir, fiction and general writing workshops, as well as book discussion groups.

After retirement, I enrolled in every community college creative writing class I could fit into my schedule. The classes and professors were great. Just as importantly, I met other writers. One invited me to join their writing group. Members of that group introduced me to Jan Haag, who facilitates AMHERST WRITERS AND AUTHORS (AWA) method workshops in the loft at the Sacramento Poetry Center. Writers from that group got me interested in 916 INK , an inspiring youth literacy nonprofit that uses the AWA method in its writing curriculum. Soon I was volunteering as an “Inspirator,” writing alongside students, and then working for 916 Ink. Synergy in action!

Other Workshops and Classes

A number of local writers have organized writing opportunities. Some examples: JAN HAAG provides periodic AWA trainings in the area each year, as well as her own AWA workshops (by invitation) and private coaching. MORE TO THE STORY is an online book coaching program for nonfiction authors with Janna Marlies Maron. JOEY GARCIA works with authors as a book coach and on platform building and media relations. GINI GROSSENBACHER and her ELK GROVE WRITERS & ARTISTS group o er workshops, classes and coaching. SANDS HALL , based in Nevada City, and long a liated with the COMMUNITY OF WRITERS , provides online classes and workshops, and is a pleasure to work with, a combination of encouraging and challenging.

There are also a number of local writing organizations. The oldest and broadest in scope is the

SACRAMENTO BRANCH OF THE CALIFORNIA WRITERS CLUB , a resource and networking hub for writers in all genres and stages of their writing journey. There are also specific organizations for mystery writers (CAPITOL CRIMES , the Sacramento chapter of the international Sisters in Crime), NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ROMANCE WRITERS (currently meeting online), NORTHERN CALIFORNIA PUBLISHERS AND AUTHORS , SACRAMENTO SUBURBAN WRITERS (which meets monthly in Fair Oaks) and GOLD COUNTRY WRITERS , with monthly meetings in Auburn. Check out their individual websites for further information on o erings and membership requirements.

The nonprofit ELK GROVE WRITERS GUILD (not exclusive to Elk Grove), founded by Loy Holder, has been bringing speakers, classes and a weekly writers workshop to Elk Grove for years. Holder orchestrated the fi rst ELK GROVE WRITERS CONFERENCE in 2018 and a second in 2022 (after a two-year pandemic hiatus). A third is scheduled for September 2023.

BLACK WOMEN WRITE —founded in 2018 by Stephanie McLemore Bray—is a community of Sacramento writers committed to celebrating and uplifting Black women’s voices through storytelling. The group, which prior to the pandemic met at UNDERGROUND BOOKS in Oak Park, now meets monthly online and hopes to return to in-person meetings in the near future.

Getting Published

Some of our area colleges publish literary journals, including American River College’s award-winning AMERICAN RIVER REVIEW and Sacramento State’s CALAVERAS STATION (which is accepting student submissions for its Spring 2023 issue through Dec. 10). Some campuses o er a class where students curate journal content and can submit their work for consideration (a path to that fi rst publication credit). While most of these college journals accept only student work, UC Davis’s OPEN CEILINGS considers work from nonstudent writers.

On the topic of literary journals, a shout-out to Sacramento’s UNDER THE GUM TREE and TULE REVIEW. UTGT is a quarterly full-color print (and online) nonfiction and visual arts magazine. Editor/publisher Janna Marlies Maron started UTGT in 2008 and has never wavered from the promise of “true stories, real art, no shame.” The Sacramento Poetry Center has been publishing Tule Review annually since 2009, showcasing new and award-winning poets from the region and nationwide. Check both publications’ websites for submission guidelines.

After two years of quarantine and Netflix bingeing at home, poetry open mics, book launches and drop-in writing opportunities are cropping up everywhere.

NOT JUST FOR KIDS

While 916 INK ’s programming is for kids grades 3 through 12, adult writers benefit too, by volunteering to write with and encourage students during workshops, typing and editing the stories that are transformed into one-of-a-kind books, and by donating. If you haven’t attended an event in the Imaginarium, 916 Ink’s whimsical writing space, it’s available to rent for events. (Perhaps your book launch?)

Where To Listen

LUNA’S CAFÉ & JUICE BAR has the longest-running open mic poetry reading series in Northern California, featuring the best in spoken word, poetry and music every Thursday evening since 1995. Perch on a stool at the counter or at one of the tables facing the stage and enjoy a glass of wine or the best fresh-fruit licuado in town.

The SACRAMENTO POETRY CENTER has been a literary arts resource and hub since 1979, bringing diverse poets to local audiences and providing classes, workshops, performances and regular open mic opportunities. The POETRY NIGHT READING SERIES , hosted by Andy Jones at the John Natsoulas Gallery in Davis, happens the fi rst and third Thursday of every month with a featured reader at 8 p.m., followed by an open mic segment. DR. ANDY’S POETRY & TECHNOLOGY HOUR airs on KDVS Davis every Wednesday at 5 p.m., live and via podcast, featuring interviews with writers, poets and innovative thinkers from the local and international artistic communities since 2000—an eclectic mix!

Since 2008, STORIES ON STAGE SACRAMENTO has brought local and nationally acclaimed authors and actors together for live performances of today’s best prose, now at the Auditorium at the E. Claire Raley Studios for the Performing Arts. Founded by Valerie Fioravanti, managed for years by Sue Staats (who continues to bring her home-baked cookies to the shows, gratis) and most recently by Dorothy Rice (that’s me) and Shelley BlantonStroud, SOSS will undergo a baton pass for 2023 and beyond, when Joshua (p joshua) and Jessica Laskey assume the helm. Sister program STORIES ON STAGE DAVIS , founded in 2013 and managed by Suzanne Bardasz and Emily Masuda with performances at the Pence Gallery in Davis, follows a similar format.

What We’re Missing

What do Sacramento writers wish we had more of? A book festival or conference. Many miss Summer Words, a multiday creative writing event that was o ered by American River College from 2012 through 2016.

Area writers would also like to see a creative writing “center” in Sacramento, akin to San Francisco’s Writers Grotto and Page Street (a coworking space for writers operated by Lit Camp), Seattle’s Hugo House or Write Around Portland. These are actual physical spaces that o er classes, workshops, communal workspace for writers, sponsored readings, special events, conferences and community involvement.

The two things our writers say they want most—a book festival/conference (or two or three) and a literary center/space—also happen to be missing from Sacramento’s checklist for a successful application to become a City of Literature.

Yet where the literary arts are concerned, the Sacramento landscape continues to evolve. Despite the pandemic, despite the economic downturn in other sectors, new independent bookstores continue to take their chances here, becoming neighborhood hubs for writing groups, book clubs and, of course, book and gift buying. (That season is upon us, folks!)

As for Stories on Stage, we couldn’t be more proud of the talent we’ve been able to bring to the stage, both homegrown and of the New York Times best-selling variety. And, after two years of quarantine and Netfl ix bingeing at home, poetry open mics, book launches, drop-in writing opportunities and more are cropping up everywhere, far too many to include here. You might fi nd just the group or event you’re looking for tacked to the bulletin board at your favorite bookstore or co ee shop, or you may be inspired to start it yourself.

TOP DOCTORS

They are the heroes of health care. They are the champions of wellness. Their careers are all about keeping you and your loved ones in the best physical and mental shape possible. They are the region’s Top Doctors, selected through a formal process similar to the peer-to-peer process doctors themselves use to connect their patients to the right specialists. Professional Research Services, LLC conducted our survey, verifying each doctor’s credentials and specific areas of expertise. To learn more about the process, go to prscom.com.

We also asked eight of the physicians to share their insights on subjects ranging from neonatal medicine to geriatrics.

Addiction Medicine

ALICIA AGNOLI

UC Davis Health - Family and Community Medicine (916) 734-3630

ANGELLA A. BARR

Chemical Dependency Treatment Associates (916) 333-5955

CHRISTINE R. BELL C.O.R.E. Medical Clinic, Inc. (916) 442-4985

DANIEL K. COLBY

UC Davis Health - Emergency Medicine Department (916) 734-3790

ALOK KRISHNA

Family Medical Clinic of Greater Sacramento, (916) 569-8585

MARTIN LEAMON

UC Davis Health - Addiction Medicine, (916) 703-5660

ALLISON MEISNER

Kaiser PermanenteSacramento Medical Center, (916) 482-1132

AIMEE MOULIN

UC Davis Health - Emergency

Medicine Department (916) 734-5010

MICHAEL S. PARR Chemical Dependency Treatment Associates (916) 333-5955

MANU SAINI

Kaiser PermanenteSacramento Medical Center (916) 482-1132

JOANNA C. SHEPHERD

Kaiser PermanenteSacramento Medical Center (916) 482-1132

CHRISTOPHER ZEGERS

Kaiser PermanenteSacramento Medical Center (916) 482-1132

Adolescent Medicine

SCOTT CHARLES BUDD

Sutter Medical, (916) 924-9337

LAURA M. KESTER PRAKASH

UC Davis Health - Pediatrics (916) 734-3112

CINDY SCHORZMAN

UC Davis Student Health and Counseling Services (530) 752-2304

Allergy and Immunology

MATTHEW S. BOWDISH

The Allergy Center at Sacramento Ear, Nose & Throat, (916) 736-6644

BRADLEY CHIPPS

Capital Allergy & Respiratory Disease Center (916) 453-8696

ANGELINA M. CRANS YOON

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-7288

SEAN G. DEANE

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 627-7500

VICTORIA R. DIMITRIADES

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Allergy and Rheumatology, (916) 734-3112

GORDON GARCIA

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 627-7500

MUDITA GOGNA

Sutter Health - Sutter Capitol Pavilion ENT & Audiology (916) 736-6644

MARK I. GRIJNSZTEIN

Sutter Medical Plaza Elk Grove (916) 478-6555

ROSEMARY L. HALLETT

UC Davis Health - Allergy and Rheumatology (916) 783-7109

MARC D. IKEDA

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 627-7500

SYEDA R. INAMDAR

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 691-8581

NAYOUNG KIM

Kaiser Permanente - Rancho Cordova Medical Offices (916) 631-3088

ARVIND KUMAR

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Riverside Medical Offices (916) 784-4220

BINITA MANDAL

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 560-0165

RAJAN MERCHANT

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-0357

TRAVIS A. MILLER

The Allergy Station (916) 238-6238

ANH P. NGUYEN

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Allergy and Rheumatology, (916) 734-3112

NEIL G. PARIKH

Capital Allergy & Respiratory Disease Center, (916) 453-8696

CHIRAAG S. PATEL

Granite Bay Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, (916) 771-2531

TROY SCRIBNER

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Riverside Medical Offices (916) 784-4220

SUZANNE S. TEUBER

UC Davis Health - Allergy and Rheumatology, (916) 734-2737

RANI VATTI

Kaiser PermanenteSacramento Medical Center (916) 480-6500

Anesthesiology

RICHARD L. APPLEGATE II UC Davis HealthAnesthesiology, (916) 734-5048

SHANTHI ARIBINDI

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2520

The professionals listed herein were selected by their peers in a survey conducted by Professional Research Services Company of Troy, Michigan. Professionals may be screened and selected through the verification of licensing and review of any infractions through various applicable boards, agencies and rating services. For further information visit prscom.com or email PRS at sshevin@hour-media.com. To purchase Top Doctors plaques, please see prsawards.com.

PHOTOS BY TIM ENGLE STORIES BY CATHY CASSINOS-CARR

Shivani Bhutani, M.D.

ANITHA AYYALAPU

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2520

CHRISTINE R. BELL

C.O.R.E. Medical Clinic, Inc. (916) 442-4985

DAVID A. CAIN

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5000

GREGORY M. COX

Sutter Health, (916) 481-0777

DOUGLAS E. CROCKETT

Sutter Health, (916) 481-6800

KARYN D’ADDIO-RILEY

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5000

RAJVINDER S. DHAMRAIT

UC Davis Health - Anesthesiology (916) 734-5031

ROBERT F. DONG

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2520

RICHARD W. DUNBAR

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4000

VIKEN FARAJIAN

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4000

JOHN P. HENAO

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4000

AMARDEEP S. HEYER

C.A.S.E. Medical Group (800) 642-6040

RUBEN G. KOSHY

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2520

ROBERT SCOTT KRISS

UC Davis Health - Anesthesiology (916) 734-5031

SUNGEUN LEE

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center (916) 784-4000

SETH LERNER

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2520

NIROOP R. RAVULA

UC Davis Health - Anesthesiology (916) 734-5031

CATHERINE WHANG

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4000

Breast Surgery

CATHERINE M. BAKER

Sutter Health, (916) 878-4950

YONA BARASH

Sutter Health - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 863-1805

RICHARD J. BOLD

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

CLAUDIA DEYOUNG

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2014

JOELLE L. JAKOBSEN

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 351-4800

JAMES LEHRER

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5235

JASON LONDEREE

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5235

MELINDA MORTENSON

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5235

BRIE NARDY

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4144

CANDICE A. SAUDER

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

MICHAEL G. SCHLIEMAN

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2014

CHRISTIAN SWANSON

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 351-4800

BROOKE VUONG

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2014

Cardiac Surgery

ZACHARY E. BREWER

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 733-6850

MICHAEL CHOW

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 733-4100

SABRINA A. EVANS

UC Davis Medical CenterCardiothoracic Surgery (800) 282-3284

JOSEPH HUH

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 733-4100

MICHAEL T. INGRAM SR.

Sutter Health - Buhler Specialty Pavilion, (916) 887-4845

ROBERT KINCADE

Sutter Health, (916) 887-4845

ALLEN MORRIS

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 546-5107

TEIMOUR NASIROV

Sutter Health, (916) 340-0111

GARY W. RAFF

Shriners Hospital for Children (916) 453-2191

VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ

UC Davis Medical CenterCardiothoracic Surgery (916) 734-2680

KAPIL SHARMA

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 545-5107

HENRY ZHU

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 733-4100

Cardiology

ROHIT BHASKAR

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 735-4992

RADHIKA N. BUKKAPATNAM

UC Davis Health - Cardiovascular Medicine, (916) 783-7109

HOWARD H. DINH

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-4000

RICHARD P. ERICSON

Sutter Health, (916) 887-4040

DALI FAN

UC Davis Health - Cardiovascular Medicine, (800) 348-0499

KRISZTIAN KAPINYA

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5282

ANURADHA KHURANA

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-5657

PETER S. KIM

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5282

ROBERT KIRCHNER

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-5657

RISHI A. MENON Sutter Health, (916) 782-2146

PETER MILES

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-4000

SANDEEP MITTAL

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-5657

NAVIN NAKRA

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-5657

STEPHEN PETERS

Sutter Health - Roseville Cardiologists, (916) 782-2146

FEMI PHILIP

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-5657

DAVID K. ROBERTS III Sutter Health, (916) 887-4040

HARN-CHERNG SHIUE

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-5657

GAGAN D. SINGH

UC Davis Health - Cardiovascular Medicine, (916) 734-3761

KARANJIT SINGH

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 735-4129

THOMAS SMITH

UC Davis Health - Cardiovascular Medicine, (800) 282-3284

JEFFREY A. SOUTHARD

UC Davis Health - Cardiovascular Medicine, (800) 282-3284

UMA N. SRIVATSA

UC Davis Health - Cardiovascular Medicine, (916) 734-3761

KEVIN STOKKE

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-0357

NEELIMA VALLURUPALLI

Sutter Health - Buhler Specialty Pavilion, (916) 887-4040

GARRETT B. WONG

UC Davis Health - Cardiovascular Medicine, (916) 734-3761

ZI-JIAN XU

Sutter Health, (916) 887-4040

SANJAY V. YADLAPALLI

Sutter Health, (916) 782-2146

YINGBO YANG

Sutter Health, (916) 887-4040

ZOE YU

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-4000

Colon and Rectal Surgery

JAMES M. CONNER

Sacramento Colon and Rectal Surgery Medical Group Inc. (916) 231-1050

BURZEEN E. KARANJAWALA

Sacramento Colon and Rectal Surgery Medical Group Inc. (916) 231-1050

THOMAS MAGRINO

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-0357

DANIEL SHIBRU

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2014

JEANNE YU

Sacramento Colon and Rectal Surgery Medical Group Inc. (916) 231-1050

Critical Care Medicine and Pulmonary Disease

JASON Y. ADAMS

UC Davis Health-Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care (916) 734-8230

MUHAMMAD AFZAL

Pulmonary Medicine Associates (916) 325-1040

SHAWN S. AGHILI

Pulmonary Medicine Associates (916) 786-7498

SHERRY M. ANDREWS

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-5375

PARIMAL THAKORBHAI BHARUCHA

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 537-5000

HUGH BLACK

UC Davis Health-Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care (916) 734-8230

KAPIL DHAWAN

Pulmonary Medicine Associates (916) 325-1040

SAMJOT DHILLON

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-5375

DARSHAN R DHINGANI

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 512-6262

ALI GHIAS

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-5375

JEFFRY H. JONES

Sutter Health, (916) 925-2096

BROOKS T. KUHN

UC Davis Health-Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care (916) 734-8230

YUEN W. KWAN

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-4821

FRANCIS LAM

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-4821

PETEY LAO

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-4821

SAMUEL LOUIE

UC Davis Health-Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care (916) 734-8230

GREGORY MARELICH

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-4821

SUSAN MURIN

UC Davis Health-Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care (916) 734-7131

DAN-VINH P. NGUYEN

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-4821

CHINH T. PHAN

UC Davis Health-Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care (916) 734-8230

SETH ROBINSON

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-0021

CHRISTIAN SANDROCK

UC Davis Health-Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care (800) 282-3284

CHRISTIAN M. SEBAT

UC Davis Health-Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care (916) 985-9300

WALTER SHAKESPEARE

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-5375

SHAJI D. SKARIA

Shaji D. Skaria, MD Private Practice (916) 865-4668

ERNEST PIERCE STEWART

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-4821

NICHOLAS S. STOLLENWERK

UC Davis Health-Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care (916) 734-8230

BRENT E. VAN HOOZEN

Sutter Health, (916) 679-3590

VANESSA JANE WALKER Sutter Health, (916) 679-3590

AMIR A. ZEKI

UC Davis Health-Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care (916) 734-8230

Dermatology

OMA N. AGBAI

UC Davis Health - Dermatology (916) 734-6111

MIRZA A. ALIKHAN

Sutter Medical Group Dermatology (916) 733-3792

SMITA AWASTHI

UC Davis Health - DermatologyPediatric, (916) 734-6111

SUSAN L. BOONE

Kaiser PermanenteElk Grove Big Horn Medical Offices (916) 478-5671

ALISON A.

CINDY CHAMBERS

Pacific Skin Institute (916) 925-7020

AIESKA DE SOUZA

Sutter Health, (916) 797-4766

CHRISTINE DOHERTY

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 771-7700

SEAN DOHERTY

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 771-7700

MICHAEL FAZIO

Sutter Health, (916) 492-1828

FARZAM GOROUHI

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2045

ANN F. HAAS

Sutter Health, (916) 733-3792

YONG HE

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 844-1591

MARY E. HORNER

Dermatology Consultants of Sacramento, (916) 739-1505

SAM T. HWANG

UC Davis Health - Dermatology (916) 734-6111

MARY ANN N. JOHNSON

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 857-9476

SUZANNE L. KILMER

Laser & Skin Surgery Medical Group, Inc., (916) 456-0400

JESSE KRAMER

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 844-1591

WEN KUO

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 771-7700

KAREN Y. NISHIMURA

Sutter Health, (916) 797-4766

KORY PARSI

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2045

MARGARET E. PARSONS

Sutter Health, (916) 739-1505

SIMA TORABIAN

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 771-7700

BYRON J. VAN DYKE

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 771-7700

PEGGY A. WU

UC Davis Health - Dermatology (916) 734-6657

AN YEN

Pacific Skin Institute (916) 925-7020

Ear, Nose and Throat

DEBBIE A. AIZENBERG

UC Davis Health - Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery) (916) 734-2801

BEN J. BALOUGH

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 525-6350

PETER C. BELAFSKY

UC Davis Health - Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery) (916) 734-5400

ARNAUD F. BEWLEY

UC Davis Health - Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery) (916) 734-5400

JUDITH M. BLAZUN

Sutter Health - Otolaryngology ENT - Head and Neck Surgery (916) 262-9456

CRAIGHTON CHIN

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-8225

DAVID J. CUA

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5322

RODNEY C. DIAZ

UC Davis Health - Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery) (916) 734-5400

VISHAL DOCTOR

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-5880

ANNE JOHNSTONE

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 525-6350

SALLY KAMAL

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5322

MAGGIE A. KUHN

UC Davis Health - Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery) (916) 734-5400

LEVI LEDGERWOOD

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 525-6350

RICHARD MCHUGH

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 525-6350

DEANNE NYLAND

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (855) 968-2684

KATHARINE OSTEDGAARD

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2600

RANDALL A. OW Sutter Health, (916) 782-1291

NIMA PAHLAVAN

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5322

SHANNON POTI

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 525-6350

BRIAN RUBINSTEIN

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2600

SHOAB SIDDIQUE

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 864-3725

LANE D. SQUIRES

UC Davis Health - Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery) (916) 295-5768

TOBY O. STEELE

UC Davis Health - Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery) (916) 734-5400

EDWARD B. STRONG

UC Davis Health - Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery) (916) 734-5400

TRAVIS T. TOLLEFSON

DAVID K. BARNES

UC Davis Health - Emergency Medicine , (916) 734-3790

TREVOR CADOGAN

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2106

DANIEL K. COLBY

UC Davis Health - Emergency Medicine , (916) 734-3790

JOHN P. DUTTON

Sutter Health, (916) 781-1800

ANDREW R. ELMS

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2106

ARTHUR R. JEY

Sutter Health, (916) 887-1130

MELISSA JONES

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4050

IAN M. JULIE

UC Davis Health - Emergency Medicine , (916) 734-3790

NATHAN KUPPERMANN

UC Davis Children’s Hospital-Pediatric Emergency Medicine (800) 282-3284

ERIK G. LAURIN

UC Davis Health - Emergency Medicine , (916) 734-3790

JULIA MAGANA

UC Davis Children’s Hospital-Pediatric Emergency Medicine (916) 734-5010

LISA D. MILLS

UC Davis Health - Emergency Medicine , (916) 734-3790

CATHERINE NORBUTAS

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2106

VIRAG J. SHAH

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2106

KARA A. TOLES

UC Davis Health - Emergency Medicine, (916) 734-3790

SAMUEL D. TURNIPSEED

BOUDREAUX

Calkin & Boudreaux Dermatology Associates, (916) 646-3376

ELYN V. BOWERS

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 733-3327

ROBERT L. BURNS

Kaiser Permanente - Rancho Cordova Medical Offices (916) 631-2142

BARBARA A. BURRALL

UC Davis Health - Dermatology (916) 734-6111

CHRISTIE L. CARROLL

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-8225

ADAM PETTEY

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 771-7700

JASDEEP SHARMA

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2045

MARC SILVERSTEIN

UC Davis Health - Dermatology (916) 286-6130

RAJA SIVAMANI

Pacific Skin Institute (916) 925-7020

DANIELLE M. TARTAR

UC Davis Health - Dermatology (916) 734-6111

TIM A. FIFE

Sacramento Ear, Nose & Throat (916) 782-1291

JAMIE FUNAMURA

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Otolaryngology (916) 734-5400

C. E. GAGE

Sutter Health, (916) 773-7920

BEN G. GOLDWYN

Sutter Health - Sutter Capitol Pavilion ENT & Audiology (916) 262-9456

ELI R. GROPPO

Sacramento Ear, Nose & Throat (916) 736-3399

UC Davis Health - Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery) (916) 734-2347

YUK YEE YAU

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 525-6350

MATTHEW ZAVOD

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-8339

Emergency Medicine

EMILY R. ANDRADA-BROWN

UC Davis Health - Emergency Medicine , (800) 282-3284

UC Davis Health - Emergency Medicine , (916) 734-3790

KATREN R. TYLER

UC Davis Health - Emergency Medicine , (916) 734-3790

Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

MIYA E. ALLEN

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Railyard Medical Center (916) 497-3040

ADEELA N. ANSARI

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 535-3372

SHAZIA FAIZ

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-7414

KENT K. ISHIHARA

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4004

JOYCE C. LEARY

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-4644

LARA LEVIN

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-4644

JAGMEET MANGAT

Sutter Health, (916) 774-8384

MARK M. MORIWAKI

UC Davis Health - Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism (916) 734-2737

CHAITHRA PRASAD

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4004

SAIMA SAJID-CROCKETT

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4004

DANA M. SHEELY

UC Davis Health - Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism (916) 734-2737

CRAIG SMITH

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-4644

YOU S. TAY

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Railyard Medical Center (916) 497-3040

DANIEL WONG

Sutter Health - Sutter Medical Center, (916) 455-3700

ARTA F. ZOWGHI

Sutter Health, (916) 774-8384

Family Medicine

ALICIA AGNOLI

UC Davis Health - Family and Community Medicine (916) 734-3630

ROKSANA ALI

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 735-4182

ROGER ANG

Sutter Medical Plaza Roseville (916) 774-8300

MEGAN M. ASH

Sutter Health - Alhambra Medical Office, (916) 451-4400

THOMAS A. BALSBAUGH

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento

Railyard Medical Center (866) 454-8855

SHAUNYE M. BELCHER

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 473-2826

ERWIN V. BOCO

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Riverside Medical Offices (916) 784-4050

JOHN A. BROTHERS

Sutter Health, 919-451-4400

BILJINDER S. CHIMA

Rocklin Family Practice (916) 624-0300

RINO DIZON

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento

Railyard Medical Center (866) 454-8855

MICAELA (MIKA) GODZICH

UC Davis Health - Family and Community Medicine (916) 443-3299

DINEEN J. GREER

Sutter Health - Alhambra Medical Office, (916) 451-4400

KARUN F. GROSSMAN

Sutter Health - Sutter Medical Plaza Natomas, (916) 285-8100

ALAN L. GROVE

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4050

NATHAN C. HITZEMAN

Sutter Health - Alhambra Medical Office, (916) 451-4400

ANTHONY F. JERANT

UC Davis Health - Family and Community Medicine (916) 734-3630

ALOK KRISHNA

Family Medical Clinic of Greater Sacramento, (916) 569-8585

DAVID W. LIN

Sutter Health, (916) 399-6015

NIJHU CHOWDHURY MAHBUB

Kaiser PermanenteFair Oaks Blvd Medical Office (916) 973-5000

SARAH A. MARSHALL

UC Davis Health - Family and Community Medicine (916) 734-3630

MATTHEW MCLAUGHLIN

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 614-4040

TOUSSAINT MEARS-CLARKE

Dignity Health - Mercy Family Health Center, (877) 959-5817

MICHAEL MERER

Kaiser Permanente - Lincoln Medical Offices, (916) 543-5400

CHRISTOPHER OLSON

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 473-2023

CAROLINE ORNELLAS

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Railyard Medical Center (866) 454-8855

ANNA F. PINLAC SANCHEZ

Kaiser Permanente - Elk Grove Big Horn Medical Offices (916) 478-5100

CHRISTOPHER A. PRICE

Sutter Health, (916) 868-6300

JOAN ROBERTS

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 827-3048

PARUL W. SINGH

Sutter Health, (916) 781-9885

RYAN M. SPIELVOGEL

Sutter Health - Alhambra Medical Office, (916) 451-4400

SA VANG

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Railyard Medical Center (866) 454-8855

LEON D. WILLIAMS

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2106

JERROD D. WRITT

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Railyard Medical Center (866) 454-8855

KOU YANG

Kaiser Permanente - Folsom Medical Offices, (916) 817-5200

JOJET L. ZARA

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 735-4814

DAWEI ZHENG Dawei Zheng, M.D., ABFM American Board of Family Medicine, (916) 896-1682

Gastroenterology

YASSER A. AL-ANTABLY

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2028

ALI AZARM

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5380

SRIPRIYA BALASUBRAMANIAN

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-6221

CHRISTOPHER L. BOWLUS

UC Davis HealthGastroenterology, (916) 734-0779

ALBERT J. CHANG

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2028

RENEE DEBOSE

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 735-4935

RAHUL S. DHILLON Sutter Health, (916) 262-9370

SERAG DREDAR Sutter Health, (916) 262-9370

JUAN C. GARCIA

UC Davis HealthGastroenterology, (916) 734-8616

JASON M. GUARDINO

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2028

CHHAYA HASYAGAR

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-6221

ABDUL M. KHALEQ Sutter Health, (916) 262-9370

RANA KHAN

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 877-8552

HANSEN KWOK

Gastroenterology Associates of Sacramento, (916) 454-1604

LINDA LEE

Kaiser PermanenteSacramento Medical Center (916) 973-5380

ROBERT LEVY

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2028

ANAND MADAN

Sutter Health, (916) 773-6200

MICHAEL S. MAHONEY Sutter Health, (530) 886-6800

PALANIAPPAN MANICKAM

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 735-4811

VALENTINA MEDICI

UC Davis HealthGastroenterology, (916) 734-0779

ROGER E. MENDIS Sutter Health, (916) 262-9370

KOOROSH MOEZARDALAN Kaiser PermanenteSacramento Medical Center (916) 973-5380

JASBIR S. RANGI Sutter Health, (916) 773-6200

BHAVNEET SINGH

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-6221

JESSE L. STONDELL

UC Davis HealthGastroenterology, (916) 734-0779

CECILIA R. TERRADO

UC Davis HealthGastroenterology, (916) 734-0779

LOC TON

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2028

JASON UMPHRESS

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-8166

ANASTASIA C. WAECHTER

UC Davis HealthGastroenterology, (916) 683-3978

YING WU

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2028

General Surgery

JOHN T. ANDERSON

UC Davis Health - Surgery (800) 282-3284

DAVID C. H. BEFFA

Sutter Capitol Pavilion (916) 262-9404

MICHAEL A. BENEKE

Sutter Health, (916) 262-9404

NATASHA BIR

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-8166

MICHAEL J. CAMPBELL II

UC Davis Health- Surgery (916) 734-5959

CHRISTOPHER K. CHIU

Kaiser Permanente - Lincoln Medical Offices, (916) 784-4144

JANA CHTCHETININ

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2014

ANDRES X. CROWLEY

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2014

THOMAS L. DUGONI

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4144

SEPIDEH GHOLAMI

UC Davis Health- Surgery (916) 734-5959

GREGORY M. GRAVES

Sutter Health, (916) 456-4428

ZEENAT R. HASAN

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 864-9061

JOELLE L. JAKOBSEN

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 351-4800

DAVID E. LESHIKAR

UC Davis Health- Surgery (800) 282-3284

JASON LONDEREE

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5235

ERIC T. LONDON

Sutter Health, (916) 262-9404

RICHARD J. PARENT

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4144

AJAY RANADE

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 526-3056

KRISTEN RATHBUN

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2014

MICHAEL SCHLIEMAN

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2014

SHARON SHIRAGA

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5235

DAVID M. SKEEHAN

Sierra Pacific Surgical (916) 848-6548

Debbie A. Aizenberg, M.D.

Ear, Nose and Throat

UC DAVIS DEPARTMENT OF OTOLARYNGOLOGY— HEAD AND NECK SURGERY

Surprise, surprise: Q-Tips are not to be used for cleaning out dirty ears—at least according to otolaryngologist Debbie A. Aizenberg, M.D. “People come in and apologize for not cleaning out their earwax, but I tell them they’re doing everything right,” says Aizenberg, who goes on to explain that earwax is actually good for us. “It lubricates the ear, carries away the dead skin cells and has antibacterial properties. Most of the time, it’s best to leave earwax alone.”

What else might surprise us about the ENT world?

It’s an often-misunderstood specialty. ENT is an actual surgical subspecialty, so it’s not just clinical in nature. We handle everything from straightforward issues in the office to very significant head and neck surgeries. The anatomy of the head and neck is extremely complex because so many different functional structures are located close to one another—structures that are responsible for many critical functions, such as breathing, speaking, swallowing, hearing, facial expressions, taste and smell. Some of the operations we perform are large and open, and others involve endoscopes and microscopes. The variety is just amazing.

You’re sometimes working within very tiny spaces. That must be tricky business. The smallest bones in the body are found in the middle ear. There are three tiny bones that, together, are smaller than a penny. So when we’re operating on these structures and in other small spaces, you can imagine just how fine these procedures are.

Your clinical focus is pediatrics. What’s that like?

It’s a challenge working with children, because sometimes they put beads in their ears and Legos up their noses. You have to find ways to reduce stress and make it a positive experience.

Toussaint MearsClarke, M.D.

Family Medicine

DIGNITY HEALTH—MERCY FAMILY HEALTH CENTER

Toussaint Mears-Clarke, M.D., jokes about “getting to socialize all day” at work—something you might not expect to hear from a doctor. But connecting with people is really what it’s all about, says MearsClarke, who credits his Jamaican upbringing—and his mother—for his love of community and his desire to help others. “In Jamaica, everyone is treated as family,” he says. “My mom always believed everyone had a story and had something to teach you.” MearsClarke says he sees that lesson reflected every day at Dignity Health, where he juggles a patient caseload alongside teaching duties, helping to train the next generation of family-medicine doctors.

Why did you choose to specialize in family medicine? When you’re in med school, a primary decision for most is: Do you want to be a surgeon or not? I had my surgery rotation, and it was not my favorite. I went through all the other rotations, and I liked delivering babies, seeing kids, going to the hospital, going to the ER—I liked it all. And I realized the only way to be able to do all of that would be to work in family medicine.

What are some of the biggest issues in family medicine today? Lack of workforce diversity is the first thing that comes to mind. The demographics of the physician workforce doesn’t necessarily match that of the patient population, and that’s a disservice because studies show that a diversified workforce tends to result in better patient outcomes. Physician burnout is also a major issue.

But on the upside, being a family-medicine doctor is so fun and so cool, because about 95% of the issues people have are common things that we can treat. That’s a subjective number, but for most issues, all you need is a primary care doctor.

CHRISTIAN SWANSON

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 351-4800

GLENN TSE

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4144

THOMAS WALBOLT

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4144

KAREN WIN VROOM

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-8956

Genetics

MARTHANDA ESWARA

Sutter Health - Children Services (916) 887-4832

KRISTIN C. HERMAN

UC Davis MIND Institute - Medical Genetics, (916) 703-0300

MARK LIPSON

Kaiser PermanenteSacramento Medical Center (916) 614-4075

MADELENA (MADDY) MARTIN

UC Davis MIND Institute - Medical Genetics, (916) 703-0300

BILLUR MOGHADDAM

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 614-4075

SUMA P. SHANKAR

UC Davis MIND Institute - Medical Genetics, (916) 703-0300

KAMER TEZCAN

Kaiser PermanenteSacramento Medical Center (916) 614-4075

Geriatric Medicine

SILVIA ARIZAGA PEVERINI

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Riverside Medical Offices (916) 784-4050

SHIVANI BHUTANI

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 733-3460

LISA CHAI

Kaiser PermanenteSacramento Medical Center (916) 614-4040

CALVIN H. HIRSCH

UC Davis Health - Geriatric Medicine, (916) 734-7004

ASHKAN H. JAVAHERI

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 733-3460

JESSICA MASOCOL

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2106

GEETHA PINGILI

Kaiser Permanente - Folsom Medical Offices, (916) 817-5200

Gynecologic Oncology

HUI (AMY) CHEN

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

PRIYAL DHOLAKIYA

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 735-4841

KEVIN ELLIOTT

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 907-9210

WILEY FOWLER

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 864-9586

VANESSA A. KENNEDY

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

GARY S. LEISEROWITZ

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

VIKAS MAHAVNI

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 614-4055

NEHA SHAH

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 688-2055

NELL SUBY

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 614-4055

Hand Surgery

ROBERT H. ALLEN

UC Davis Health - Orthopaedic Surgery, (916) 734-2700

CHRISTOPHER O. BAYNE

UC Davis Health - Orthopaedic Surgery, (916) 734-2700

BENJAMIN E. BLUTH

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 536-2408

JONATHAN A. GANT

Sutter Health - Sutter Roseville Medical Center, (916) 797-4725

STEPHEN HANKINS

Sutter Health, (916) 797-4725

MICHELLE A. JAMES

Shriners Hospital for Children (916) 453-2180

ELSPETH KINNUCAN

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4045

SCOTT R. LIPSON

Sutter Health, (916) 457-4263

MARY CLAIRE B. MANSKE

Shriners Hospital for Children (916) 453-2191

SOHEIL A. PAYVANDI

Sutter Health, (916) 389-7977

CLIFFORD T. PEREIRA

UC Davis Health - Surgery (800) 282-3284

SEAN ROCHA

Kaiser Permanente - South

Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2030

MURPHY M. STEINER Sutter Health, (916) 457-4263

DANIEL N. SWITLICK

Sutter Health, (916) 797-4725

ROBERT M. SZABO

UC Davis Health - Orthopaedic Surgery, (800) 252-3456

NATHAN TAYLOR

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4045

HOANG TRAN

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-8723

MICHAEL VANCE

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5275

Hematology and Oncology

MILI ARORA

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

DEEPTI BEHL

Sutter Health Research Enterprise (916) 453-3300

KRISTIE A. BOBOLIS

Sutter Health - Roseville Medical Plaza Care Center, (916) 782-5106

HELEN K. CHEW

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

I-YEH GONG

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2086

LAI HUI

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Railyard Medical Center (916) 497-3100

BRIAN A. JONAS

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

JOHN M. KAILATH

Sierra Hematology and Oncology (916) 962-1544

EDWARD J. KIM

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

ELIAS KIWAN

Sutter Health, (916) 733-4400

RAM N. LALCHANDANI

Sutter Health, (916) 962-1544

LISA LAW

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-5626

TIANHONG LI

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

BIJAY NAIR

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-5626

SIVAKUMAR REDDY

Sutter Health, (916) 782-5106

SONIA REICHERT

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-8204

JONATHAN W. RIESS

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

NITIN ROHATGI

Sutter Health, (916) 734-2680

GURVINDER SHAHEED

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 633-0016

SAMER SHIHABI

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 735-4674

RYAN STEVENSON

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2086

DAVID SUN

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2086

JOSEPH M. TUSCANO

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

NAVNEET VIRK

Sutter Health, (916) 967-4363

STEPHEN WANG

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2086

THEODORE WUN

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

Hospice and Palliative Medicine

RUPINDER K. CHIMA

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 627-7685

NATHAN P. FAIRMAN

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

GEORGE KURT GALLARDO

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 648-6920

SHELLY GARONE

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 977-3017

ANNEMARIE HARGADON

UC Davis Health - Hospice and Palliative Medicine, (916) 734-5959

MARGARET LEUNG

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 648-690

JOHN F. MACMILLAN JR.

UC Davis Health - Hospice and Palliative Medicine, (916) 734-8230

JANELLE MINTER

Kaiser Permanente - South

Sacramento Medical Center (916) 627-7685

THERESA MURDOCK-VLAUTIN

UC Davis Health - Pediatric Critical Care, (916) 734-2011

HARITHEERTHAM NAGARAJ

Pulmonary Medicine Associates (916) 786-7498

GREG P. NAUGHTON

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 648-6920

SAMEERA SANDHU

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 735-4954

JOHN SCHARF

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 977-3017

JEFFREY YEE

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 560-0209

Hospital Medicine/ Hospitalist

MICHAEL J. ABATE

Sutter Medical Center (916) 733-3777

MURALI ADUSUMALLI

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 986-4426

JONATHAN ARON

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2106

CATHERINE Y. CHIA

UC Davis Health - Hospital Medicine, (800) 482-3284

NELSON KUANG-YU CHIANG

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2106

GARY S. CHU

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2106

VAN F. GESLANI

Sutter Health - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 733-3777

RAJESWARI JAYARAMAN

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 983-7400

ROBERT B. JOBE

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4050

ANDREW LEE

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2106

MITHU S. MOLLA

UC Davis Health - Hospital Medicine, (800) 282-3284

DEBBY SENTANA

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 537-5079

REZA SIANATI

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2106

VOLTAIRE R. SINIGAYAN

UC Davis Health - Hospital Medicine, (916) 734-2011

JASON T. SPEARS

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 537-5079

JEFFREY STENGER

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 784-4050

OLOF J. SULTAN

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2106

ALEXIS J. TONEY

UC Davis Health - Pediatrics (916) 734-2011

Infectious Disease

SANAZ ABDERRAHMANE

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 526-3402

JOHN BELKO

Kaiser Permanente - Elk Grove Promenade Medical Offices (916) 474-2250

STUART H. COHEN

UC Davis Health - Infectious Diseases, (916) 734-2737

NATHANIEL R. DEFELICE Sutter Health, (916) 325-1040

MATTHEW ELDRIDGE

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-6166

JOSE-MARIO FONTANILLA

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 973-5230

MOHAMMAD KABBESH

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 727-6266

ELIZABETH J. KAILATH

Sierra Infectious Diseases (916) 536-1136

RANJANI KALYAN

Sutter Health, (916) 679-3590

BRETT R. LAURENCE

Pulmonary Medicine Associates (916) 325-1040

LENORA LEE

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5230

ARCHANA MANIAR

UC Davis Health - Infectious Diseases, (916) 734-2737

ANDREW MCNEIL

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-6166

BILAL NASEER

Sutter Health, (916) 786-7498

BENNETT H. PENN

UC Davis Health - Infectious Diseases, (916) 734-3815

MERYL PEREZ

Sutter Health, (916) 786-7498

SRIHARSHA RAO

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 784-4050

SUDERSHAN SINGH

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-0021

GEORGE THOMPSON

UC Davis Health - Infectious Diseases, (916) 734-7766

ANGELIQUE TJEN-A-LOOI

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5230

VINOD TRIVEDI

Pulmonary Medicine Associates (916) 325-1040

NATASCHA MAREN STELLA TUZNIK

UC Davis Health - Infectious Diseases, (916) 734-2737

SARAH E. WALDMAN

UC Davis Health - Infectious Diseases, (916) 734-2737

ROBERT ZIMMERMAN

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 733-5995

Internal Medicine

JOI BARRETT

Sutter Health, (916) 733-8713

KEVIN J. BURNHAM

UC Davis Health - Internal Medicine (916) 734-2737

OLIVIA M. CAMPA

UC Davis Health - Internal Medicine (800) 282-3284

GARTH DAVIS

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 614-4040

DIANA M. DONCHEVA

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville

Riverside Medical Center (916) 784-4050

MICHAEL EMERZIAN

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville

Riverside Medical Offices (916) 784-4050

JASON GRITTI

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2106

MEGHAN E. HAYES

Sutter Health, (916) 733-8713

ZACHARY HOLT

UC Davis Health - Internal Medicine (916) 734-2737

DHEERAJ KAMRA

Sutter Health, (916) 966-8500

CRAIG R. KEENAN

UC Davis Health - Internal Medicine (916) 734-2737

KATHRYN D. NEWELL

UC Davis Health - Internal Medicine (800) 482-3284

JON S. OIDE

Kaiser Permanente - Elk Grove Big Horn Medical Offices (916) 688-2106

MILIN RATANASEN

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2106

RAMESH SINAEE

Sutter Health, (916) 733-8713

RAVI SRINIVASAN

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 614-4040

ANDREW J. TAK

Sutter Health, (916) 646-4583

ABRAHAM THOMAS

Kaiser Permanente - Folsom Medical Offices, (916) 734-1539

HEATHER L. TISKA

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 614-4040

JANE TSAI

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 735-4325

EHAB TUPPO

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Riverside Medical Offices (916) 784-4050

MORGAN WATERS

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2106

YUNLI ZHENG

UC Davis Medical Group - Roseville (916) 783-7109

Maternal and Fetal Medicine

MARWAN M. ALI

California Maternal Fetal Medicine (916) 603-5600

NANCY FIELD

UC Davis Health - Obstetrics and Gynecology, (916) 734-6900

MATTHEW GARABEDIAN

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4148

WILLIAM GILBERT

Maternal-Fetal Medicine Associates of Sacramento (916) 862-9900

HERMAN L. HEDRIANA

UC Davis Health - Obstetrics and Gynecology, (916) 734-6900

SHERRIE MCELVY

Sutter Health, (916) 862-9900

AMELIA S. MCLENNAN

UC Davis Health - Obstetrics and Gynecology, (916) 734-6900

KRISTINA MILAN

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4148

CAREY MORENO-HUNT

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4148

UNZILA A. NAYERI

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4148

VERONIQUE TACHE

UC Davis Health - Obstetrics and Gynecology, (916) 734-6900

Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine

AMARDEEP S. AHLUWALIA

Sutter Roseville Medical Center (916) 668-0789

AYODEJI J. AJIBOLA

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4190

NWANDO EZE

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4190

RACHEL S. GARNER Sutter Health, (916) 887-0104

KRISTIN R. HOFFMAN

UC Davis Children’s HospitalNeonatology, (800) 282-3284

CINDY KORTE Sutter Health, (916) 668-0789

KARA KUHN-RIORDON

UC Davis Children’s HospitalNeonatology, (800) 282-3284

SATYAN LAKSHMINRUSIMHA

UC Davis Children’s HospitalNeonatology, (800) 282-3284

NANCY LEUNG

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4190

FRANCIS R. POULAIN

UC Davis Children’s HospitalNeonatology, (800) 282-3284

CATHERINE A. ROTTKAMP

UC Davis Children’s HospitalNeonatology, (800) 282-3284

GUSTAVO SOSA Sutter Health, (916) 668-0789

PAYAM VALI

UC Davis Children’s HospitalNeonatology, (800) 282-3284

Nephrology

SHUBHA ANANTHAKRISHNAN

UC Davis Health - Nephrology (916) 734-3761

ADARSH BHAT

Summit Nephrology (916) 789-1505

ANDREW I. CHIN

UC Davis Health - Nephrology (916) 734-3761

JANELINE T. DAUBERT

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-6988

LANA GAFTER

Summit Nephrology Medical Group, (916) 789-1505

ELENA V. GELFAND Sutter Health, (916) 929-8564

HIBA A. M. HAMDAN Summit Nephrology (916) 789-1505

KAI-TING HU

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-6988

JIN-YON J. KIM

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5230

NITI MADAN

UC Davis Health - Nephrology (916) 734-2737

JASMINDER MOMI

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 461-9020

JOS É A. MORFIN

UC Davis Health - Nephrology (916) 985-9300

VIJAY MUDUNURI Marshall Medical Center (916) 235-7790

RATNAJI BABU NALLAMOTHU Capital Nephrology (916) 929-8564

DAVID S. PAI

Sutter Health, (916) 683-8774

JIGNESH PATEL

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 973-5230

TARANG B. PATEL

Sutter Health, (916) 961-7391

USHIR PATEL

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 857-9879

ROOPINDER POONIA

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 526-1384

JEFFREY STEWART

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5230

BRIAN THORNTON

Summit Nephrology (916) 789-1505

BRIAN YOUNG

UC Davis Health - Nephrology (916) 734-2737

NICK D. YOUSSEFI

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-6988

ANNIE YU

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 973-5230

Shivani Bhutani, M.D.

Geriatric Medicine DIGNITY HEALTH—MERCY MEDICAL GROUP

Dementia, dementia, dementia: We hear so much about it that it starts to feel like the lone ranger of ailments in the geriatric world. But there’s another “d” disease—delirium—that’s also common in the elderly, yet frequently overlooked. “Delirium is actually very underrecognized, so we tend to miss it,” says Shivani Bhutani, M.D., a geriatric medicine specialist. Ironically or not, delirium often occurs in people with dementia, says Bhutani. But they are two distinctly different conditions.

What is delirium and how can we recognize it? Delirium is a disorder of attention and awareness. It develops very suddenly and acutely, and it tends to fluctuate. That’s how we differentiate it from dementia. Delirium might persist for days to months, whereas dementia is a chronic condition.

A sudden change in mental functioning, a change in attention, are the symptoms to look for. Attention will fluctuate, they will have problems with memory and language, be disoriented. The onset is usually fairly obvious. “My mom is not quite acting right” is the typical line I hear.

Who is at highest risk? Elderly patients with cognitive deficits, including dementia, are at very high risk. Onset can happen at home, but often happens in the hospital: 30% or more of our older hospitalized patients develop delirium.

What causes it? With delirium, we have to sort of play detective to find the underlying medical illness and treat it. Is the patient dehydrated? Does she have an infection? Did she start a new medication? Did she fall? It could be any number of things.

Advice for caregivers who suspect their loved one has delirium? I would start with the primary care physician. But if they are deeply altered, or have signs of infection, go to emergency. The main thing is to recognize it right away and get timely medical attention.

Nwando Eze, M.D.

Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine

KAISER PERMANENTE—ROSEVILLE MEDICAL CENTER

It’s a godsend, to be sure, offering preemies and other critically ill babies specialized 24/7 care and increased odds of survival. Still, nobody really wants their newborn to end up in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). “It can be very anxiety-provoking for families,” says Nwando Eze, M.D. “Many feel helpless because they’re unsure how to help their sick babies.” The best antidote, she says, is to make families part of their baby’s core treatment team— an approach known as family-centered medicine, one of Eze’s main focuses as regional medical director of neonatology for Kaiser Permanente Northern California.

Can you provide an example of how you involve families in the care of their infants? One great example is our emphasis on kangaroo or skin-toskin care, in which the baby is placed on the parent’s chest to achieve skin-to-skin contact for a few hours a day. Not only does it increase parental bonding and milk production, but evidence has shown it leads to improved heart rate, breathing, digestion, feeding readiness and temperature regulation. We also provide many classes to provide parents the tools to successfully care for their babies in the NICU and at home.

How has family-centered care in neonatology evolved? There has been an increased emphasis on family-centered care in neonatology over the years. It used to be that standard care delivery in the NICU was the health care team providing care and updating the families on how the baby is doing. Toward the second half of the 20th century, family-centered care emerged as an important part of meeting the psychosocial and developmental needs of children.

What’s it like to do this work? Having an ill loved one, especially a child, can be one of the most vulnerable and trying times in a family’s life. It is a privilege to be part of a team that serves and supports families during this difficult time.

FRANKLIN YUAN

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 973-5230

Neurology

ERICA A. BYRD

Sutter Health, (916) 773-8711

JASON S. CHANG

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2050

DAVID P. CHESAK

Sutter Health - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 454-6850

MICHAEL DENGEL

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 403-0880

ALEXANDRA O’NEILL (SASHA) DUFFY

UC Davis Health - Neurology (916) 734-3588

HOWARD FAN

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 403-0880

JOHN J. GERAGHTY

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-6380

HALIMA KARIM

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-8606

SUKETU M. KHANDHAR

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 973-5175

SHAWN KILE

Sutter Health, (916) 454-6850

SUZANNE C. KOOPMANS

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2050

NEUZIL LAI

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2050

MARC E. LENAERTS

UC Davis Health- Neurology (916) 734-3588

NICOLE A. LOPEZ-SEMINARIO

Sutter Health, (916) 773-8711

NORIKA MALHADO-CHANG

UC Davis Health- Neurology (916) 734-3588

DEEPINDER S. SIDHU

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-6380

PETER SKAFF

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 857-8177

NICKLESH THAKUR

Sutter Health, (916) 454-6850

ERIC W. VAN OSTRAND

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5175

MARK WAHEED

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5175

VICKI L. WHEELOCK

UC Davis Health- Neurology (916) 734-3588

ALAN HOWE YEE

UC Davis Health - Neurology (916) 734-3588

LIN ZHANG

UC Davis Health- Neurology (916) 734-3588

Neurosurgery

HAMIDREZA ALIABADI

Spine & Neurosurgery Associates (916) 771-3300

AMIT BANERJEE

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5490

ORIN BLOCH

UC Davis Health - Spine Center (800) 282-3284

SAMUEL F. CIRICILLO

Sutter Health, (916) 454-6850

HUY DUONG

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5490

KERN H. GUPPY

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5490

GRIFFITH R. HARSH IV

UC Davis Health - Neurological Surgery , (916) 734-2011

MARK W. HAWK

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5490

BRIAN JOOBEEN JIAN

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5490

KEE KIM

UC Davis Health - Spine Center (916) 734-7463

MATTHEW M. KIMBALL

Sutter Health, (916) 773-8711

SEAN MCNATT

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2600

DAVID MOLLER

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5490

KAVIAN SHAHI

Spine & Neurosurgery Associates (916) 771-3300

KIARASH SHAHLAIE

UC Davis Health - Spine Center (916) 734-3588

JAMES SILVERTHORN

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5490

Nuclear Medicine

JASON B. COHEN

Sutter Health, (916) 878-3495

CAMERON FOSTER

UC Davis Health - Nuclear Medicine, (800) 482-3284

ERNO J. GYETVAI

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5720

ANDREW L. HOLZ Sutter Health, (916) 878-3495

LORENZO NARDO

UC Davis Health - Nuclear Medicine, (916) 703-2108

PENNY R. VANDESTREEK Sutter Health, (916) 878-3495

JOHN WEBB

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2029

Obstetrics and Gynecology

HEATHER BEATTY Sutter Capitol Pavilion (916) 262-9414

ALISON S. BREEN

UC Davis Health - Obstetrics and Gynecology, (916) 683-3955

DINA M. CANAVERO

Sutter Roseville Medical Center (916) 782-2229

CATHERINE D. CANSINO

UC Davis Health - Obstetrics and Gynecology, (916) 734-6900

RACHEL K. DONG

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 525-6100

AMY GEORGE

UC Davis Health - Obstetrics and Gynecology, (916) 734-6900

JOCYLEN E. GLASSBERG

UC Davis Health - Obstetrics and Gynecology, (530) 747-3000

LAURIE C. GREGG

Sacramento Women’s Health (916) 927-3178

JACQUELINE HO

Associates in Women’s Health Care, (916) 782-2229

DARCY KETCHUM

Sutter Health, (916) 262-9414

SANJEEV KHURANA

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4148

REBECCA KING

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 614-4055

KIM KOPECKY

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4148

GARY S. LEISEROWITZ

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

SEE LO

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4148

HAILEY R. MACNEAR

Sutter Health, (916) 927-3178

JUDY MIKACICH

Sutter Health, (916) 927-3178

BAHAREH M. NEJAD

UC Davis Health - Obstetrics and Gynecology, (916) 783-7109

JENNIFER OVERBEY

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 589-6521

JENISE K. PHELPS

UC Davis Health - Obstetrics and Gynecology, (916) 734-6900

KATHLEEN ROONEY

Sacramento Women’s Health (916) 927-3178

MICHAEL TRIFIRO

UC Davis Health - Obstetrics and Gynecology, (916) 734-6900

DEBRA D. WRIGHT SWANSON

UC Davis Health - Obstetrics and Gynecology, (916) 703-3030

CARRIE C. YIAKIS Sutter Health, (916) 262-9414

AMIRA ZAID

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-7276

Occupational Medicine

ENASS ARAHMAN

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 735-4380

WANDA J. BLAYLARK

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-8922

MICHAEL COHEN Sutter Health, (650) 652-8350

STELLA H. DAO

Kaiser Permanente - Folsom Medical Offices, (916) 817-5667

JOHN FORSYTH

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-8503

WESLEY HASHIMOTO

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2005

RUDOLF ISKANDAR

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2005

Ophthalmology

MATTHEW D. ANGER

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 525-6400

JACOB W. BRUBAKER

Sacramento Eye Consultants (916) 915-0300

CARMINE A. CAMMAROSANO

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-8339

MARK E. DRABKIN

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 525-6400

RICHARD C. FENTZKE

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Riverside Medical Offices (916) 784-4185

NANDINI G. GANDHI

UC Davis Health - Tschannen Eye Institute, (916) 734-6602

ALEXANDER GRAND

Sutter Health - Medical Vision Technology, (916) 731-8040

RICHARD JONES

Eye Site Sacramento (916) 452-8105

SAMUEL H. LEE

Sacramento Eye Consultants (916) 915-0300

MICHELE C. LIM

UC Davis Health - Tschannen Eye Institute, (916) 734-6602

YIN A. LIU

UC Davis Health - Tschannen Eye Institute, (916) 734-6602

MARK J. MANNIS

UC Davis Health - Tschannen Eye Institute, (916) 734-6602

ROMINDER MOMI

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Riverside Medical Offices (916) 784-4185

ALA MOSHIRI

UC Davis Health - Tschannen Eye Institute, (916) 734-6602

SANG-ROG OH

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 641-4568

ROBERT PEABODY

Sutter Health, (916) 731-8040

PATRICIA B. SIERRA

Sacramento Eye Consultants (916) 915-0300

ROBERT T. WENDEL

Retinal Consultants Medical Group, Inc. - Greenback Lane Retina Center, (916) 339-3655

Orthopedic Surgery

AMY BLACK

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2030

WILLIAM E. BRAGG

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 733-5700

MAURO GIORDANI

UC Davis Health - Orthopaedic Surgery, (916) 734-2700

HOLLY J. HAIGHT

Kaiser PermanenteSacramento Medical Center (916) 973-5275

DOMINGO A. HALLARE

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2030

BRIAN M. HAUS

UC Davis HealthOrthopaedic SurgeryPediatric, (916) 734-2700

ROBERT JAMIESON

Orthopedic Specialty Center (916) 918-2952

JASON J. KIM

Kaiser PermanenteSacramento Medical Center (916) 973-5275

ERIC KLINEBERG

Shriners Children’s Northern California, (916) 453-2191

RAPHAEL KLUG

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4045

MICHAEL P. LEATHERS

Michael P. Leathers, M.D. (916) 252-9702

DAHLIA LEE

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2030

MARK LEE

UC Davis Health - Orthopedic Surgery, (916) 734-2700

HOLLY B. LESHIKAR

UC Davis Health - Orthopaedic Surgery- Pediatric, (916) 734-2700

DENNIS MEREDITH

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-7414

RAVI PATEL

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-7325

THOMAS W. POWERS

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2030

MARTY REED

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5275

ROY RUBIN

Dr. Roy Rubin, M.D., (916) 307-2262

PAUL M. SASAURA

Sutter Health, (916) 965-4000

KENT P. SHERIDAN

Sutter Health - Sutter Capitol Pavilion, (916) 262-9440

SCOTT G. SMITH

Sutter Health - Sutter Capitol Pavilion, (916) 262-9440

GABRIEL E. SOTO

Kaiser Permanente - Folsom Medical Offices, (916) 784-4045

DAVID W. TAI

Sutter Health, (916) 732-3340

STEVEN THORPE

UC Davis Health - Orthopedic Surgery, (916) 734-2700

MATTHEW L. TWEET

Sutter Capitol Pavilion Outpatient Surgery Center (916) 262-9440

JASON ZEMANOVIC

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4045

Osteopathic Medicine

JEFFREY BRODOVSKY

Sutter Health, (916) 451-4400

Pain Medicine

DAVID J. COPENHAVER

UC Davis Health - Pain Clinic (916) 734-7246

HEATHER R. DAVIDS

Sutter Health - Buhler Specialty Pavilion, (916) 454-6850

CHARLES DE MESA

UC Davis Health - Pain Clinic (916) 734-5031

SCOTT FISHMAN

UC Davis Health - Pain Clinic (916) 734-5031

KENNETH FURUKAWA

UC Davis Health - Pain Clinic (916) 734-5031

BRIAN JOVES

Spine & Nerve Diagnostic Center (916) 772-5325

NICOLAS KARVELAS

Spine & Nerve Diagnostic Center (916) 772-5325

SHARON LEANO (KANZ)

Capital Pain Consultants (916) 432-2431

GAGAN MAHAJAN

UC Davis Health - Pain Clinic (916) 734-7463

NAVDEEP NIJHER

Sutter Health, (916) 454-6850

SCOTT G. PRITZLAFF

UC Davis Health - Pain Clinic (916) 734-7246

VINAY REDDY

Spine and Nerve Diagnostic Center, (916) 419-9900

SAMIR J. SHETH

Sutter Health, (916) 773-8711

MICHAEL C. YANG

Sutter Health, (530) 672-1311

ROD YOUSSEFI

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2000

Pediatric Cardiology

JONATHAN G. DAYAN

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Cardiology (916) 734-3456

DANIEL A. CORTEZ

UC Davis Children’s Hospital (800) 282-3284

JAMES A. HILL

Capital Pediatric Cardiology (916) 750-2328

NAVEEN MANOHAR

Capital Pediatric Cardiology (916) 750-2328

ERNESTO RIVERA

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2250

SHERZANA SUNDERJI

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Cardiology (916) 734-3456

LUCA TRENTO

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2250

STANLEY WRIGHT

Capital Pediatric Cardiology (916) 750-2328

JAY YEH

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Cardiology (916) 734-3456

MULUNEH A. YIMER Sutter Health, (916) 750-2328

Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

SARA AGHAMOHAMMADI

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Critical Care (800) 282-3284

ROBERT M. ALISHARAN

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4190

ANNE CAMERLENGO

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4190

DEBRA L. DAVEY

Sutter Health, (916) 887-0360

CONSTANTINE DIMITRIADES

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4190

DANIEL FALCO Sutter Health, (916) 887-0360

KEVIN S. HAUG

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4190

JOHN HOLCROFT

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Critical Care (800) 282-3284

JAMES P. MARCIN

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Critical Care (800) 282-3284

STEPHANIE N. MATEEV

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Critical Care (916) 734-2131

MICHAEL MYETTE

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4190

JOANNE E. NATALE

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Critical Care (800) 282-3284

NHAT M. PHAM

Sutter Medical Center (916) 887-0104

JENNIFER PLANT

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Critical Care (916) 734-2994

VIYEKA SETHI

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Critical Care (916) 734-7098

JESSICA K. SIGNOFF

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Critical Care (916) 734-2994

CRAIG SWANSON

Sutter Health, (916) 887-0360

Pediatric Dermatology

SMITA AWASTHI

UC Davis Health - Pediatric Dermatology, (916) 734-6111

Pediatric Endocrinology

CHRISTINA S. CHAO

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2250

STEPHANIE S. CROSSEN

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Endocrinology (916) 734-3112

MIRNA ESCALANTE

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2250

ABIGAIL C. FRUZZA

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Endocrinology (916) 734-7098

NICOLE S. GLASER

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Endocrinology (916) 734-3112

LINDSEY LOOMBA-ALBRECHT

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Endocrinology (916) 734-5177

ULHAS M. NADGIR

Sutter Health, (916) 426-1902

PRAKASAM

Center of Excellence in Diabetes and Endocrinology, (916) 426-1902

SUDHA REDDY

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2250

DENNIS M. STYNE

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Endocrinology (916) 734-3112

Pediatric Gastroenterology

JONATHAN AFRICA

Sutter Health - Sutter Medical Plaza Sacramento (916) 887-4780

YINKA K. DAVIES

Sutter Health, (916) 332-1244

ARTHUR DE LORIMIER

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Gastroenterology (916) 734-3112

KELLY B. HAAS

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Gastroenterology (800) 282-3284

SUNPREET KAUR

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Gastroenterology (800) 282-3284

PRATIMA KODALI

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2250

JOHANN PETERSON

Sutter Health, (916) 887-4780

DAPHNE SAY

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Gastroenterology (916) 734-3112

EDWARD TALYA

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2250

TRINH T. TRUONG

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Gastroenterology (916) 734-3112

DANIELLE

USATIN

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2250

Pediatric Hematology and Oncology

SCOTT ADAMS

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2250

ELYSIA ALVAREZ

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

REUBEN ANTONY

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

GNANAGURUDASAN

Occupational Medicine KAISER PERMANENTE—FOLSOM MEDICAL OFFICES

People sometimes get the wrong idea about occupational medicine doctors. “Patients often think we’re working for the insurance company,” says Stella Dao, M.D., who serves as lead physician of Folsom Kaiser’s Occupational Medicine clinic. Thankfully, that isn’t the case, says Dao, leaving them to do what doctors do best: take care of patients—specifically, those who’ve been injured on the job. There’s certainly a need for it: According to the National Safety Council, a U.S. worker is injured on the job every seven seconds.

Can you tell us more about occupational medicine? Occupational medicine physicians take care of patients who have injuries that were caused by work, or in other cases may need medical clearance to do specialized work. For example, maybe they work with certain chemicals or with a specific technology, like lasers, or they work with hazardous materials, things like that.

Sounds like this requires a team approach. Totally. If someone has, say, a broken leg, I’d have to work with the orthopedic surgeon who can fix the leg, and in general I’d take over their rehab until they get their strength back so they can return to work. So I work with a lot of different specialties—internal medicine, pulmonologists, orthopedic surgeons, podiatrists, and so on.

What is unique or challenging about this area of medicine? Sometimes people injured on the job won’t come and see the doctor because they’re not comfortable reporting it. They may think it’s not that serious, they don’t want to tell anybody, or worry they’ll get blamed—that it will be perceived that they did something wrong. Also, changes in public health, even our political climate, can affect occupational medicine. It’s actually a specialty that has deep connections to our economy and our political environment as well as our patients.

Stella Dao, M.D.

M.D.

Ophthalmology

SACRAMENTO EYE CONSULTANTS

Though surgery is his main focus, ophthalmologist and cornea specialist Samuel Lee, M.D., often sees patients seeking help for dry eye disease, a supercommon issue plaguing an estimated 20 million in the United States. The term “dry eye” is kind of an oxymoron, says Lee, since one of the most frequent symptoms is watery eyes, caused by the body’s response to irritation. “Tear film dysfunction is a more accurate way to describe it,” he says. Whatever you choose to call it, dry eye—which happens when eyes don’t produce an adequate quantity or quality of tears (i.e., tear film)—is a complex syndrome that can be difficult to treat, says Lee, frustrating patients and eye doctors alike.

Given our dry climate, are Sacramentans more prone to dry eye? Climate plays a huge role, though dry eye can exist in any environment—even in the Amazon, where there’s basically 100 percent humidity. Sacramento is also famous for allergies, with all of our trees and pollen, and add that to the smoke we’ve had from fires in recent summers, all these irritants can cause inflammation of the ocular surface, exacerbating symptoms.

Older people are at higher risk of dry eye. Why? With healthy eyes, the surface is near-frictionless, with tears providing lubrication—kind of like motor oil for a car motor. But with aging eyes, there can be degradation of tear film. With a car, we can change the oil every 3,000 miles, but we can’t do that with our eyes. We’ve got what we’ve got, though there are many useful treatment options.

Other takeaways? Dry eye is not just about irritation. In extreme cases, you can actually go blind from it, you can melt your cornea, create a hole in your eye, all sorts of bad stuff. The vast majority of dry eye patients are not in that category. But it can be serious.

Samuel Lee,

JONG H. CHUNG

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

JONATHAN M. DUCORE

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

KENT JOLLY

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2250

SONALI LAKSHMINARAYANAN

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2250

CHRISTINA LETTIERI

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2250

MARCIO MALOGOLOWKIN

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

ARUN PANIGRAHI

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

ANJALI PAWAR

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

AARATI RAO

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2250

Pediatric Infectious Disease

JOHN BELKO

Kaiser Permanente - Elk Grove Promenade Medical Offices (916) 474-2250

DEAN BLUMBERG

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Infectious Diseases (916) 734-5177

RITU CHEEMA

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Infectious Diseases (916) 734-3112

NATASHA NAKRA

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Infectious Diseases (916) 734-3112

ELIZABETH PARTRIDGE

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Infectious Diseases (916) 734-3112

JEAN A. WIEDEMAN

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Infectious Diseases (916) 734-7618

Pediatric Nephrology

ARI AURON

Kaiser Permanente - Elk Grove Big Horn Medical Offices (916) 474-2250

LAVJAY BUTANI

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Nephrology (916) 734-3112

MAHA HADDAD

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Nephrology (916) 734-3112

ARUNDHATI KALE

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Nephrology (800) 282-3284

STEPHANIE T. NGUYEN

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Nephrology (916) 734-5177

Pediatric Neurology

SHAILESH M. ASAIKAR

Child and Adolescent Neurology Consultants, (916) 649-9800

WILLIAM S. BENKO

UC Davis Children’s HospitalChild Neurology, (916) 734-3588

CELIA H. CHANG

UC Davis Children’s HospitalChild Neurology, (916) 734-3588

MICHAEL G. CHEZ

Sutter Health, (916) 773-8711

KATIE FRIEDERICH

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4190

TRISHNA KANTAMNENI

UC Davis Children’s HospitalChild Neurology, (916) 734-3588

SHANNON N. LIANG

UC Davis Children’s HospitalChild Neurology, (916) 734-3588

BRIAN MASSELINK

Kaiser Permanente - Elk Grove Big Horn Medical Offices (916) 784-4190

GREGG NELSON

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4190

Pediatric Neurosurgery

SAMUEL F. CIRICILLO

Sutter Health, (916) 454-6850

MICHAEL S. B. EDWARDS

UC Davis Health - Neurological Surgery- Pediatric, (916) 734-4300

SEAN MCNATT

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2600

MARIKE ZWIENENBERG

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Neurological Surgery (916) 734-3588

Pediatric Psychiatry

ANDREW R. BREGMAN

Kaiser Permanente - Elk Grove

Big Horn Medical Offices (916) 525-6100

ANNE B. MCBRIDE

UC Davis Health - Psychiatry (916) 734-3574

MURAT PAKYUREK

UC Davis MIND Institute (916) 734-3574

Pediatric Pulmonology

DIANA GO

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-6221

SANJAY JHAWAR

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Pulmonology (800) 282-3284

SHEENA K. MAHARAJ

Sutter Health, (916) 453-8696

KIRAN NANDALIKE

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Pulmonology (800) 282-3284

MYRZA PEREZ

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2250

WAN TSAI

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2250

Pediatric Sleep Medicine

SANJAY JHAWAR

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Sleep Medicine (800) 282-3284

KIRAN NANDALIKE

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Sleep Medicine (800) 282-3284

MYRZA PEREZ

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2250

Pediatric Surgery

LISA ABRAMSON

Sutter Medical Center (916) 887-4220

ERIN G. BROWN

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Surgery, (800) 282-3284

JERRY CHEN

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2250

DIANA FARMER

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Surgery, (800) 282-3284

JOY L. GRAF

Sutter Health, (916) 887-4220

SHINJIRO HIROSE

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Surgery, (916) 734-7844

NOAH KELLER

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2250

JONATHAN E. KOHLER

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Surgery, (916) 734-7844

DOUGLAS MINIATI

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2250

PAYAM SAADAI

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Surgery, (916) 734-7844

Pediatric Urology

ANDREW HUANG

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4160

ERIC KURZROCK

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Urology, (916) 734-2222

Pediatrics (General)

ROBERT S. BYRD

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatrics, (916) 734-3112

DIANE L. CHAN

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4190

ERIC J. CROSSEN

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatrics, (916) 734-3112

CANDACE T. EYMAN

Sutter Health, (916) 862-9900

SUSAN GURALNICK

UC Davis Health - Pediatrics (916) 734-3112

ANNE HSII

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 614-4060

NANETTE K. HYMAN

Sutter Health, (916) 262-9002

ANITA JAIN

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatrics, (916) 734-5846

RAVINDER S. KHAIRA

Sutter Health, (916) 422-7273

HANNAH J. PHAN

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 614-4060

MITCH RATANASEN

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatrics, (916) 734-3112

MIGUEL A. SANCHEZ

Kaiser Permanente - Elk Grove Promenade Medical Offices (916) 544-6600

JONATHAN THYGESON

Jonathan E. Thygeson M.D., Inc. (916) 924-8754

BETH WARD

Sutter Health, (916) 262-9002

LENORE R. YOUSSEFI Sutter Health, (916) 817-3700

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

SHAWNA B. ARSENAULT

UC Davis Health - Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (916) 734-7041

RYAN T. CARVER

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 771-6611

STEVEN T. CHAN

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-7481

LOREN T. DAVIDSON

Shriners Hospital for Children (800) 282-3284

SATINDERPAL DHAH

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2036

MAYA C. EVANS

UC Davis Health - Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (916) 734-7041

RAMANDEEP GURAI Sutter Health, (916) 478-0112

NANETTE C. JOYCE

UC Davis Health - Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (916) 734-7041

HAI TUAN LUONG

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 771-6611

LAWRENCE MANHART

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2250

CRAIG M. MCDONALD

UC Davis Health - Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (916) 734-7041

VANESSA MCGOWAN

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2036

LYNN NAKAMURA

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 771-6611

DANIEL SIMON NEUDORF

UC Davis Health - Spine Center (916) 734-7463

VINAY REDDY

Spine and Nerve Diagnostic Center (916) 419-9900

JOEL SCHAFFER

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2036

AKSHAT SHAH

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2036

CHRIS S. SHIN

UC Davis Health - Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (916) 734-7041

MARK D. TYBURSKI

Kaiser Permanente - Rancho Cordova Medical Offices (916) 631-3000

BRANDEE L WAITE

UC Davis Health - Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (916) 734-6805

HOLLY H. ZHAO

UC Davis Health - Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (916) 734-7041

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

CARRIE E. BLACK

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 514-7058

CHRISTA L. CLARK

Granite Bay Cosmetic Surgery (916) 246-6122

RUDY COSCIA

Rudy Coscia, M.D., Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, (916) 929-1833

DREW JOHNSON DAVIS

Kaufman & Davis Plastic Surgery (916) 983-9895

JESUS A. GARCIA

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 641-4568

SCOTT D. GREEN

The Plastic Surgery Center (916) 929-1833

KARLY KAPLAN

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5515

DAVID KAUFMAN

Kaufman & Davis Plastic Surgery (916) 983-9895

GERALD J. KHACHI

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2685

JAMES Z. KIM

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2045

ALAN Y. LIM

Sutter Health, (916) 733-9588

JAMES T. LIN

NeuGenesis Plastic Surgery (916) 525-1559

CHARLES T. LONGO

Charles Longo, M.D. (916) 456-8756

SHAHRIAR MABOURAKH

Folsom Plastic Surgery (916) 984-8585

PIRKO MAGUIÑA

Ideal Plastic Surgery (916) 664-3391

MINH-BAO MUNDSCHENK

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5515

CLIFFORD T. PEREIRA

UC Davis Health - Plastic Surgery (800) 282-3284

CHARLES W. PERRY

Chrysalis Cosmetics (916) 248-4447

LEE L.Q. PU

UC Davis Health - Plastic Surgery (916) 734-7844

JEFFREY A. SWEAT

Plastic Surgery Center of Sacramento, (916) 400-0822

KENNETH M. TOFT

Toft Facial Plastic Surgery (916) 782-8638

TRAVIS T. TOLLEFSON

UC Davis Health - Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery) (916) 734-2347

GRANGER B. WONG

UC Davis Health - Plastic Surgery (916) 734-7844

WAYNE YAMAHATA

The Plastic Surgery Center (916) 929-1833

SHUHAO ZHANG

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 735-4905

Podiatry

AMY DUCKWORTH

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4045

DOUGLAS R. HIGHT

Sutter Health, (916) 773-7905

NAMJONG SEAN LEE

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 784-4045

ROYA MIRMIRAN

Sutter Health, (916) 262-9464

DAMON NAMVAR

Sutter Health, (916) 262-9464

BETH NOE

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4045

KENE OFILI

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 668-2600

LINDSAY RUSSELL

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2030

MICHAEL SCATENA

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5275

TANYA SINGLETON

Kaiser Permanente - South

Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2030

MICHAEL STARKWEATHER

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-8723

GREGORY TOVMASSIAN

Sacramento Foot and Ankle Center (916) 459-4398

KIRSTEN VAN VORIS-SCATENA

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5275

Preventive Medicine

CHEREE DUNBAR

Northern California Wellness (916) 458-5533

Psychiatry

CHRISTINA Y. BILYEU

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5300

JEREMY DEMARTINI

UC Davis Health - Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, (916) 734-2737

BRIAN FITCH

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 525-6100

HELEN KALES

UC Davis Health - Psychiatry and Behavioral Science (916) 734-0849

JULIE KIYOMI

MOTOSUE-BRENNAN

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 525-6100

ALISON NEWMAN

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 525-6100

GREGORY C. SAZIMA

Greg Sazima, M.D., (916) 797-2248

RUTH S. SHIM

UC Davis Health - Psychiatry and Behavioral Science (916) 734-3574

HUMBERTO TEMPORINI

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 525-6100

GUOHUA XIA Brain Fit, (530) 231-5858

AILEEN L. YAP-LACAP

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 973-5300

Radiation Oncology

RACHEL H. CHOU

Kaiser Permanente - Rancho Cordova Medical Offices (916) 631-2730

MEGAN E. DALY

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5810

RUBEN FRAGOSO

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5810

CHRISTOPHER U. JONES Sutter Health, (916) 781-1225

DERRICK T. KOO

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 771-2871

CHARLOTTE KUBICKY Sutter Health, (916) 781-1225

VINCENT LEE

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 683-9616

ARTA M. MONJAZEB

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5810

NATHALIE NGUYEN

Kaiser Permanente - Rancho Cordova Medical Offices (916) 631-2730

PAUL PAGE

South Sacramento Cancer Center (916) 683-9616

HUBERT PAN

Sutter Health - Anderson Lucchetti Women’s & Children’s Center (916) 454-6600

MAHESH C. PANT

Kaiser Permanente - Rancho Cordova Medical Offices (916) 631-2730

BIHAI PENG

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 771-2871

ANTHONY T. PU Sutter Medical Center (916) 454-6600

SHYAM S.D. RAO

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5810

SETH ROSENTHAL

Sutter Health, (916) 781-1225

DERRICK SCHMIDT

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 771-2871

RICHARD K. VALICENTI

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5810

Radiology

MATTHEW BOBINSKI

UC Davis Health - Radiology (800) 482-3284

GHANEH FANANAPAZIR

UC Davis Health - Radiology (800) 282-3284

CHARLES H. MCDONNELL

Sutter Health, (916) 878-3495

JOHN P. MCGAHAN

UC Davis Health - Radiology (916) 934-5731

TAN M. NGUYEN

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2029

ELEANOR ORMSBY

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 817-5250

MICHAEL SILBERSTEIN

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 817-5250

ARVIND SONIK

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 817-5250

REBECCA STEIN-WEXLER

UC Davis Health - RadiologyPediatrics, (800) 282-3284

DEREK VIEN

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 817-5250

Reproductive Endocrinology / Infertility

MANUEL DOBLADO

Northern California Fertility Medical Center, (916) 773-2229

LAURIE LOVELY

Northern California Fertility Medical Center, (916) 773-2229

MICHAEL J. MURRAY

Northern California Fertility Medical Center, (916) 773-2229

SAHAR M. STEPHENS

Northern California Fertility Medical Center, (916) 773-2229

Rheumatology

SHIRIN M. AHMAD

UC Davis Health - Allergy and Rheumatology, (800) 482-3284

ANUPAMA S. BHAT

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-5616

GURTEJ S. CHEEMA

UC Davis Health - Allergy and Rheumatology, (916) 734-2737

MINZI CHEN

Sutter Health - Woodland Clinic (530) 576-8716

ROSE C. CHUMO

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-5616

MOHAMMADOMID EDRISSIAN

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2330

ANGEL A. HERRERA GUERRA

UC Davis Children’s HospitalPediatric Allergy and Rheumatology, (916) 734-3112

ARSHIA D. ISLAM

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-5616

Samir Sheth, M.D.

Pain Medicine SUTTER HEALTH

Samir Sheth, M.D., wants to make one thing very clear: Pain management is not all about drugs. “I think people often think of me as somebody who’s going to give out opioids,” says Sheth. “But the truth is, I became interested in pain medicine because I wanted to take people off of such medications.” He’s likely saving lives: According to the CDC, some 75% of the nearly 92,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2020 involved opioids.

Do patients often prefer pain meds over other alternatives? Sometimes they’d rather do medicines, or they mistakenly believe their only option is surgery. A lot of it goes back to making people aware of all the nonpharmacologic options. I really try very hard to push patients first toward minimally invasive things. Fortunately, at Sutter we have the opportunity to offer integrative help, whether it be acupuncture, massage or chiropractic care. Oftentimes it’s a synergy of several therapies together that can best help the patient. I’m hopeful with the therapies we offer, we can take people off medications and reduce the risks associated with them.

Are patients reluctant to try these things? There’s a lot of skepticism about things like acupuncture or physical therapy. I actually encourage my patients to go on the internet, to find the horror stories and the things that are really concerning, so we can talk about them, maybe address some myths. I think one of my biggest jobs is to make sure my patients are not misinformed.

Anything else you’d like people to know about what you do? I think there’s a misconception that interventional pain physicians only treat back or neck pain. But as I like to tell my patients, I essentially treat anything from head to toe.

Pediatric Cardiology

UC DAVIS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

COVID-19 is not the only virus that can lead to myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle. But at the pandemic’s peak, when reports poured out linking myocarditis to COVID infections and vaccines, it caused a stir—especially among parents of children and teens. Now that the dust has settled a bit, what have we learned? We asked pediatric cardiologist Daniel Cortez, M.D.—who calls himself an “electrician for the heart” (he’s an electrophysiologist)—for his perspective.

What kinds of heart problems have you observed with young people who contract COVID? The biggest thing I’ve seen with COVID is myocarditis. In kids, myocarditis can either lead to dysfunction of the heart or can cause enlargement of the coronary arteries—the vessels that feed the heart. Unfortunately, if that’s not treated appropriately, it can lead to serious issues such as aneurysms and early coronary disease. Sometimes the coronary arteries are very dilated and never get back to normal, and we don’t know what that means, long term.

There’s also something called Kawasaki disease, and COVID has a version of it, MIS-C, multi-inflammatory syndrome in children, that can similarly affect the coronary arteries.

Can you provide some guidelines for parents? If a child has COVID and has a fever for five straight days, it indicates a need for further evaluation, including an ultrasound of the heart. It’s really worth checking those coronary arteries and treating them appropriately to prevent future heart attacks or other issues.

You have a preference for family appointments. What’s that about? I see a lot of patients who have family members with the same condition, with differing degrees of severity. With the shared knowledge that can happen when multiple family members are in the room, in my mind it only makes sense to bring them in to be seen at the same time.

Daniel Cortez, M.D.

ANAND LAL

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-5616

DIANA LAU

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-8601

JOY MOMBOURQUETTE

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 474-2250

MINHCHAU T. NGUYEN

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2330

SIMRAN K. THIARA

Sutter Health - Sutter Medical Center, (916) 455-3700

KENNETH B. WIESNER

Sutter Health, (916) 922-7021

BARTON L. WISE

UC Davis Health - Allergy and Rheumatology, (916) 734-2737

Sleep Medicine

SHAWN S. AGHILI

Pulmonary Medicine Associates (916) 786-7498

PARAMJEET ATWAL

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-4821

ROBERT A. DIAS

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 735-4388

PRADEEP DODDAMREDDY

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-5375

KIMBERLY A. HARDIN

UC Davis Health - Sleep Medicine (916) 734-3588

SWAPNA R. PARIKH

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-5375

FREDERICK E. RAMOS

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-4821

DAVID Z. TZENG

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-4821

LYDIA WYTRZES

Sutter Health, (916) 564-3610

Sports Medicine

JASON D. BRAYLEY

Kaiser Permanente - Elk Grove

Promenade Medical Offices (916) 326-8200

KEVIN BURNHAM

UC Davis Health - Internal Medicine, (916) 734-2737

BILJINDER S. CHIMA

Rocklin Family Practice (916) 624-0300

MARCIA FAUSTIN

UC Davis Health - Sports Medicine (916) 734-6805

JULIE L. INGWERSON

UC Davis Health - Sports Medicine (916) 734-6805

SUSAN JOY

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Railyard Medical Center (916) 326-8200

CASSANDRA A. LEE

UC Davis Health - Orthopaedic Surgery, (916) 734-6805

RICHARD A. MARDER

Sutter Health, (916) 734-6805

ROBERT MASOCOL

Kaiser Permanente - Elk Grove Big Horn Medical Offices (916) 478-5100

SCOTT MEIER

Kaiser Permanente - Elk Grove Promenade Medical Offices (916) 544-6160

DANIEL PARKER

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-8723

GLORIA RHO

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Railyard Medical Center (916) 326-8200

JEFFREY L. TANJI

UC Davis Medical Group- Davis (530) 747-3000

BRANDEE L. WAITE

UC Davis Health - Sports Medicine (916) 734-6805

CHILL C. YEE

Sutter Health, (916) 797-4725

CRAIG ZIEGLER

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4050

Thoracic Surgery

MATTHEW AGNEW

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2014

LISA M. BROWN

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-5959

DAVID T. COOKE

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-3861

COSTANZO DI PERNA

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 536-3665

LUIS A. GODOY

UC Davis - Comprehensive Cancer Center, (916) 734-3861

GREGORY M. GRAVES

Sutter Health, (916) 456-4428

STERLING HUMPHREY

Sutter Health, (916) 878-2555

JOHN S. LEE

Sutter Health, (916) 733-9660

STEPHEN D. MAXWELL Sutter Health, (916) 878-2555

RICK PENG

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 688-2000

GARY W. RAFF

Shriners Hospital for Children (916) 453-2191

BRIAN REZVANI

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2014

TREVOR WILLIAMS

Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group, (916) 999-4432

Transgender Health

ALLISON MARGARET BYRNE

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Railyard Medical Center (866) 454-8855

Urology

CAROLINA ALVAYAY

Sutter Roseville Medical Center (916) 797-4720

KIRK M. ANDERSON

Sutter Health, (916) 262-9386

ARON M. BRUHN

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4160

NOAH E. CANVASSER

UC Davis Health - Urological Surgery, (916) 734-2222

SAMUEL T. H. CHAN

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4160

MARC A. DALL’ERA

UC Davis Health - Urological Surgery, (916) 734-2222

JONATHAN A. EANDI Sutter Health, (916) 262-9386

CHRISTOPHER P. EVANS

UC Davis Health - Urological Surgery, (916) 734-2222

KIRK D. KEENE

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2081

PATRICK S. KILDAY Sutter Health, (916) 262-9386

JOYCE LOEFFLER

Dignity Health Woodland Clinic (530) 576-8922

TAN PHAM

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2081

JENNIFER ROTHSCHILD

UC Davis Health - Urological Surgery, (916) 734-2222

CARMEN STAPP

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4160

GENEVIEVE H. SWEET

Sutter Health - Roseville Urology (916) 797-4720

KIMBERLY TAKAHASHI

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4160

KADEE E. THOMPSON

Sutter Health, (916) 262-9386

SCOTT TROXEL

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4160

ALICE TSAO

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2081

JARED WHITSON

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2081

DAVID S. YEE

Sutter Health - Roseville Urology (916) 797-4720

Vascular / Interventional Radiology

BRADEN BOICE

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5720

MATTHEW D. DANIELSON

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 817-5250

MARK M. DAVIDIAN

Sutter Imaging Vascular & Varicose Vein Center (916) 783-8114

LAWRENCE DAVIS

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2029

BRANDON J. DOSKOCIL

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 817-5250

FARHAD FARZANEGAN

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2029

ROBERT FREED

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5720

ISAAC KIM

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5720

CHRISTOPHER LAING

Sutter Health - Imaging Sacramento, (916) 732-7777

MAUD MORSHEDI

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2029

REX M. PILLAI

UC Davis Health- Radiology (916) 734-3606

DEREK VIEN

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 817-5250

PATRICK M. VOGEL Sutter Imaging Sacramento (916) 732-7777

CATHERINE T. VU

UC Davis Health- Radiology (916) 734-3606

Vascular Surgery

CHRISTOPHER ABBOT

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2014

JOHN G. BRAWLEY

Kaiser Permanente - South Sacramento Medical Center (916) 688-2014

CHARLES T. BROWNRIDGE

Sutter Health, (916) 262-9400

RICHARD J. CAMPBELL

Kaiser Permanente - Sacramento Medical Center, (916) 973-5235

JOSEFINA A. DOMINGUEZ

Sutter Health - Sutter Capitol Pavilion, (916) 262-9400

RICHARD FLORIO

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4144

DMITRI V. GELFAND

Sutter Health, (916) 773-8750

BLAKE HAMBY

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4144

MISTY D. HUMPHRIES

UC Davis Health - Vascular Surgery, (916) 734-3800

MIMMIE KWONG

UC Davis Health - Vascular Surgery, (916) 734-3800

ADDISON MCMURTRY

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4144

MATTHEW W. MELL

UC Davis Health - Vascular Surgery, (916) 734-3800

DANIEL L. MONAHAN

Monahan Vein Clinic (916) 791-8346

BRIAN D. PARK

Sutter Health, (916) 262-9400

THOMAS PARK Sutter Health, (916) 262-9400

SAMANTHA STRADLEIGH

Kaiser Permanente - Roseville Medical Center, (916) 784-4144

ROMEL VELASTEGUI

REV Vascular, (866) 852-2183

UC Davis Health 2022 Highlights

We’re extraordinarily grateful for the knowledge, experience, innovation and dedication that all of our Top Doctors bring to their work. And we’re immensely proud of the instrumental ways that their efforts improve health, both for our individual patients and our greater region.

Working together, UC Davis physicians harness the power of a world-class university and connect patients with the expertise, discoveries and resources of our region’s only academic health system. Some highlights:

‚

The leading-edge diagnosis and treatment technologies of UC Davis Medical Center, rated Sacramento’s No. 1 hospital by U.S. News & World Report and one of the top ten in California.

‚

Nine adult and five pediatric medical specialties ranked among America’s best by U.S. News.

‚

Congratulations on the 286 Top Docs honors for UC Davis Health physicians in Sacramento Magazine’s annual list of our region’s best doctors! We’re proud of each of our “Top Docs”— and of all UC Davis Health primary and specialty care physicians. Thank you all for your work to save lives, improve health, and protect our shared community.

A unique role in fighting COVID-19 and other infectious diseases — by helping to research and introduce new treatments and vaccines, launching the region’s first long COVID clinic, and sharing the latest expert guidance for everyday life.

‚

Nationally ranked cancer care, from inland Northern California’s only center to hold “comprehensive” designation from the National Cancer Institute.

‚

The Sacramento region’s only nationally ranked, comprehensive hospital for children, home to the region’s only nationally ranked NICU.

‚

Magnet® designation, the nation’s highest recognition for nursing excellence.

‚

17 primary care clinics across many area communities, including Auburn, Davis, Elk Grove, Folsom, Rocklin, Roseville and more.

Bringing our region the latest health care advancements and expertise — when they’re needed most.

We’re honored to have an infectious diseases team that’s home to many Top Docs and that works so tirelessly to inform and protect our community — throughout the ever-evolving corona virus pandemic, during outbreaks of diseases like monkeypox and RSV, and in the background to help prevent epidemics in the first place.

UC Davis Infectious Diseases team

‚

Since treating America’s first known case of community-spread COVID-19, UC Davis Health infectious diseases experts like Stuart Cohen, Dean Blumberg and Natascha Tuznik have played important roles both locally and nationally in responding to the pandemic — providing acute and non-acute care for COVID patients, helping to advance key treatments and vaccines, and sharing the latest evidence-based prevention advice through the media.

‚

Along with fellow Top Docs like Archana Maniar, Bennett Penn and Sarah Waldman, they also provide key care and research for other health challenges such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, tuberculosis, and organ or bone marrow transplants.

‚

Blumberg, Ritu Cheema and fellow pediatric infectious diseases Top Docs care for kids with both acute and chronic conditions, and are involved in preventive vaccine and antibiotics research for children.

‚ George Thompson is a key expert and researcher on valley fever, a dustrelated disease that poses a unique challenge for dry, hot regions like its namesake Central Valley.

‚

Tuznik also leads our travel clinic, dedicated to delivering expert medical consultation for international travel and providing tools for a safe and healthy journey.

UC Davis Health Infectious Diseases Clinic and Travelers Clinic: 916-734-2737

health.ucdavis.edu/internalmedicine/infectious

Bringing expertise, clarity and the latest advancements in research and care for COVID-19 and other disease outbreaks

Top row: Sarah Waldman, Dean Blumberg, Archana Maniar, Stuart Cohen.

Front row: Bennett Penn, Natascha Tuznik, Ritu Cheema, George Thompson.

UC Davis Health Obstetrics and Gynecology 916-734-6900 health.ucdavis.edu/obgyn

UC Davis Health Birth Center 800-2-UCDAVIS (800-282-3284) health.ucdavis.edu/birth-center

UC Davis Obstetrics and Gynecology

Our obstetrics and gynecology service is ranked among the nation’s best, and proudly includes many physicians ranked among the region’s top doctors. Together they offer care for women in every stage of life, including contraceptive and fertility advice, routine and high-risk pregnancy expertise, support during the menopausal transi tion, and care for special challenges.

‚ Alison Breen, Catherine Cansino, Jocylen Glassberg, Jenise Phelps and Michael Trifiro emphasize close listening and partnership while providing the full range of routine women’s care, along with management of conditions like endometriosis, fibroids, abnormal bleeding, recurrent infections, and HPV complications.

‚

Debra Wright Swanson leads our Birth Center, which combines home-like private birthing suites and extraordinary medical knowledge — and recently celebrated a record-high of more than 2,000 babies delivered in one year. We were named one of Newsweek’s Best Maternity Care Hospitals for 2022, and a Baby-Friendly Hospital by Baby-Friendly USA for our breastfeeding standards.

‚ A special hallmark of our care is providing the utmost standard of management for high-risk pregnancies, complications and unexpected situations. Véronique Taché is one of several UC Davis maternal-fetal medicine specialists who rank among the region’s top doctors, and offer expertise across all areas of high-risk obstetrical care.

‚ Amy George is fellowship-trained in both minimally invasive gynecology and in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, and part of a team with compre hensive expertise in pelvic floor disorders.

‚ Department chair Gary Leiserowitz, robotic surgery director Bahareh Nejad, and other members of our gynecologic oncology team are highly skilled in minimally invasive techniques and fertility-preserving surgeries, as well as specific protocols for more advanced cancers. They also engage in clinical trials that can offer new hope for patients.

The highest-quality care for women in every stage of life

Jocylen Glassberg, Veronique Tache, Gary Leiserowitz, Bahareh Nejad, Michael Trifiro, Alison Breen, and Catherine Cansino. Not pictured: Debra Wright Swanson, Amy George, and Jenise Phelps.

UC Davis Emergency Medicine

We’re grateful for the experience and excellence of our emergency medicine team, home to a number of Top Docs and a crucial source of lifesaving care for our region — during the pandemic and beyond.

As home to inland Northern California’s only American College of Surgeons-veri fied level I trauma center for both adult and pediatric emergencies, UC Davis Medical Center provides the highest-level trauma care for more than 33 of California’s 58 counties. Our emergency rooms see close to 200 patients per day on average (and treated as many as 300 a day during COVID-19 surges).

‚ We’re proud to be a major source of new knowledge about injury treat ment. For example, department chair Nathan Kuppermann helped to found and lead the nation’s first and only federally funded pediatric emergency medicine research collaborative, PECARN. Its studies help care teams across the world make treatment deci sions on important topics — such as risks for severe and long COVID in children — with more evidence-based confidence and less side effects on kids.

‚ Our emergency department team has also increased its expertise to best serve older adults, who often have complicated needs. Under the leadership of Katren Tyler, our ED was awarded national recognition as a Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department by the American College of Emergency Physicians — one of less than 25 in the nation to achieve gold status.

‚

Academic physicians such as David Barnes, Daniel Colby, Ian Julie, Erik Laurin, Emily Andrada, Julia Magana, Lisa Mills, Kara Toles and Samuel Turnipseed specialize in providing — and improving — treat ment in a wide variety of lifesaving areas, ranging from chest pain evalu ation to child abuse trauma to health inequities.

Level-1 adult and pediatric trauma care and evidence-based emergency care

Front

Not

Top row: Julia Magana, Daniel Colby, David Barnes, Emily Andrada.

row: Erik Laurin, Nathan Kuppermann, Katren Tyler.

pictured: Kara Toles, Lisa Mills, Samuel Turnipseed, Ian Julie.

UC Davis

Comprehensive Cancer Center

New patient referrals: 916-734-5959 or 800-770-9261 cancer.ucdavis.edu

World-class cancer care and extensive

clinical trials

UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center

Congratulations to the many UC Davis Health physicians across cancerrelated specialties who were named Top Doctors this year. You can see the entire list on page 8.

UC Davis Medical Center routinely ranks among the nation’s top hospitals for cancer care, and is home to the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center — inland Northern California’s only center to earn “comprehensive” designation from the nation’s top cancer organization, the National Cancer Institute. Held by just 50 or so other U.S. centers, the designation is a mark of the highest standards and achievements in research, outreach and education — which are then reflected in patient care.

‚ Treatment at NCI-designated cancer centers is associated with improved outcomes for many people with cancer. “Comprehensive” designation means patients get access to leading-edge treatments — such as develop ment of personalized therapies based on the unique molecular character istics of individual tumors — and access to clinical trials in early phases of drug development. The physicians who see patients collaborate with researchers to develop new approaches to beating cancer.

‚ We leverage the cancer-fighting expertise of the entire University of California system through the UC Cancer Consortium, a partnership between UC cancer centers to boost early detection and develop innovative treatments. Experts like our center’s physician-in-chief Richard Bold collaborate on problems like pancreatic cancer, one of the few for which survival has not improved substantially.

‚ We provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary care for nearly every cancer, as well as all stages. Patients can often receive all care in one location from a team of physicians covering the spectrum of treatment specialties, and have access to numerous, innovative clinical trials from a large network — creating opportunities for the latest advances.

Dr. Richard Bold

UC Davis Sports Medicine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Our orthopaedics service regularly ranks among the nation’s best for both adults and children.

‚ Our sports performance program offers a-la-carte assessments of body composition, bike fit, running gait, and overall fitness.

UC Davis Sports Medicine Program

Appointments: 916-734-6805 Referrals: 800-4-UCDAVIS (800-482-3284) health.ucdavis.edu/sportsmedicine

‚

Thanks and kudos to all who ranked among the region’s Top Doctors for sports medicine and physical medicine & rehabilitation.

On the sports medicine side, our experts have served as team doctors for U.S. Olympic programs, Sacramento’s pro basketball and soccer teams, collegiate teams, international marathons, the ballet, and more. They also provide the same high-level service for active people of all ages and goals — from aspiring pros to weekend warriors to fitness buffs.

The team at our one-stop Sports Medicine center helps to enhance fitness, prevent injuries, extend athletic careers, and support daily activity goals. When injuries do occur, we offer expert management of joint, muscle and bone problems.

‚ Fellowship-trained sports medicine physicians like Brandee Waite, Marcia Faustin, Julie Ingwerson and Kevin Burnham offer a wide range of treat ment options — from ultrasoundguided high-tech and regenerative procedures, to complementary, alter native and lifestyle approaches.

‚

Sports orthopaedic surgeons like Cassandra Lee also provide consulta tion and intervention when needed.

Meanwhile, other members of our physical medicine & rehabilitation team focus on improving function and quality of life for individuals facing physical challenges of a different kind — the effects of brain and spinal cord injuries, neuromuscular disorders, and musculoskeletal conditions.

Craig McDonald and Nanette Joyce are recognized experts on neuromus cular diseases such as ALS, hereditary muscular dystrophies, and spinal muscular atrophy. Maya Evans and Shawna Arsenault tackle pediatric problems like spina bifida, cerebral palsy, and limb deficiencies. Daniel Neudorf specializes in neurologic injuries such as stroke and TBI. Chris Shin (not pictured) has special interest in prosthetics amputee care and non-operative spine management.

Major-league expertise for boosting or restoring mobility, fitness and quality of life

Front row: Craig McDonald, Cassandra Lee, Maya Evans, Shawna Arsenault, Brandee Waite. Top row: Kevin Burnham, Marcia Faustin, Daniel Simon Neudorf, Nanette Joyce.

Not pictured: Julie Ingwerson, Je rey Tanji, Holly Zhao.

UC Davis Children’s Hospital

We’re proud of the numerous Top Docs across pediatric specialties affiliated with UC Davis Children’s Hospital, the Sacramento region’s only nationally ranked, comprehensive hospital for children. Working together, our experts can offer kids and their families the highest level of care for virtually every pediatric health condition. Some highlights:

‚

The Central Valley’s only level I pediatric trauma center and emergency department, providing world-class care for the most severely ill and injured children.

‚

State-of-the-art neonatal, pediatric and pediatric cardiac intensive care units. For example, our nationally ranked neonatology service — led by our pediatrics chair and neona tologist Satyan Lakshminrusimha — is home to a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) that offers the highest level of care for the Sacramento region.

‚

Inland Northern California’s first comprehensive multidisci plinary fetal diagnosis and therapy center, the UC Davis Fetal Care and Treatment Center, where renowned specialists like Diana Farmer and Shinjiro Hirose can perform in utero surgery to help save infants and provide the best opportunity for quality of life.

‚

The first hospital on the West Coast, and only the fourth in the nation, to earn highest-level verification as a level I children’s surgery center from the American College of Surgeons. Level I centers have specialty trained children’s surgeons in every discipline, with pediatric anesthesiologists and operating rooms for children available 24 hours a day. ‚

Board-certified physicians across more than 30 subspecialties, many of them engaged with the latest research to advance kids’ health. Plus nationally ranked specialty care in pediatric orthopaedics (with Shriners Children’s Northern California, our longstanding partner on orthopedic disorders and spinal injuries), nephrology, diabetes & endocrinology, and pulm onology & lung surgery.

UC Davis Children’s Hospital

Appointments and Referrals: 800-UCD-4-KIDS (800-823-4543) health.ucdavis.edu/children

The Sacramento region’s only nationally ranked, comprehensive hospital for children

Dr. Satyan Lakshminrusimha

Congrats on our 286 UC Davis Health Top Docs across multiple specialites

BEST DOCTORS IN ADULT MEDICINE

Addiction Medicine

Alicia Agnoli

Daniel Colby

Martin Leamon

Aimee Moulin

Allergy and Immunology

Victoria Dimitriades

Rosemary Hallett

Anh Nguyen

Suzanne Teuber

Anesthesiology

Richard Applegate

Rajvinder Dhamrait

Robert Kriss

Niroop Ravula

Breast Surgery

Richard Bold Candice Sauder

Cardiac Surgery

Sabrina Evans Victor Rodriguez

Cardiology

Radhika Bukkapatnam

Dali Fan

Gagan Singh Thomas Smith

Uma Srivatsa

Jeffrey Southard Garrett Wong

Colon and Rectal Surgery

Wissam Halabi

Critical Care Medicine and Pulmonary Disease

Jason Adams

Hugh Black

Brooks Kuhn

Samuel Louie

Susan Murin

Chinh Phan

Christian Sandrock

Christian Sebat

Nicholas Stollenwerk

Amir Zeki

Dermatology

Oma Agbai

Smita Awasthi

Barbara Burrall

Samuel Hwang

Wen Kuo

Marc Silverstein

Danielle Tartar

Peggy Wu

Ear, Nose and Throat

Debbie Aizenberg

Arnaud Bewley

Peter Belafsky

Rodney Diaz

Jamie Funamura

Sally Kamal

Maggie Kuhn

Lane Squires

Toby Steele

Edward Strong

Travis Tollefson

Emergency Medicine

Emily Andrada

David Barnes

Daniel Colby Ian Julie

Nathan Kuppermann

Erik Laurin

Julia Magana Lisa Mills

Kara Toles

Samuel Turnipseed

Katren Tyler

Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

Mark Moriwaki Dana Sheely

Family Medicine

Alicia Agnoli Micaela Godzich

Anthony Jerant Sarah Marshall

Gastroenterology

Christopher Bowlus Juan Garcia Valentina Medici Jesse Stondell Cecilia Terrado Anastasia Waechter

General Surgery John Anderson Michael Campbell Sepideh Gholami David Leshikar

Genetics Kristin Herman Madelena Martin Suma Shankar

Geriatric Medicine

Calvin Hirsch

Gynecologic Oncology

Hui (Amy) Chen Vanessa Kennedy Gary Leiserowitz

Hand Surgery

Robert Allen Christopher Bayne

Clifford Pereira Robert Szabo

Hematology and Oncology

Mili Arora Helen Chew

Brian Jonas Edward Kim

Tianhong Li Jonathan Riess

Joseph Tuscano

Theodore Wun

Hospice and Palliative Medicine

Nathan Fairman

Annemarie Hargadon John MacMillan Theresa Murdock-Vlautin

Hospital Medicine/ Hospitalist

Catherine Chia Mithu Molla Voltaire Sinigayan Alexis Toney

Infectious Disease Dean Blumberg

Ritu Cheema Stuart Cohen Archana Maniar Bennett Penn George Thompson Natascha Tuznik Sarah Waldman

Internal Medicine Kevin Burnham Olivia Campa Zachary Holt Craig Keenan Kathryn Newell Yunli Zheng

Maternal and Fetal Medicine

Nancy Field Herman Hedriana Amelia McLennan Unzila Nayeri Véronique Taché

Nephrology Shubha Ananthakrishnan Andrew Chin Niti Madan Jose Morfin Brian Young

Neurology Alexandra Duffy Marc Lenaerts Norika Malhado-Chang Vicki Wheelock Alan Yee Lin Zhang

Neurosurgery

Orin Bloch Griffith Harsh Kee Kim

Kiarash Shahlaie Marike Zwienenberg

Nuclear Medicine

Cameron Foster Lorenzo Nardo

Obstetrics and Gynecology

Alison Breen

Catherine Cansino Amy George Jocylen Glassberg

Gary Leiserowitz

Bahareh Nejad

Jenise Phelps Debra Wright Swanson Michael Trifiro

Ophthalmology Nandini Gandhi Michele Lim Yin Liu Mark Mannis Ala Moshiri

Orthopedic Surgery Mauro Giordani Brian Haus Mark Lee Holly Leshikar Steven Thorpe

Pain Medicine David Copenhaver Charles De Mesa Scott Fishman Kenneth Furukawa Gagan Mahajan Scott Pritzlaff

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Shawna Arsenault Maya Evans Nanette Joyce Craig McDonald Daniel Neudorf Chris Shin Brandee Waite Holly Zhao

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Clifford Pereira Lee Pu Travis Tollefson Granger Wong Psychiatry Jeremy DeMartini Helen Kales Ruth Shim

Radiation Oncology

Megan Daly Ruben Fragoso Arta Monjazeb Shyam Rao Richard Valicenti

Radiology Matthew Bobinski Ghaneh Fananapazir John McGahan Rebecca Stein-Wexler

Rheumatology Shirin Ahmad Gurtej Cheema Angel Herrera Guerra Barton Wise

Sleep Medicine Kimberly Hardin

Sports Medicine

Kevin Burnham Marcia Faustin Julie Ingwerson Cassandra Lee Jeffrey Tanji Brandee Waite

Thoracic Surgery Lisa Brown David Cooke Luis Godoy

Urology

Noah Canvasser Marc Dall’Era Christopher Evans Jennifer Rothschild

Vascular/Interventional Radiology

Rex Pillai Catherine Vu

Vascular Surgery Misty Humphries Mimmie Kwong Matthew Mell

BEST DOCTORS IN PEDIATRIC MEDICINE

Adolescent Medicine Laura Kester Prakash Cindy Schorzman Cardiology Daniel Cortez Jonathan Dayan Sherzana Sunderji Jay Yeh

Critical Care Medicine Sara Aghamohammadi Constantine Dimitriades John Holcroft James Marcin

Stephanie Mateev JoAnne Natale Jennifer Plant Viyeka Sethi Jessica Signoff

Dermatology Smita Awasthi

Endocrinology

Stephanie Crossen Abigail Fruzza Nicole Glaser

Lindsey Loomba-Albrecht Dennis Styne

Gastroenterology Arthur de Lorimier Kelly Haas Sunpreet Kaur Daphne Say Trinh Truong

Hematology and Oncology

Elysia Alvarez Reuben Antony Jong Chung Jonathan Ducore Marcio Malogolowkin Arun Panigrahi Anjali Pawar

Infectious Disease Dean Blumberg Ritu Cheema Natasha Nakra Elizabeth Partridge Jean Wiedeman

Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine

Kristin Hoffman Kara Kuhn-Riordon Satyan Lakshminrusimha Francis Poulain Catherine Rottkamp Payam Vali Nephrology Lavjay Butani Maha Haddad Arundhati Kale Stephanie Nguyen

Neurology William Benko Celia Chang Trishna Kantamneni Shannon Liang Neurosurgery Michael Edwards Marike Zwienenberg

Pediatrics (General) Robert Byrd Eric Crossen Anita Jain Mitch Ratanasen

Psychiatry Anne McBride Murat Pakyurek

Pulmonology

Sanjay Jhawar Kiran Nandalike

Sleep Medicine

Sanjay Jhawar Kiran Nandalike

Surgery

Erin Brown Diana Farmer Shinjiro Hirose Jonathan Kohler Payam Saadai

Urology Eric Kurzrock Jennifer Yang

It’s exceptional care, without exception.

Doctors at Sutter Medical Foundation are always looking to innovate how they care for the hearts and minds of Sacramento. With ever-evolving cardiology services and time-focused stroke care, we’re helping people heal more quickly. And ground-breaking advancements, such as CAR T-cell therapy, are changing the way we can treat cancer. So when you need care, choose the doctors with their eyes on the future. It’s a thousand things, big and small.

Granite Bay Cosmetic Surgery

Dr. Haley Bray & Dr. Marc Orlando,

Fellowship-Trained Plastic Surgeons

Dr. Christa Clark, founder of Granite Bay Cosmetic Surgery, welcomes two new colleagues, Dr. Haley Bray and Dr. Marc Orlando, to the practice.

DR. HALEY BRAY specializes in facial plastic surgery including deep plane facelift, rhinoplasty, and upper and lower eyelid lift. “I offer treatment options that will appear completely natural and enhance your features.”

DR. MARC ORLANDO specializes in a full range of body contouring procedures including breast augmentation, Brazilian butt lift, and mommy makeovers. “I personalize each procedure to achieve the naturallooking results you deserve.”

All surgical procedures are performed in a state-of-the-art, accredited facility for optimal safety, comfort, and privacy. Granite Bay Cosmetic also offers the most effective non-surgical cosmetic treatments. Whatever your goals, the GBCS family is ready to help you look naturally beautiful and feel seriously confident.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Granite Bay Cosmetic Surgery • 5220 Douglas Blvd, Granite Bay CA 95746 • (916) 242-2662 www.granitebaycosmetic.com • Insta: @granitebaycosmetic

Laser & Skin Surgery Center of Northern CA

Suzanne L. Kilmer, M.D.

FOCUS: Dermatologic and Cosmetic Surgery, specializing in lasers, injectables and body contouring. With over 40 lasers and devices on-site, we provide comprehensive care that is customized to the individual patient. EDUCATION: Medical Degree— UCD School of Medicine. Internship, Residency, Chief Resident—UCD School of Medicine, Department of Dermatology. Clinical & Research Fellow in Cutaneous Laser Surgery—Harvard School Wellman Laboratories of Photomedicine. AFFILIATIONS: American Society for Lasers in Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS), American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS), American Academy of Dermatology, AMA, AOA Medical Honor Society. HONORS: Elected to American Dermatological Association in 2011. ASDS: Board of Directors 2009. Innovations in Aesthetic Dermatology Lectureship (2020) and Leon Goldman & Caroline & William Mark Memorial Awards (2020) ASLMS: Board of Directors 1998-2001, President 2002, Secretary 20152018. Dr. Thomas E. Rohrer’s Presidential Citation (2021), Melanie C. Grossman, MD Award for Leadership, Mentorship & Public Advocacy for Women in Medical Science Award (2021). GREATEST PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Three wonderful children. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: First female president of ASLMS. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Unsurpassed patient care and groundbreaking research, including over 120 clinical trials, including landmark studies for Laser Resurfacing, Fraxel, CoolSculpting, and more. CHARITABLE WORK: Physicians for Hope, New Beginnings: Removal of Radiation Marks, Human Trafficking Tattoos and Branding. ADVICE: The truth always wins.

CONTACT INFORMATION: 3835 J Street, Sacramento • (916) 456-0400 • lasercenter@skinlasers.com • www.skinlasers.com

Daniel L. Monahan, M.D.

FOCUS: Our goal is to help people enjoy better selfesteem, happiness, and health by treating unwanted varicose veins and spider veins. Dr. Monahan specializes in treating vein disorders. EDUCATION: UC Davis, BA, Zoology, 1976. Medical School: University of Hawaii, 1981, M.D., Cleveland Clinic Hospital 1981-1984, Virginia Mason Clinic 1984-1987 - completed General Surgery. Residency. MEMBERSHIPS: American Venous Forum; American College of Surgeons, American Vein and Lymphatic Society (SP). PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Published a research project which changed the understanding of varicose veins and treatment. INNOVATIONS: I treat varicose and spider veins in stages, reducing the amount of treatment, potential problems, and costs, and improving results. All the most current knowledge and technology are used in our evaluation and treatment of patients with venous disorders. BEDSIDE MANNER: Patients frequently say ours is the friendliest medical office they have ever been to. We treat people personally, with compassion, and the best possible evaluation and treatment.

OFF HOURS: Golf, fly-fishing, reading. ADVICE: Treating varicose and spider veins for appearance can improve selfesteem and confidence. But vein disease can also result in significant health issues, with leg pain and swelling, and more. Call our office for a consultation.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Monahan Vein Clinic 1211 Pleasant Grove Blvd., Ste.120, Roseville (916) 791-8346 (VEIN) • Veinfocus.com

Kenneth M. Toft, M.D. Toft Facial Surgery

FOCUS: Dr. Kenneth M. Toft is considered Sacramento’s expert in facial plastic surgery. Education: He began his surgical training at Stanford University, continued his studies as a Clinical Instructor in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at UCLA, and has been the Medical Director of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Mercy San Juan Medical Center for thirteen years. This impressive pedigree is backed up with exceptional results. Dr. Toft uses his expertise to minimize the signs of surgery so his patients can return to their active lifestyle looking refreshed, youthful and balanced. Not ready for surgery? Dr. Toft also personally performs all fillers, Botox®, Dysport®, and Photofacial treatments. If you are considering facial plastic surgery, make an appointment with “the expert” in Facial Plastic Surgery, Kenneth M. Toft, M.D.

CONTACT INFORMATION: 959 Reserve Drive, Roseville (916) 782-TOFT (8638) www.ToftFacialSurgery.com

David Kaufman, M.D.,

Drew Davis, M.D.

Plastic Surgery

FACS

FOCUS: Kaufman & Davis Plastic Surgery is focused on aesthetic plastic surgery with an emphasis on breast enhancement, body contouring and comprehensive facial rejuvenation. We also offer an array of non-surgical options for aesthetic improvement. EDUCATION: Dr. Kaufman and Dr. Davis are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Kaufman received his M.D. from Harvard Medical School and subsequently attended Stanford University for his Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery residency. He is, however, most proud of his time at the U.S. Naval Academy and his active duty service as a Navy SEAL. Dr. Davis attended medical school at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and also, completed his residency in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Stanford University. WHAT SETS THEM APART: A combination of exceptional training, extensive experience and a passion for excellence differentiates Kaufman & Davis Plastic Surgery. Supported by a team of caring, fun and energetic professionals, our goal is to make patients feel confident they are in the right place. For that reason, we strive for patients to feel like “extended family” and to be excited about the prospect of self-enhancement. OFF-HOUR ACTIVITIES: Both Dr. Kaufman and Dr. Davis love spending time with their families—preferably traveling, playing, and exploring outdoors. CHECK US OUT: Still a single location practice, we invite you to visit us at our newly built, state-of-the-art, Folsom office. CONTACT INFORMATION: 1841 Iron Point Road, Folsom • (916) 983-9895 • www.thenaturalresult.com

Pain Matters Lecture Series

The advisory board of the UC Davis Center for Advancing Pain Relief and UC Davis Health’s Division of Pain Medicine is a volunteer philanthropic board that supports education, policy and clinical programs regarding pain management; members come from different sectors of the community, but all share a deep commitment to furthering the mission of pain relief at UC Davis Health. This winter they will host the Pain Matters Lecture Series; three lectures on back pain, cancer pain, and pain and wellness. These free evening presentations by pain management experts are designed for business and community members to learn about pain issues, with refreshments and networking time built in. For more event details, visit health.ucdavis.edu/advancingpainrelief.

UC Davis Center for Advancing Pain Relief faculty and advisory board members.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Kate Lorenzen, CAPR Associate Director • kllorenzen@ucdavis.edu • health.ucdavis.edu/advancingpainrelief

David M. Skeehan

DO, FACS

Sierra Pacific Surgical

MISSION STATEMENT / PHILOSOPHY: Confront Disease. Educate Patients. Restore Health. At Sierra Pacific Surgical we believe that a physician is first and foremost an educator.

FOCUS: We focus on partnering with patients to accurately diagnose and treat surgical issues while using cutting edge technology in all aspects of general surgery. Dr. Skeehan has been recognized by the Surgical Review Committee as both a Surgeon of Excellence and Master Surgeon in Robotic Surgery. He treats the whole spectrum of general surgery conditions with a special interest in robotic surgery for the colon, hernia and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). He currently serves as the Chief of Surgery at Mercy Hospital of Folsom.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

584 N Sunrise Avenue, Suite 100 Roseville, CA 95661

1625 Creekside Drive, Ste 200 Folsom, CA 95630

6620 Coyle Avenue, Ste 408 Carmichael, CA 95608

Downtown Sacramento Office - Coming Soon (916) 250-2596 • www.sierrapacificsurgical.com

Ideal Plastic Surgery

FOCUS: With over 40 years of combined surgical experience and thousands of satisfied patients, Dr. Boone, Dr. Deb and Dr. Pirko have joined forces to create IDEAL PLASTIC SURGERY. Our new State-of-the-art surgery center in Sacramento is your destination for experience and safety when you’re ready to invest in yourself!

Con mas the 40 años combinados de experiencia en cirugía plástica, el Dr Boone, la Dra Deb y el Dr Pirko se han unido para crear IDEAL PLASTIC SURGERY. Nuestro centro quirúrgico certificado es su casa para cuando usted busque los servicios de cirujanos plásticos certificados y de un equipo completo que le hable en su idioma!

CONTACT INFORMATION

77 Cadillac Drive, Suite 170, Sacramento, CA 95825 www.IdealPlasticSurgery.com

Facebook: IdealPlasticSurgerySacramento (916) 664-3391

Jacqueline Ho, MD,

FACOG Associates in Women’s Health Care

Dr. Ho, adored by all her patients, specializes in obstetrics and robotic gynecologic surgery. Fast Facts: A twin with twin girls. USAF Veteran –Yes, she was once called “Major Ho.” Delivered over 3,000 children in Sacramento. www.aiwhc.com

Sacramento Ear Nose &

UC Davis Center for Pain Medicine

The UC Davis Center for Pain Medicine provides state-of-the-art care that allows individuals living with pain to regain function and enjoy healthy, active lives. Our faculty has received international and national recognition and includes multiple recipients of Sacramento Magazine’s Top Docs award. Our entire team works together to create and implement individualized treatment plans that address both physical and emotional well-being. We offer leading-edge clinical treatments such as specialized injections, implantable devices, medication therapies, and behavioral-based interventions. Our research center draws on the expertise of specialists across different fields to develop pain therapies for the future. We are honored to serve our greater Sacramento community. CONTACT INFORMATION: 4860 Y Street, Sacramento, CA 95817 • Physician Referrals: 800-4-UCDAVIS (800) 482-3284 health.ucdavis.edu/pain

Pacific Skin Institute

FOCUS: Dr. Cindy Chambers, Dr. Raja Sivamani and Dr. An Yen are board-certified dermatologists with exper tise in integrative skin heath and wellness, medical education and cutting-edge clinical research. Collectively, they have lectured globally and published hundreds of research articles and are considered national experts in a variety of skin conditions and natural treatment modalities by integrating the latest prescription protocols with a holistic approach. Their comprehensive approach and desire to make a personal connection with every patient allows them to provide the best dermatologic skin care in Northern California. Pacific Skin Institute has four convenient locations, Sacramento, Folsom, Elk Grove and Vacaville, with a staff of pediatric and adult board-certified dermatologists and specially trained Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners to treat all your skin care needs.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Sacramento, Folsom, Elk Grove, and Vacaville Phone: (916) 925-7020 Fax: (916) 925-3680 psiderm.com

Retinal Consultants Medical Group

FOCUS: Our specialized eye surgeons provide the highest level of care for all retinal conditions including diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, macular hole, and macular degeneration. WHAT SETS US APART: The Retinal Consultants are honored to again be named top doctors in the Sacramento Area. Serving Northern California for 40+ years, all our surgeons are board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and have additional years of fellowship training to be members of the American Society of Retina Specialists. Our group has special expertise in the management of intraocular tumors, uveitis, and retinal dystrophies. We also conduct research to develop the next generation of therapies in our field.

Margaret Chang, MD, MS • David Cupp, MD • Robert A. Equi, MD • Carlos Medina, MD • Sarju Patel, MD, MPH, MSc • Joel A. Pearlman, MD, PhD • Cameron Pole, MD • J. Brian Reed, MD • David Telander, MD, PhD • Tony Tsai, MD • Robert T. Wendel, MD • Christianne Wa, MD

CONTACT INFORMATION:

3 Parkcenter: 916-454-4861 • Greenback: 916-339-3655 Visit www.retinalmd.com for contact information for our Chico, Elk Grove, Fairfield, Folsom, Grass Valley, Modesto, Roseville, Stockton, and Yuba City offices.

UC Davis General Thoracic Surgery

Our general thoracic surgery program helped UC Davis Medical Center rank #27 in the nation for pulmonology & lung surgery in U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-23 rankings, and earn the top score of “high performing” for lung cancer surgery specifically. Our team treats people with lung and other chest problems most often using highly precise robotic-assisted surgery, and is Sacramento’s highest-volume robotic general thoracic surgery program.

Shown: Program surgeons Lisa Brown, FACS, David Tom Cooke, FACS and Luis Godoy with one of UC Davis Health’s surgical robots.

CONTACT INFORMATION: 2335 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95817 | General information: 916-734-5994 | Appointments/Referrals: 916-734-5959 | thoracic@ucdavis.edu | health.ucdavis.edu/surgery/specialties/thoracic

Sacramento Eye Consultants

Jacob Brubaker, MD and Xiongfei Liu, MD specialize in laser cataract and minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries. Samuel Lee, MD, Peter Wu MD and Patricia Sierra, MD are corneal specialists with extensive experience in enhancing vision with LASIK, PRK, and refractive cataract surgery. All surgeons are fellowship trained and considered local and national experts in their field. Sacramento Eye Consultants provides the highest quality patient care through state-of-the-art technology, surgical techniques, and excellent customer service in the Greater Sacramento Area. Our surgeons offer premium options to our patients to ensure the best outcome possible. Our services give patients an opportunity to correct astigmatism and presbyopia, reducing or eliminating the need for glasses.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Convenient locations in Sacramento & Lincoln www.SacramentoEyeConsultants.com • (916) 471-4700

Pulmonary Medicine Associates

FOCUS: Pulmonary, Infectious Disease, Critical Care, Sleep Medicine, COPD Transitional Care and Travel Medicine. WHAT SETS US APART: The physicians at Pulmonary Medicine Associates are honored to be named among the top doctors in Sacramento area. Serving our community for over 45 years, PMA providers possess specialized knowledge and skill in the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary, infectious disease, sleep, and related disorders. Our 50+ providers are committed to providing patients with the best treatment options available in a compassionate and respectful manner, so patients receive the highest quality care. We work hard to provider excellent care to our patients in Northern California.

UC Davis Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

As a nationally recognized surgeon, researcher and teacher, Dr. Tollefson is a leader in innovative facial plastic and reconstructive surgery techniques that help adults and children. He is fellowship-trained and double board-certified, and has served patients in the Sacramento and Northern California areas for 17 years. Dr. Tollefson specializes in the full spectrum of pediatric and adult facial restorative and aesthetic surgery, such as rhinoplasty to reshape the nose; surgery after facial skin cancer removal; and reconstructive surgery of the face, ears, lip, palate and nose in children and adults. He also serves as editor-in-chief of the medical journal Facial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine, publishing innovative rhinoplasty and facial plastic surgery research. Dr. Tollefson’s passion translates to the highest-quality care for you and your family.

CONTACT INFORMATION: 2521 Stockton Blvd., Ste. 6206, Sacramento, CA 916-734-2347 www.drtravistollefson.com

Michael J. Fazio, M.D., Inc.

CELEBRATING OVER 30 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE IN SKIN CANCER SURGERY

Thank you to our patients: It has been our absolute privilege to care for you. Thank you to our referring doctors and colleagues: We are deeply grateful for the trust you place in us. Thank you to our amazing staff: Thank you for truly caring about the well-being of every patient every day. Thank you to Dr. Summer R. Youker: Summer, you have been a wonderful addition to the practice in so many ways. Thank you to Linda, my wife and best friend of over 40 years: Simply put, you are the “glue” that keeps it all together. Dr. Justin J. Fazio: It is with immense pride and excitement that I announce that my son, Dr. Justin J. Fazio will join me in the practice of Mohs and reconstructive surgery in the summer of 2023. We look forward to many years of practice together in Sacramento. Specializing in MOHS Micrographic Skin Cancer & Reconstructive Surgery in Sacramento

CONTACT INFORMATION: 2805 J St., Ste. 100, Sacramento, CA 95816 • (916) 492-1828 • faziomd.com

Northern California Fertility Medical Center Physicians and IVF Lab

FOCUS: Our vision is your future family. If you are experiencing difficulty becoming pregnant, we offer a full range of infertility services including in vitro fertilization, family balancing, egg donation, egg freezing, preimplantation genetic diagnosis, gestational surrogacy and vasectomy reversal. EXPERIENCE: Since 1992, our physicians, Michael Murray M.D., Laurie Lovely M.D., Sahar Stephens M.D., Manuel Doblado M.D., Sara Babcock Gilbert M.D., and Suzanne Generao M.D. have helped create thousands of families. WHY NCFMC? We are the largest fertility center in the region. We are proud of our high success rates and commitment to the highest quality care in our state-of-the-art facility. Our exceptional team of nurses, embryology, laboratory, clinical, and administrative staff are here to help you reach your family goals.

LITTLE MIRACLES HAPPEN EVERYDAY AT NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FERTILITY MEDICAL CENTER CONTACT INFORMATION: 4320 Auburn Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95841 • (916) 773-BABY • www.NCFMC.com

Spine & Nerve Diagnostic Center

Responsible Pain Management

OUR APPROACH: We offer individualized, comprehensive treatment to effectively treat pain using the most state-of-the-art techniques to identify the generators of pain. We offer pain management options including responsible medication management, neuromodulation, minimally invasive, image-guided procedures and non-invasive therapies that stimulate cellular level healing, such as laser therapy for pain control. These innovative approaches, positive outcomes, and the highest patient satisfaction scores have fueled our growth over the past 20 years.

OUR MISSION: Relieve pain, restore function and improve quality of life.

OUR TOP DOCTORS: We are proud of our staff of highly qualified medical professionals. Our top doctors include: Dr. Vinay Reddy, Dr. Brian Joves, Dr. Ethelynda Tolentino, Dr. Natalya Shtutman, Dr. Raman Gurai, Dr. Nicolas Karvelas, Dr. Morgan O’Connor, Dr. Julie Hastings (not pictured) and Dr. Jason Kung.

WHAT SETS US APART: We have exceptional providers who seamlessly integrate the newest medical innovations with evidence-based medicine to understand and treat your pain. This has made us Northern California’s leader in pain care as well as a Center of Excellence in spine care. Spine & Nerve Diagnostic Center has been honored at the state and congressional level. We are not only the largest spine and pain medical practice in the Sacramento region, Spine & Nerve Diagnostic Center is also the center that more physicians go to for their own spine care.

OUR LOCATIONS: We have locations in Sacramento, Roseville, Elk Grove, Folsom and Granite Bay.

Visit www.spinenerve.com to learn more about what makes us unique and how we may improve your quality of life.

Biljinder Chima, M.D. Rocklin Family Practice and Sports Medicine

SPECIALTY: Sports medicine and concussion care and management. EDUCATION: Family Practice residency at San Joaquin General Hospital; Sports Medicine fellowship at Arizona State University; Credentialed ImPACT Consultant. MEMBERSHIPS: American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, American Academy of Family Physicians, Sacramento Valley Concussion Consortium PERSONAL: I am a husband and father of two children. I coach soccer and basketball. PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Being double board certified in family practice and sports medicine by the age of 29. INNOVATIONS: I am a certified ImPACT provider (a neurocognitive test that assists in the assessment and management of concussions and patients’ return to play). BEDSIDE MANNER: I am approachable and like to laugh and engage with my patients. ADVICE: Stretch and stay flexible.

CONTACT INFORMATION: 3104 Sunset Blvd., Suite 2B, Rocklin, CA 95677 (916) 624-0300; (916) 624-0631 FAX

Chiraag S. Patel, M.D.

Granite Bay Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

Dr. Patel grew up in locally in Roseville and attended Jesuit. He completed his fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, one of only eight Ivy League institutions. His specialties include rare immune disorders, extreme forms of allergic disease and severe asthma. His philosophy hinges on the well-being of the entire patient with a crucial focus on patient education.

CONTACT INFORMATION: 8735 Sierra College Blvd, Ste 200, Roseville, CA 95661 (916) 771-2531 • www.granitebayallergy.com

Payvandi Soheil, DO

Orthopedic Specialists of Sacramento

Dr. Payvandi began private practice in August 2008, with a practice emphasis on arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery of the elbow, wrist and hand. Over the years, Dr. Payvandi has helped many athletes including UFC Mixed Martial Artists such as Urijah Faber and Chad Mendez recover and safely return to their sport. Professional memberships include the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics, the American Osteopathic Association and the California Orthopaedic Association.

CONTACT INFORMATION: 2801 K Street, Ste. 310 Sacramento, CA 95816 • (916) 389-7977

Kendall Homer, D.M.D. Eric Grove, D.D.S.

FOCUS: General Dentistry, including cosmetics, implant restoration, and emergency dental care. EDUCATION: Dr. Homer completed his B.A. at Sacramento State and earned his Doctorate of Medical Dentistry from Washington University. Dr. Grove received a B.S. from Pacific Union College and a Doctorate of Dental Surgery from Loma Linda University. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: Drs. Homer and Grove belong to the ADA/CDA/SDDS. Dr. Grove is also an active participant in the SDDS. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Dr. Homer’s and Dr. Grove’s patients’ appreciation is evident in client loyalty, with 40-year plus patients bringing their children and grandchildren in for treatment. CHARITABLE WORK: Dr. Homer supports Save Ourselves, an organization that provides counseling and peer support to people living with breast cancer. Dr. Grove has participated in overseas dental mission trips and also participates in the Smiles for Big Kids program in Sacramento.

FREE ADVICE: Studies have linked diabetes, heart disease and stroke to gum disease. Oral health is a significant part of overall well-being.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Kendall Homer D.M.D. / Eric Grove D.D.S. 9216 Kiefer Blvd., Suite 5, Sacramento (916) 363-9171 www.grovehomerdentists.com dentist@grovehomerdentists.com

The Sacramento region is fortunate to have health care professionals who continuously strive to attain ever-higher levels of patient satisfaction through a blend of the latest technologies and careful listening.

The following medical professionals stand out in our community.

Pretty Comfy

If there’s one thing a moun tain vacation home ought to be, it’s cozy. So says interior designer Alison Haltom, who helped a newly blended family of six (including four teenag ers) remodel their ski-centric property near Truckee.

nicole dianne

inside: A place to snuggle up, après ski

BY CATHERINE WARMERDAM

y whole inspiration for this place was the Scandina vian concept of hygge,” which is all about soothing moments, comfortable surroundings and a sense of inner contentment, explains designer Alison Haltom. At this ski home in the Sierra, she took the Scandinavian theme further by designing around a tranquil color palette, natural wood and stonelike finishes, and snuggle-worthy textiles.

“It’s very much a mountain home, but I didn’t want the design to be cliché. I mean, you might see bears out the window, but you don’t need to put 80 bears inside,” says Haltom. (For the record, there is one decorative bear standing sentry in the entryway.) “My vision was for something much more streamlined and contemporary.”

Haltom also had to take into consideration that the owners are avid skiers, which meant choosing surfaces that could stand up to muddy boots and carving out relaxing spaces where the family could curl up together after a tiring day on the slopes.

Living room (above and above right) : A leather sofa and sheepskin side chairs, which Haltom says are “so incredibly cozy,” are “soft elements that contrast with the wood elements.”

Haltom reserved one corner of the living space for a shuffleboard table. “I loved imagining how the family might enjoy the space together in the evenings after being out in the snow all day.”

Kitchen (opening page) : Rift-cut white oak cabinets with micro-Shaker fronts and a backsplash of matte white ceramic tiles give the space a classic feel, while black fixtures, cabinet hardware and appliances make a contemporary statement. Designer Alison Haltom says she finds herself “begging clients to step away from stainless appliances,” an easy choice here since “there are no other silver elements in the house.”

Dining area (this page, below) : “Having a dining area with a big, beautiful table was important because I knew the family would spend a lot of time there,” says Haltom. The live-edge slab table is surrounded by sculptural dining chairs that add to the Scandinavian feel. On the walls, block prints made from the actual tree rings of species indigenous to the area are a nod to the home’s wooded surroundings.

DECORATIVE TOUCHES LIKE THE VINTAGE SKIS ADORNING THE WALL (THEY WERE LEFT BEHIND BY THE ORIGINAL OWNERS) CONNECT THE HOME TO ITS ALPINE ROOTS.

Entry : The simple black and white geometric pattern on the stair tiles is repeated in the area rugs in the main living space.

INTERIOR DESIGN: Design for Living

“We were very lucky that the house had great bones and was very well cared for by the previous owners. Like all homes after a while, it needed a refresh, but the con figuration was fantastic,” says Haltom, who managed to retain the original home’s easygoing feel. “I love that it now has clean lines and a bit of minimalism but still feels like a cozy, rustic cabin.”

by Alison Haltom

Cover Represented by

The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Affiliated real estate agents are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2022 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved.

logos are

are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. CalRE License #01908304.

NADIA ZIERKE

Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker

trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Anywhere Advisors LLC and franchised offices which

Funny in Sacramento

Sometimes they’ve killed it. Sometimes they’ve bombed. Homegrown comedians, including longtime local icon Jack Gallagher, talk about their profession and their career trajectories.

inside: What it takes to make people laugh

BY MARK BILLINGSLEY

There are no overnight suc cesses in comedy. The grind is real. Open mic nights in front of seven people serve as onthe-job training. Bomb or kill, there’s always the next night to per fect the craft and hopefully perform in front of larger audiences, go on tour and maybe even get that sitcom deal. But before fame and fortune, there are stops at Luna’s Café on 16th Street, Vince’s Ristorante in West Sacramento and maybe an opener or middle spot on a Thursday lineup at either Laughs Unlimited or Punch Line.

Before COVID -19 hit hard in 2020, Sacramento had a thriving comedy scene, and rising comics took advantage. The venues are slowly shaking o the dust on the microphones, readjusting the spotlights and open ing the stages, and there’s never been more to talk—and laugh—about than right here in the Cap City.

“Before COVID, you could go to the Comedy Spot on Sunday, Luna’s on Tuesday and Wednesday, Vince’s on Thursday. You could do stand-up every day of the week,” says Ruby Setnik, a young comedian on tour with fellow Sacramento stand-up JR De Guzman. “It’s awesome to be an amateur comedian in Sacramento. There’s always an audience that wants to listen to you. There’s a lot of places to work, but it’s not oversaturated. It’s kind of a secret great place for comedy.”

Sacramento has a strong, diverse scene that pro duces popular comics. JR De Guzman sold out the 900-seat Crest Theatre in October. He won the 2016 StandUp NBC competition, and Mike E. Winfield won it in 2019. Kiry Shabazz won the competition in 2017. The annual competition searches for comics from diverse backgrounds and signs the winner to a talent development contract. Winfield was a finalist on this season’s “America’s Got Talent.”

Jack Gallagher has been a staple of the Sacramento comedy scene for decades. He returns to stand-up for a show at The Sofia on Dec. 10.

“This will be the first time I’ve done stand-up in 15 to 20 years,” Gallagher says. “It’s not scary. I’ve been doing comedy for 45 years. My one-man shows—I’ve

written eight of them—are built to be a roller coaster. They go from funny to dramatic and back and bring a varying degree of emotions. They are thematic and theatrical. But with stand-up, you’re just a joke teller, per se, and not a storyteller. It’s more free-form. I’ll do 90 minutes about getting older, my family. It’s all new material, and I’ll be trying to get a laugh all of the time.”

JR De Guzman got plenty of laughs at his triumphant return to Sacramento in front of his largest headliner crowd to date. De Guzman graduated from Jesuit High School and later from UC Davis with a degree in psychology. The former music teacher combines funny songs with bits based on current events and his ethnic ity. De Guzman was born in the Philippines.

“It was amazing, so fun,” De Guzman says of his recent show at the Crest. “I got the chance to bring my family up on stage and had Jimmy Earl and Ruby (Setnik) open for me. Jimmy nurtured me as a young comic.”

In 2012, De Guzman took an improv and sketch comedy class at the Comedy Spot in 2012; the gradu ation “ceremony” was to perform at an open mic night. He bombed.

“I was scared out of my mind and forgot a lot of my jokes,” De Guzman says. “Back then, I didn’t perform with my guitar, so I didn’t have anything to fall back on.”

De Guzman said he’s still adjusting from clubs to larger theaters and needs to become more animated and command the stage. It’s a nice problem to have.

Beth Baugher

Mike E. Winfield

“I’m grateful I started in Sacramento and, especially when I started, there were multiple open mics,” De Guzman says. “There was just so much stage time when I started, and so many di erent styles. There were examples of pathways into the business. Guys such as Mike E. Winfield were already on the road. I saw that I could do this full time. I saw that I could take risks because at a bar in Roseville, for instance, audiences are a perfect blend. You can have conservatives and liberals, there’s a mixed demographic and you learn how to play to di erent rooms. When I was middling, I would do a few songs to gauge the room. If they were looser, I’d do some of my darker stu .”

Compared to some other comedians, De Guzman’s dark stu is not all that dark, and Mike E. Winfield is squeaky clean by today’s standards. Sacramento comics aren’t known for working blue, the industry term for using o -color jokes and profanities, but the content may stray that way depending on the mood of the comic and of the audience on a particular night.

Winfield got his start at an open mic night at Laughs Unlimited in 1999 and bombed so badly, he says, it took him years to get the courage to return to the stage.

“I prepared something like three jokes, and I didn’t know you were actually supposed to write comedy,” Winfield says. “I got up there and froze. People paid $5 but wanted late-night-TV quality. I quit after that. It was a disaster. I came back a couple of years later as Winfield McNamara. It was not a stellar set, but better.”

“It depends on who you are,” Winfield says of a comic’s decision to work blue or not. “I push sometimes. But every time I think I’m pushing boundaries, there’s someone telling me, ‘Nah, Mike, you ain’t pushing nothing.’ That’s why (“America’s Got Talent”) fit me so well. When

I’m working on a bit, sometimes vulgarity works, but I like topical comedy. Life is so rich, man, there’s no t

dark stu or work blue.

I’ll talk about being a Little League coach or taking edibles by mistake.”

Gallagher says he admires comedians who are original. If a comedian works blue and they’re funny, he has no problem with it.

“There’s nothing wrong with a well-placed F-bomb,” he says. “But if you get into a hole and start throwing F-bombs to get a laugh, and to get out of the hole, then that says to me that you don’t have any good material, or any confidence in yourself.”

Curse words, Gallagher says, become like too many exclamation points in a paragraph. They lose their effectiveness, he says, noting that new comics who go right to blue are neither funny nor clever.

“As far as I’m concerned, you can push the envelope, go as far as you want, as long as you take the audience with you,” Gallagher says. “You’ll know instinctively when you have to change course. One comedian, a famous one and I’m not going to name names, he’d die out there and just keep digging. He didn’t care.”

Setnik says local comedians watch out for each other, especially the female comics.

“As a female comedian, I’m one of only a few, and it’s hard to fi nd mentors,” she says. “It’s a boys club, but it’s how you learn how to do stand-up. It’s an extra barrier to overcome, but I’ve had nothing but support in Sacramento from comics and, especially, other female comedians. Women such as Becky Lynn, Melissa McGillicuddy and Celeste Winter have all helped me.”

Winfield says that diversity is to be celebrated and is a primary reason Sacramento comics have gained so much success and notoriety in the past five years or so.

“I’VE HAD NOTHING BUT SUPPORT IN SACRAMENTO FROM COMICS AND, ESPECIALLY, OTHER FEMALE COMEDIANS.”

RUBY SETNIK

Ruby Setnik

Above: Tim Engle

JR De Guzman

“The Sacramento comedy scene is worldly underrated,” Winfield says. “Guys like Kiry Shabazz, Lance Woods, BT Kingsley, Ricco Da Great, Steph Garcia, Cheryl “The Soccer Mom” Anderson and Regina Givens are all great Sacramento comics. We’re all out here grinding.”

Gallagher has reached a level of fame, and an age, he admits, that he no longer has to grind for gigs. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t still work hard on his craft. If someone calls, he says, he’ll take the gig. But he’s not chasing jobs anymore.

“It takes a lot to get up on stage and grab the microphone, and Sacramento me,” says Gallagher, who recently had a recurring role on Larry David’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” “I brought up my two boys out here. We still spend about half our time (in Sacramento) and the other

Fairy Godmother for Local Comedians

Jennifer Canfield has been called a nurturing influence on more than one Sacramento comic. She takes that to heart, she says, and will continue to watch over any comic who comes through Laughs Unlimited, her venerable Old Sacramento comedy club.

Laughs Unlimited whenever Canfield called.

“I’m so glad that things have worked out for him,” the Laughs Unlimited owner says of De Guzman’s rising star. “I’m super proud of him. I have home videos of him playing guitar with my daughter when he was just starting out.”

Canfield says Tony Baker is another comedian who started working at Laughs and is a national headliner now who sells out shows months ahead of time. Baker credits Laughs with giving him the confidence to become a successful comic.

JR De Guzman credits Canfield for being a steadying influence on him both on and off the stage. Before his 2022 breakout, De Guzman was a grinder, taking slots at

“He’s become an internet sensation and is blowing up,” Canfield says. “He says that when he comes through Sacramento there’s nowhere else he’ll play than here at Laughs. That makes me feel good.”

Canfield is particularly

half on Cape Cod. I used to get recognized all the time, but I don’t any more. If you’re under the age of 50, you don’t know who I am or what I’ve done. But I do take a lot of pride that people in Sacramento like my stu .”

Gallagher says he stopped doing clubs a while ago, but there was a time when he was in the comedy clubs most nights, working on material and waiting for the call for a spot on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” which he did back in 1986. He knows exactly what De Guzman, Winfield, Setnik and the others are going through.

“Sacramento has a very active comedy scene from what I’ve heard from my students,” says Gallagher, who teaches a stand-up comedy class at The Sofia. “There are a lot of open mic nights. But I’m at a point now where 20-, 30- or 40-year-olds don’t want to hear about me getting up four times a night to go pee. But, man, those jokes kill at Del Webbs.”

proud that she still offers comedy workshops and open mics for those just starting out in the business.

Comics such as Bob Saget and Tom Segura are huge stars who cut their teeth at Laughs Unlimited. Saget shot a local commercial for Laughs Unlimited well before he became famous with TV shows such as “Full House” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” Canfield says.

Canfield says she purposefully doesn’t book big-name comedians and would rather book stage time for comics working to make a name for themselves. Gone are the days of the wild parties at the club’s downtown condo, she says, and does she have some stories. The condo is still

there, but it’s more of a place for rest and reflection rather than ribald revelry.

“The 1980s were pretty wild,” says Canfield, who has worked at the club in one capacity or another for more than two decades. “But now, the comedians who come through are so much more business oriented. They have to be. They have to do so much self-promotion now through social media.”

Below: Chris Smith

Kiry Shabazz

BOB SAGET SHOT A LOCAL COMMERCIAL FOR LAUGHS UNLIMITED WELL BEFORE HE BECAME FAMOUS WITH TV SHOWS SUCH AS “FULL HOUSE” AND “AMERICA’S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS.”

Jennifer Canfield

Jack Gallagher

Events

Still Lifes in Focus

In “Twelve: Objects as Subjects,” midtown’s Viewpoint

Photographic Art Cen ter showcases still-life photographic works for its 14th annual open jur ied exhibition, with a Sec ond Saturday reception Dec. 10. Whether found, constructed or blended, the still lifes range in sub ject matter and creative approach. Sierra College professor of photography Kirkman Amyx serves as exhibition juror. viewpoint photoartcenter.org

New Nutcracker

Sacramento Ballet brings back its annual holiday production of The Nutcracker, choreographed by Nicole Haskins, Colby Damon and Julia Feld man to Tchaikovsky’s musical masterpiece. Audiences are sure to de light in this new version of the ballet, performed to a live orchestra by com pany dancers and dozens of area youths who audi tioned for coveted roles of mice, candy canes and more. At SAFE Credit Union PAC. sacballet.org

Towering Talent

At 5 foot 4, stand-up star Kevin Hart may joke about his small stature, but his sky-high success as a comedian, actor, writer and producer seems to know no limits. Star of numerous TV se ries, films (“Ride Along,” “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and “Jumanji: The Next Level,” “Night School”) and top comedy albums, the Philly-born and -raised comedian brings his Reality Check tour to Golden 1 Center. golden1center.com

Is Santa Over It?

Overworked (80 million more gift requests just this year!), over stuffed (too many cook ies!) and overwhelmed (woke elves! a melting North Pole!), could Santa be ready to hang up his reindeer reins for good? Will Mrs. Claus intervene? Find out at “The Lost Claus,” B Street The atre’s mainstage holiday play written by B Street’s own Buck Busfield and Dave Pierini. At The Sofia. bstreettheatre.org

Some Enchanted Evening—

There’s a new holiday pop-up play ground in town: Enchant , a date- and family-friend ly space illuminated with 4 million twinkling lights. Take in the festive afterdark atmosphere as you stroll through the Christ mas light maze, visit with Santa, go ice skating, and shop, sip and snack your way through a village full of artisan vendors and eateries. At Sutter Health Park. enchantchristmas. com

Brave New World

Meet BellaBot. Billed as a “premium delivery robot,” Bella brings plates of food directly to customers’ tables at OZ KOREAN BBQ ’s two Sac ramento locations. Oz owner Peter Kim invested in the machines to solve the labor shortage plaguing lo cal restaurants. According to Pudu, the robot’s Chinese manufacturer, Bella can deliver 400 dishes in a single day and work 24 hours without pause. Not only that, but she never needs a smoke break. 3343 Brad shaw Road; 2605 West Taron Court, Elk Grove; ozkoreanbbq.com

inside: Aimal, the Sequel / Tacos for the Win / Baked Good

Kevin Barnett, Aimal Formoli and Suzanne Ricci

Fried chicken with wild mushroom hash and chili purée

House-made fettuccine with shallot cream, topped with pickled green onion and an egg

Aimal’s Return

Four years after closing his namesake bistro, Aimal Formoli is back.

BY MARYBETH BIZJAK

Great restaurants open with lots of fanfare and press attention. But they usually close with little or no notice and often no explanation of what happened, leaving behind disappoint ed and confused diners who wonder what exactly went down.

That’s how I felt when Formoli’s Bistro closed in 2018. Located just a few blocks from my home in East Sacramento, it was one of the city’s most interesting eateries: a warm, welcoming neighborhood boîte that attracted people from far beyond the neighborhood’s boundaries with exciting, high-quality sea sonal fare. So why did it close? And what ever happened to its chef and owner, Aimal Formoli?

I recently ran into Formoli and finally got the answers to my questions. In short, he now works as the chef for Sequoia at The Cannery, a midtown event space that specializes in corporate meetings and private parties. How he got there is a bit of a longer tale.

Formoli and his wife, Suzanne Ricci, opened the first iteration of Formoli’s Bistro in 2007 in a sliver of a space on J Street in East Sacramento. He was just 25 years old, she only 23. Both the food and the laid-back vibe were appealing, and it was often hard to get a seat at the tiny bar or in the minuscule dining room. People couldn’t get enough of his whiskey burger, an alluring amalgam of Five Dot Ranch beef, cheddar cheese, habanero aioli and whis key demi-glace on a brioche bun.

After a few years, the couple moved out and up the street to a larger space on J Street. But while their business was succeeding, they were growing disenchanted as the local food scene changed. “Sacramento went from a real foodie town to an Instagram town,” Formoli says. “Substance didn’t matter.” By 2018, when their restaurant lease was up for renewal, they had two young sons and felt burned out. Having spent their entire adult lives in restaurants, Formoli explains, he and Ricci were ready to “mellow out and feel sane again.”

After closing Formoli’s Bistro, Formoli worked as the executive chef at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, overseeing everything from patient meals to entertaining doctors and hos pital executives. Ricci, who’d managed catering for Formoli’s, began working for Kevin Barnett,

a San Diego businessman who owned a medical device company in Sacramento. A selfdescribed foodie and “frustrated perfectionist,” Barnett didn’t like to hold training and sales meetings in hotels, so he built his own 12,000-square-foot facility in The Cannery, an architecturally distinctive brick landmark building that is home to The Sacramento Bee and VSP’s innovation center. Eventually, he sold the medical device company but kept Se quoia as a for-hire catering facility.

He was interviewing local chefs when Formoli catered a Christmas party at Sequoia. Barrett was dazzled. “It was an elegant meal,” Barnett recalls. “Tomahawk steaks. Cooking over an open flame. Incredible showmanship. And I liked the way he in teracted with everybody, so kind and gentle.”

AT SEQUOIA, AIMAL FORMOLI OFFERS EVERYTHING FROM INTIMATE, SEVENCOURSE TASTINGS FOR A HANDFUL OF DINERS TO SEATED MEALS FOR 250.

Last May, Barnett be came partners with Formoli and Ricci in Sequoia. Ricci writes the menus and supervises the business end, while For moli oversees the kitchen. They o er everything from intimate, seven-course tastings for a handful of diners to seated meals for 250. UC Davis uses Sequoia for leadership meetings, and Audi held a North American product launch here, with guests flying in from all over the country. By summer’s end, the space had already been booked from November through February for holiday parties.

But the food is all Formoli. A recent lunch for Barnett and a guest featured sushi-grade bluefin tuna, lightly seared, with jalapeño relish, served with a crispy polenta cake, wild mushrooms and a butternut squash reduction. It was restaurant food at its finest. “I call it the Aimal Experience,” says Barnett.

Eventually, Formoli would like to try out new things at Sequoia—maybe a monthly supper club open to the public. But for now, he’s happy to be back, doing what he was born to do: just cook.

SEQUOIA AT THE CANNERY

1601 Alhambra Blvd.; (916) 623-4201 saceventspace.com

Tiramisu

Seared beef with pickled beets, avocado and green chili purée on herb toast

Gold Rush

It’s a special taco indeed that can inspire fans to trek 100-plus miles to nab one. Just ask Sarah Romero, who co-owns Bibi’s Enchiladas & Grill with husband Michel and in-laws Amanda and Ruben Romero. “We’ve had peo ple come from as far away as the Bay Area and Fresno,” says Sarah. “I guess we have Instagram to thank for that.”

Bibi’s, which is named for Sarah and Michel’s 3-year-old daughter, Bibiana, gained a cult following as a food truck specializing in crispy tacos so addictive they probably ought to carry a warning label. In August, they opened a brickand-mortar space in Gold River where there’s often a line of customers streaming out the door. (Pro tip for the impatient: Order online before you come.)

Bibi’s big seller is the “original” taco—a corn tortilla crisped to golden perfection on the grill (they coat it in special oil first) and loaded with your choice of meat (or potato) along with onion, cilantro, lettuce, diced tomato, jalapeño, sour cream, mild and spicy salsas and a dusting of cotija cheese. Bibi’s also makes a quesa-taco: a street taco with a layer of mozzarella cheese grilled into the interior tortilla, giving it a crispy, salty coating that contrasts nicely with the tender meat filling.

While social media may be driving diners to Bibi’s door, it’s the food that keeps them coming back, says Sarah. “We pride ourselves on our great flavor and quality, and the fact that what you see on Instagram is what you see on your plate or in your to-go box. Because we appreci ate our customers so much, we don’t ever want that to change.” 2220 Gold Springs Court, Gold River; (916) 559-4309; IG bibis_mexicangrill

—CATHERINE WARMERDAM

Over the Moon

Lucia Plumb-Reyes never anticipated that her East Sacramento business, Moonbelly Bakery, would become an overnight sensation. Yet that’s exactly what happened as word spread about her exceptional artisan breads and impossibly flaky croissants.

“It quite immediately started drawing much more attention than what I was ex pecting,” says Plumb-Reyes. “I was envisioning a small neighborhood bakery where you could get freshly baked items. I wasn’t aiming to be a destination or for people to be driving from beyond the neighborhood.”

Then again, Plumb-Reyes never expected to be a baker in the first place. Years ago, while living in the dorms at Columbia University, she discovered her passion for the craft. “I would give myself permission to leave the library and go bake,” she recalls. “It was my reward for having done my work.” Before long, the self-taught baker was selling goodies to fellow students, honing her skills along the way. “That coincided with my realization that I didn’t want to stay in academia. So I graduated a year early to pursue food and baking.”

The baking bug took Plumb-Reyes across the country multiple times in her 20s as she pursued various restaurant, bakery and farm jobs. “I was young and pretty much willing to move anywhere,” she says, from Cape Cod to the San Juan Islands and several stops in between. When she and her husband decided to start a family, they returned to her home town, Sacramento, where she set her sights on finally opening a bakery of her own.

At Moonbelly (the shop is named for a favorite term of endearment), PlumbReyes’s considerable baking skills are on full display thanks to the wide-open kitchen. It’s not unusual to see her folding butter into wide sheets of supple dough or wheeling racks of cardamom buns and almond croissants through the tidy com mercial space.

“In most places I’ve worked, the production is hidden,” says Plumb-Reyes. “But being able to see the equipment, to see the tools, to see me pulling dough out of the mixer, I think there’s value in having that in the open.” The transparency reinforces the idea that human effort is behind every loaf, every pastry.

It also allows customers get a feel for the natural tempo of a working kitchen, which Plumb-Reyes believes has a lot in common with the art of dance. “I grew up dancing a lot—ballet, modern dance. Baking, for me, reminds me of rehearsal and performance rolled into one. There are motions that my body, my hands do. There are rhythms; there’s an order and a flow to the day. You set yourself up for the best possible performance. That’s how I think of it for my body and mind. It’s deeply per sonal.” 6511 Folsom Blvd.; moonbellybakery.com—CATHERINE

WARMERDAM

MOONBELLY’S OPEN KITCHEN REINFORCES THE IDEA THAT HUMAN EFFORT IS BEHIND EVERY LOAF, EVERY PASTRY.

Bibi’s crispy tacos

Lucia Plumb-Reyes of Moonbelly Bakery

Dine

As a reader service, Sacramento Magazine offers the following list of noteworthy restaurants in the Sacramento region. This is not intended to be a complete directory, and not all restaurants profiled appear every month. Before heading to a restaurant, call or check its website to make sure it’s open.

ARDEN ARCADE

BENNETT’S AMERICAN COOKING This neighborhood hangout has an approachable menu and a “Cheers”like ambience that makes diners feel right at home. The food is like homemade, only better: things like braised short rib with mashed potatoes, lasagna Bolognese and chicken enchiladas. There’s seem ingly something for every taste and diet on the lengthy menu. 2232 Fair Oaks Blvd.; (916) 515-9680; ben nettsamericancooking.com. L-D-Br. American. $$$

CAFE VINOTECA Located in Arden Town Center, Cafe Vinoteca serves some of the loveliest Italianinspired cuisine in the city. 3535 Fair Oaks Blvd.; (916) 487-1331; cafevinoteca.com. L–D. Italian. $$$

DUBPLATE KITCHEN & JAMAICAN CUISINE One of the few places in Sacramento where you can get Caribbean food, this restaurant serves Jamaican specialties such as curry goat and jerk chicken. 3419 El Camino Ave.; (916) 339-6978; dubplatekitchen cuisine.com. L–D. Jamaican. $$

THE KITCHEN Part supper club, part theatrical production, part cocktail party: This is like no other restaurant in Sacramento, and it’s Michelin starred. You need to make reservations months in advance for the multi-course dinner. The food is complex and mind-blowingly creative. 2225 Hurley Way; (916) 568-7171; thekitchenrestaurant.com. D. American. $$$$

LEATHERBY’S FAMILY CREAMERY Go for the ice cream, all made on the premises and used in shakes, malts and towering sundaes. 2333 Arden Way; (916) 920-8382; leatherbys.net. L–D. Sandwiches/ice cream. $

PLAN B The menu is compact, with a handful of appetizers and several wonderful salads. Plan B’s claim to fame is its stellar mussels, o ered six ways. 555 La Sierra Drive; (916) 483-3000; planbrestau rant.com. D. New American/French. $$–$$$

TEXAS WEST BAR-B-QUE This no-frills establish ment serves slow wood-cooked meat in big portions. Dig into the tender Western-style pork spareribs and beef brisket or the smoky chicken. 1600 Fulton Ave.; (916) 483-7427; texaswestbbq.com. L–D. Bar becue. $–$$

BROADWAY

REAL PIE COMPANY At this homey pie shop, you’ll find the pies of your dreams, made with all-butter crusts and seasonal fruit sourced from local farms. In addition to dessert pies such as jumbleberry and butterscotch banana cream, you can order savory pot pies, shepherd’s pies and dishes like mac and cheese. 2425 24th St.; (916) 838-4007; realpiecompany.com. Takeout. Open Friday–Sunday. Pie shop. $

SELLAND’S MARKET-CAFE Choose from an array of appetizers and hot items along with crowd-pleasing side dishes and pizza. This high-quality takeout

food can be a real lifesaver on nights when you’re too busy to cook. 915 Broadway; (916) 732-3390; sellands.com. L–D–Br. Gourmet takeout. $$

TOWER CAFE This place is a hot spot on weekend mornings. Regulars swear by the New Mexico blueberry cornmeal pancakes and the thick-cut, custardy French toast. Breakfast is all-American, but lunch and dinner have a global flavor. 1518 Broadway; (916) 441-0222; towercafe.com. B–L–D. World fusion. $$

CAPAY

ROAD TRIP BAR & GRILL This family-friendly joint serves up classic roadhouse fare, from salads and burgers to chops. 24989 State Highway 16; (530) 796-3777; roadtripbg.com. B–L–D. American. $–$$

CARMICHAEL

D’MILLER’S FAMOUS BBQ Ribs, hotlinks, tri-tip and more are served with traditional accompaniments

such as cornbread, coleslaw and baked beans. The food, simple and hearty, arrives on disposable plates at this casual eatery. 7305 Fair Oaks Blvd.; (916) 974-1881. L–D. Barbecue. $$

MATTEO’S PIZZA & BISTRO The menu is compact, and there’s no skimping on first-rate ingredients. The pizza crust is damned good, attaining that chewy-crispy-airy trifecta. You also can order pasta, steak or a burger. 5132 Arden Way; (916) 779-0727; pizzamatteo.com. L–D. Pizza/American. $$

CITRUS HEIGHTS

LEATHERBY’S FAMILY CREAMERY For description, see listing under “Arden Arcade.” 7910 Antelope Road; (916) 729-4021; leatherbys.net. L–D. Sandwiches/ice cream. $

SAM’S CLASSIC BURGERS At this drive-up burger shack, the shakes are great and the burgers wonder fully straightforward. 7442 Auburn Blvd.; (916) 723-7512. L–D. Burgers. $

Binchoyaki’s curry ramen

CURTIS PARK

PANGAEA BIER CAFE While it’s known as a beer cafe and bottle shop, this casual spot also serves up tasty bar food, including a burger that has taken home top honors more than once at Sacramento Burger Battle. 2743 Franklin Blvd.; (916) 454-4942; pangaeabiercafe.com. L–D. American. $$

DAVIS

BURGERS AND BREW The casual, publike restaurant uses high-quality, locally sourced ingredients and serves an interesting selection of beers and ales. 1409 R St.; (916) 442-0900; burgersnbrew.com. L–D. Burgers. $

CAFE BERNARDO For description, see listing under “Downtown.” 234 D St.; (530) 750-5101; cafeber nardo.com. B–L–D. New American. $

CREPEVILLE This bustling creperie serves many variations on the crepe theme, from entrée to des sert. 330 Third St.; (530) 750-2400; crepeville.com. B–L–D. Crepes. $

SEASONS This upscale restaurant showcases sea sonal products; the menu changes every three months. Pizzas are great; so are the bountiful salads. But you’ll find the kitchen’s real talent in its creative appetizers and limited entrées. 102 F St.; (530) 7501801; seasonsdavis.com. L–D. New American. $$–$$$

YAKITORI YUCHAN This busy little restaurant fo cuses on skewered grilled meats, seafood and veg etables. Bring an adventurous palate and a group of food-loving friends. 109 E St.; (530) 753-3196; yakitoriyuchan.com. D. Japanese. $–$$

DIXON

CATTLEMENS This classic Western steakhouse serves prime rib, porterhouse, T-bone and cowboy steaks, plus all the trimmings: shrimp cocktail, loaded po tato skins and more. 250 Dorset Court; (707) 6785518; cattlemens.com. D. Steakhouse. $$$

DOWNTOWN

BAWK! CHICKEN & BAR Along with crispy chicken coated with a red spice mix that kicks it up a notch, you can order salads, oysters on the half shell and collard greens. 1409 R St.; (916) 465-8700; bawk friedchicken.com. L–D–Br. Southern. $$

BRASSERIE DU MONDE This beautifully designed restaurant is based on a traditional French bras serie. The menu hits the high points of the brasserie canon, everything from onion soup to steak frites. 1201 K St.; (916) 329-8033; brasseriedumonde.com. L–D. French. $$–$$$

BURGERS AND BREW For description, see listing under “Davis.” 1409 R St.; (916) 442-0900; burgers nbrew.com. L–D. Burgers. $

CAFE BERNARDO The menu o ers straightforward fare guaranteed to please just about everyone. Break fast includes huevos rancheros and eggs Bernardo, drizzled with housemade hollandaise sauce. Lunch and dinner feature pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and substantial entrées such as pan-seared chicken breast with mashed potatoes. 1431 R St.; (916) 9309191; cafebernardo.com. B–L–D. New American. $

CAFETERIA 15L Go to Cafeteria 15L for modern, approachably priced comfort food in a casual yet

stylish environment. The menu emphasizes fun fare, such as mac ’n’ cheese, tru e tater tots, and fried chicken and wa e with gravy and pecan butter. 1116 15th St.; (916) 492-1960; cafeteria15l.com. L–D. Californian. $$

CAMDEN SPIT & LARDER Highly regarded chef Oliver Ridgeway opened this swank brasserie in a modern, glass-walled building near the Capitol. It appeals to lobbyists, lawyers and legislators with its gin-forward cocktails (martini, anyone?) and a menu that’s an interesting mash-up of British chop-house classics, English schoolboy favorites and elevated pub fare. 555 Capitol Mall; (916) 619-8897; camdenspitandlarder.com. L–D. Steak house. $$$–$$$$

ECHO & RIG Located in the lobby of The Sawyer hotel, this outpost of a Vegas steakhouse is sleek and unstu y. Prices are considerably gentler than at most other steakhouses, but the quality of the meat is high. In addition to standard cuts like filet, NY steak and rib-eye, you’ll find butcher cuts such as hanger, ba vette, skirt and tri-tip. 500 J St.; (877) 678-6255; echoandrig.com. B–L–D–Br. Steakhouse. $$$

ELLA This stunning restaurant (owned by the Selland family and designed by award-winning European architects) is an elegant oasis compared to the gritty hustle and bustle outside. From the open kitchen, the sta turns out innovative dishes and old favorites. The emphasis is on seasonal, local and artisanal. 1131 K St.; (916) 443-3772; elladining roomandbar.com. L–D. New American. $$$$

FRANK FAT’S Downtown Sacramento’s oldest res taurant, Fat’s is a favorite of the Capitol crowd. The restaurant is well known for its steaks and its bran dy-fried chicken. This is Chinese cuisine at its most sophisticated. 806 L St.; (916) 442-7092; frankfats. com. L–D. Chinese. $$$

GRANGE RESTAURANT & BAR Located in The Citizen Hotel, Grange proves that a hotel restaurant doesn’t have to be pedestrian. The menu changes frequently and spotlights some of the area’s best producers. At dinner, the ambience in the stunning dining room is seductive and low-lit. 926 J St.; (916) 492-4450; grangerestaurantandbar.com. B–L–Br. Californian/American. $$$$

KODAIKO RAMEN & BAR This below-ground ramen shop takes the Japanese noodle soup to a whole new level. Ingredients are organic, and almost everything is made in-house. For a fun experience, sit at the six-person ramen counter and chat with the chefs. 718 K St.; (916) 426-8863; kodaikoramen.com. L–D–Br. Japanese/ramen. $$–$$$

MAGPIE CAFE This restaurant has a casual, unas suming vibe, and its hallmark is clean, simple fare that tastes like the best version of itself. 1601 16th St.; (916) 452-7594; magpiecafe.com. B–L–D. Cali fornian. $$

MIKUNI JAPANESE RESTAURANT AND SUSHI BAR

This hip sushi bar serves its sushi with a side of sass. There are three sushi bars and a dense menu of ap petizers, rice bowls, bento boxes and sushi rolls. 1530 J St.; (916) 447-2112; mikunisushi.com. L–D. Japanese/sushi. $$

MORTON’S THE STEAKHOUSE From cozy, candlelit booths and stunning, glass-enclosed wine room to the crisply outfitted chefs, Morton’s oozes Special Occasion. Red meat is the star here. 621 Capitol Mall; (916) 442-5091; mortons.com/sacramento. D. Steakhouse. $$$$

NASH & PROPER The owners first rocked Sacra mento’s food scene with a food truck featuring Nashville-style hot chicken sandwiches. Now, they

Pangaea Bier Cafe’s burger

have two brick-and-mortar locations serving their famous sandwiches, along with quarter and half birds, impressive sides and chicken and wa es (weekends only). You pick the heat level for your fowl, ranging from naked (no heat) to cluckin’ hot. 1023 K St.; (916) 426-6712; nashandproper.com. L. Fried chicken sandwiches and plates. $

URBAN ROOTS BREWING & SMOKEHOUSE At this brewery, a massive smoker turns out succulent meats in the tradition of the great barbecue houses of Texas, Louisiana and Tennessee. Sides include collard greens, mac and cheese, yams and poblano cheese grits. Sit indoors or out at long picnic tables. 1322 V St.; (916) 706-3741; urbanrootsbrewing.com. L–D. Barbecue. $$

EAST SACRAMENTO

ALLORA Modern Italian fare with a heavy seafood bent is the focus at this sophisticated eatery. Tasting menus come in three, four and five courses, with caviar service and in-season tru es o ered at an additional cost. The menu changes with the seasons, but you’ll always find fresh pasta and balsamicglazed polpo (octopus). The wine list is weighted with classic Italian wines and new-world expressions of Italian varieties. 5215 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 5386434; allorasacramento.com. D. Italian. $$$$

CANON With Michelin-starred chef Brad Cecchi at the helm, this breezily chic restaurant o ers an ambitious menu of globally inspired sharable plates. Much of the menu is vegetarian, vegan or gluten free, but you can also order from a small selection of hearty meat, poultry and fish dishes. 1719 34th St.; (916) 469-2433; canoneastsac.com. Global/New American. D–Br. $$$–$$$$

KRU Long considered one of Sacramento’s best res taurants, chef/owner Billy Ngo produces high cali ber, exciting Japanese fare. The restaurant has a craft cocktail bar, outdoor patios and an omakase bar. (An omakase cocktail pairing is also available.) 3135 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 551-1559; krurestaurant. com. L-D. Japanese. $$$-$$$$

MATTONE RISTORANTE When Sacramento’s famed Biba restaurant closed its doors, a few alums struck out on their own to open this Italian eatery. It’s a worthy successor to Biba, serving freshly made pasta and classic Italian fare such as calamari fritti, veal marsala and chicken cooked under a brick. 5723 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 758-5557; mattonesac.com. L-D. Italian $$$–$$$$

THE MIMOSA HOUSE This local chain o ers a com prehensive lineup of breakfast fare: omelets, Bene dicts, crepes, wa es, burritos and, of course, mimosas. The rest of the menu is similarly broad, with burgers, salads, grilled sandwiches and Mexican “street food.” 5641 J St.; (916) 400-4084; mimosa house.com. B–L. American. $$

OBO’ ITALIAN TABLE & BAR This casual Italian eat ery is beautifully designed and e ciently run. There are hot dishes and cold salads behind the glass cases, ready for the taking. But the stars of the menu are the freshly made pastas and wood-oven pizzas. There’s also a full bar serving Italian-theme craft cocktails. 3145 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 822-8720; oboitalian.com. L–D. Italian. $$

ONESPEED Chef Rick Mahan, who built his stellar reputation at The Waterboy in midtown, branched out with a more casual concept at his East Sac eat ery. The open bistro has a tiled pizza oven that cranks out chewy, flavorful pizzas. 4818 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 706-1748; onespeedpizza.com. B–L–D. Pizza. $$

ORIGAMI ASIAN GRILL This fast-casual eatery serves

Asian-flavored rice bowls, banh mi sandwiches, salads and ramen, along with killer fried chicken and assorted smoked-meat specials from a big smoker on the sidewalk. 4801 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 400-3075; origamiasiangrill.com. L–D. Asian fu sion. $–$$

SELLAND’S MARKET-CAFE For description, see list ing under Broadway. 5340 H St.; (916) 736-3333; sellands.com. L–D–Br. Gourmet takeout. $$

EL DORADO HILLS

AJI JAPANESE BISTRO This casually elegant res taurant o ers an innovative menu of Japanese street food, fusion entrees, traditional dishes such as teri yaki and tempura and—yes—sushi. There’s an approachable wine list, sakes and a full bar serving handcrafted cocktails. 4361 Town Center Blvd.; (916) 941-9181; aji-bistro.com. L-D. Japanese/sushi. $-$$

ALMIGHTY FOOD CO. This all gluten-free restaurant has a large menu that includes salads, sandwiches, tapas, large plates and lots of meatless options. You’ll find bluefin tuna poke, avocado toast on an everything bagel, grass-fed burgers, short ribs, falafel, shiitake beans & rice—a tremendous variety for every dietary need. Happy hour includes bubbly and sangria and bargain bites such as $8 focaccia toasts to share. 4355 Town Center Blvd.; (916) 510-1204; almightyeats.com. L–D–Br. Gluten-free global. $$

MILESTONE This unstu y eatery serves great takes on comfort-food classics like pot roast and fried chicken. It’s straightforward, without pretense or gimmickry. The setting is like a Napa country porch, and the service is warm and approachable. 4359

Town Center Blvd.; (916) 934-0790; milestoneedh. com. L–D–Br. New American. $$–$$

THE MIMOSA HOUSE For description, see listing under East Sacramento, 2023 Vine St.; (916) 9340965; mimosahouse.com. B–L–D. American. $$

SELLAND’S MARKET-CAFE For description, see list ing under “East Sacramento.” 4370 Town Center Blvd.; (916) 932-5025; sellands.com. L–D–Br. Gour met takeout. $$

SIENNA RESTAURANT A luxurious Tuscan interior features a large bar, and the menu includes a playful melange of global cuisine, including seafood, steaks, stone hearth pizzas, inventive appetizers and a stacked French dip sandwich. Sunday brunch in cludes a made-to-order omelet bar and unlimited mimosas. 3909 Park Drive; (916) 941-9694; sienna restaurants.com. L–D–Br. Global. $$–$$$

ELK GROVE

BOULEVARD BISTRO Located in a cozy 1908 bungalow, this bistro is one of the region’s best-kept dining secrets. Chef/owner Bret Bohlmann is a pas sionate supporter of local farmers and winemakers, and his innovative food sings with freshness and seasonality. 8941 Elk Grove Blvd.; (916) 685-2220; blvdbistro.com. D–Br. New American. $$–$$$

JOURNEY TO THE DUMPLING This Elk Grove eatery specializes in Shanghai-style dumplings (try the soup-filled xiao long bao), along with Chinese dishes such as green onion pancakes, garlic green beans and salt-and-pepper calamari. 7419 Laguna Blvd.; (916) 509-9556; journeytothedumpling.com. L–D. Chinese. $$

St. Louis ribs from Canon

Rudy Meyers

LEATHERBY’S FAMILY CREAMERY For description, see listing under “Arden Arcade.” 8238 Laguna Blvd.; (916) 691-3334; leatherbys.net. L–D. Sandwiches/ ice cream. $

MIKUNI JAPANESE RESTAURANT AND SUSHI BAR

For description, see listing under “Downtown.” 8525 Bond Road; (916) 714-2112; mikunisushi.com. L–D. Japanese/sushi. $$

NASH & PROPER For description, see listing under Downtown. 9080 Laguna Main St.; (916) 897-8437; nashandproper.com. L. Fried chicken sandwiches and plates. $

THAI CHILI This plain restaurant o ers an entire menu just for vegetarians, plus interesting meat and fish dishes. 8696 Elk Grove Blvd.; (916) 7143519; thaichilielkgrove.net. L–D. Thai. $$

FAIR OAKS

MIKUNI JAPANESE RESTAURANT AND SUSHI BAR

For description, see listing under “Downtown.” 4323 Hazel Ave.; (916) 961-2112; mikunisushi.com. L–D. Japanese/sushi. $$

SUNFLOWER DRIVE IN This casual spot serves health ful, wholesome vegetarian and vegan fare. Faves include the Nutburger, the egg salad sandwich and fruit smoothies. 10344 Fair Oaks Blvd.; (916) 9674331; sunflowerdrivein.com. L–D. Vegetarian. $

FOLSOM

BACCHUS HOUSE WINE BAR & BISTRO With a sea sonal menu packed with innovative, globally influ-

enced dishes, this restaurant has plenty to choose from. 1004 E. Bidwell St.; (916) 984-7500; bacchus housebistro.com. L–D–Br. New American. $$–$$$

BACK BISTRO A warm pocket of coziness and urban sophistication in a retail center, this place o ers an appealing menu of casual nibbles and swankier entrées. But it’s the wine program that really knocks this charming little bistro out of the park. 230 Pal ladio Parkway, Suite 1201; (916) 986-9100; backbis tro.com. D. New American/Mediterranean. $$–$$$

CHICAGO FIRE Oodles of melted cheese blanket the pizzas that fly out of the kitchen of this busy restau rant. Here, you get to choose between thin-crust, deep-dish and stu ed pizzas. 310 Palladio Parkway; (916) 984-0140; chicagofire.com. L –D. Pizza. $

FAT’S ASIA BISTRO AND DIM SUM BAR The menu focuses on Asian cuisine at this glamorous restau rant, from Mongolian beef and Hong Kong chow mein to Thai chicken satay served with a fiery curry-peanut sauce. 2585 Iron Point Road; (916) 983-1133; fatsasiabistro.com. L–D. Pan-Asian. $$

THE MIMOSA HOUSE For description, see listing under East Sacramento, 25075 Blue Ravine Road; (916) 293-9442; mimosahouse.com. B–L. American. $$

SCOTT’S SEAFOOD ROUNDHOUSE This restaurant o ers a solid menu of delicious seafood, from crab cakes and calamari to roasted lobster tail. 824 Sut ter St.; (916) 989-6711; scottsseafoodroundhouse. com. L–D. Seafood. $$$–$$$$

THAI PARADISE Standouts on the extensive menu include spring rolls, tom kha koong (coconut milk soup with prawns), green curry, spicy scallops and pad thai. Try the fried banana with ice cream for

dessert. 2770 E. Bidwell St.; (916) 984-8988; thai paradisefolsom.com. L–D. Thai. $$

GARDEN HIGHWAY

CRAWDADS ON THE RIVER This riverfront restau rant draws crowds looking for a great place to party on the water during warm-weather months. Boats pull up to the restaurant’s deck, where you can sip a cocktail, and roll-up doors blur the line between indoors and out. The Cajun-inspired menu includes fish tacos and several fun entrées. 1375 Garden Highway; (916) 929-2268; saccrawdads.com. L–D–Br. Cajun/American. $$

THE VIRGIN STURGEON This quirky floating restau rant is the quintessential Sacramento River dining experience. In summer, a cocktail pontoon is connected to the restaurant, where you can drink and enjoy the breezy proximity to the water below. Best known for its seafood, The Virgin Sturgeon also o ers weekend brunch. 1577 Garden Highway; (916) 921-2694; thevirginsturgeon.com. L–D–Br. Seafood/ American. $$

GRANITE BAY

HAWKS One of Placer County’s best restaurants, Hawks is known for its elegant cuisine and beautiful interior. The dining room has clean lines, soothing colors, and crisp white tablecloths. Framed photos of farmscapes remind diners of owners Molly Hawks and Michael Fagnoni’s commitment to locally sourced ingredients. The seasonal menu is full of delicious surprises, such as seared scallop and sea urchin. 5530 Douglas Blvd.; (916) 791-6200; hawksrestau rant.com. L–D–Br. New American/French. $$$–$$$$

GREENHAVEN/POCKET

CACIO This tiny sliver of a restaurant has only a handful of tables—and more than a handful of people who want to dine here. The fare is highquality Italian comfort food, with an emphasis on pasta. Service is warm and homey, prices are gentle, and reservations (even at lunch) are a must. 7600 Greenhaven Drive; (916) 399-9309; caciosacra mento.com. L–D. Italian. $$

SCOTT’S SEAFOOD ON THE RIVER Located in The Westin Sacramento, Scott’s has a patio and a view of the river. Breakfast dishes include crab cake Bene dict, and lunch entrées range from petrale sole to a prawn Caesar salad. For dinner, splurge on a lobster tail or choose a more modestly priced grilled salm on. 4800 Riverside Blvd.; (916) 379-5959; scotts seafoodontheriver.com. B–L–D. Seafood. $$$–$$$$

MIDTOWN

BEAST + BOUNTY The beating heart of this chic restaurant is its open hearth, where meats and veg etables are roasted over a wood fire. The meaty ribeye, served over potatoes roasted in the meat’s fat, is meant to be shared. So is the pizza, thin, flat and seductively charred from the wood-burning pizza oven. 1701 R St.; (916) 244-4016; eatbeastandboun ty.com. L–D–Br. American. $$$

HAWKS PROVISIONS & PUBLIC HOUSE This gastropub is the latest o ering from the owners of Granite Bay’s upscale Hawks. The food is rustic Mediterranean, with dishes like country pate and baked rigatoni. The pastas are made in-house, and even the burger is top-notch: Wagyu beef is ground in the walk-in fridge, and it’s served with hand-cut French fries. In addition to the restaurant (the “public house”), there’s a casual takeout shop next door serving co ee, pas-

Crawdads on the River’s seafood simmer

tries and sandwiches (the “provisions”). 1525 Alham bra Blvd.; (916) 588-4440; hawkspublichouse.com. L-D-Br. Mediterranean gastropub. $$$

KUPROS This fun gastropub is housed in a beauti fully renovated 1910 Craftsman building. Belly up to the ground-floor bar for a pint of beer, or head upstairs for a seat in the dining room or the outdoor balcony, where you can tuck into fare such as steak frites or pot roast. 1217 21st St.; (916) 440-0401; kuproscrafthouse.com. L–D–Br. New American/ gastropub. $$

LOCALIS This upscale restaurant is a pleasant sur prise. Localis (Latin for “local”) is a dinner-only restaurant with an inventive, prix-fixe menu of ingredient-driven dishes. Chef Christopher BarnumDann works with local farms to source most of the menu within 100 miles. 2031 S St.; (916) 737-7699; localissacramento.com. D. Californian. $$$–$$$$

MULVANEY’S BUILDING & LOAN Distinctive and cozy, this topflight restaurant exudes the generous a ability of its owner, chef Patrick Mulvaney. The menu changes frequently and is focused on locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. 1215 19th St.; (916) 441-6022; mulvaneysbl.com . L–D. Californian. $$$

PARAGARY’S This legendary restaurant focuses on elegant, Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. 1401 28th St.; (916) 457-5737; paragarys.com. L–D–Br. New American/Californian. $$–$$$

THE RED RABBIT KITCHEN & BAR The menu is a playful jumble of dishes, some robustly American, others with an Asian, Latin or Mediterranean influ ence. 2718 J St.; (916) 706-2275; theredrabbit.net. L–D–Br. New American. $$

RICK’S DESSERT DINER This diner has a playful ’50s vibe, with red booths and a jukebox. The ever-pres ent line of customers in front of the display case can make it di cult to see the mind-boggling assortment of sweets. 2401 J St.; (916) 444-0969; ricksdessert diner.com. Dessert. $

THE RIND At this cheese-centric bar, you can savor cheese in a number of ways. The menu includes variations on macaroni and cheese, cheese boards and creative grilled cheese sandwiches. 1801 L St.; (916) 441-7463; therindsacramento.com. L–D. American. $$

SAIGON ALLEY KITCHEN + BAR This hip restaurant and bar serves modern versions of Vietnamese street food, such as a “Pho-rench” dip (a French dip with pho flavors) and a “banh mi” burger (a rib-eye burger garnished with pickled daikon and carrot on a baguette). A big draw is the $3 happy hour, featuring snacks like banh mi taco, fish sauce chicken wings, taro fries and sugarcane shrimp. 1801 L St.; (916) 758-6934; saigonalley.com. L–D. Vietnamese. $$

TAPA THE WORLD The dark space is packed practi cally every night. The best seats are along the windows that look out onto J Street—perfect for peoplewatching as you savor classic tapas along with a Spanish cava or tempranillo from the lengthy, excit ing wine list. 2115 J St.; (916) 442-4353; tapa theworld.com. L–D. Spanish/tapas. $$

THE WATERBOY This Mediterranean-inspired res taurant produces perhaps the finest cooking in the region. Chef/owner Rick Mahan honors local farm ers with his commitment to simply prepared, highcaliber food. You can’t go wrong if you order one of the lovely salads, followed by the gnocchi, ravioli or a simple piece of fish, finished with butter and fresh herbs. You’ll also find French classics such as veal sweetbreads and pomme frites. 2000 Capitol Ave.; (916) 498-9891; waterboyrestaurant.com. L–D. Mediterranean. $$$$

But that’s part of Zelda’s charm, along with the dark, dingy atmosphere. It’s all about the food: old-school, Chicago-style deep-dish pizza that rou tinely wins “best pizza” in local polls. 1415 21st St.; (916) 447-1400; zeldasgourmetpizza.com. L–D. Pizza/Italian. $$

ZÓCALO This Mexican restaurant is one of the best places to while away an evening with friends over margaritas. The restaurant is high-ceilinged, with a wood bar and roomy booths, and the wraparound sidewalk patio is one of the most popular spots in town. 1801 Capitol Ave.; (916) 441-0303; zocalosac ramento.com. L–D–Br. Mexican. $$

OAK PARK

FIXINS SOUL KITCHEN This bustling place, partly owned by former mayor Kevin Johnson, serves up friendly Southern hospitality along with delicious Southern fare, including chicken and wa es, gumbo, fried catfish, and shrimp and grits. 3428 Third Ave.; (916); 999-7685. fixinssoulkitchen.com. B–L–D–Br. Southern. $$

LA VENADITA This inviting, casual taqueria has a concise menu that includes inventive street tacos, a brightly flavored ceviche and an enchilada with rich mole sauce. It also boasts a full bar and an enticing menu of craft cocktails. 3501 Third Ave.; (916) 4004676; lavenaditasac.com. L–D. Mexican. $$

OLD SACRAMENTO

THE FIREHOUSE Since opening in 1960, this has

firehouse, it’s white tablecloth all the way, with crys tal wine glasses and top-notch service. The outdoor courtyard is one of the prettiest in town, and its canopy of trees sparkles at night with tiny lights. The food is special-occasion worthy, and the wine list represents more than 2,100 labels. 1112 Second St.; (916) 442-4772; firehouseoldsac.com. L–D. Californian/American. $$$$

RANCHO CORDOVA

CATTLEMENS This classic Western steakhouse serves up big slabs of prime rib, porterhouse, T-bone and cowboy steaks, plus all the trimmings: shrimp cocktail, loaded potato skins, deep-fried onions and more. 12409 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 985-3030; cattle mens.com. D. Steakhouse. $$$

J.J. PFISTER RESTAURANT & TASTING ROOM In addition to a tasting room where you can sample locally made premium gin, vodka and rum, this family-owned distillery also operates a restaurant serving lunch and dinner. The all-day menu features salads, sandwiches and tacos, along with the whim sical “Adult Lunchable”—an assortment of cheeses, deli meats and accompaniments. Desserts get the boozy treatment: Order cheesecake topped with bourbon caramel and whipped cream, or fudge clus ters made with Pfister’s Navy Strength rum. 9819 Business Park Drive; (916) 672-9662; jjpfister.com. L–D. Casual American. $$

THE MIMOSA HOUSE For description, see listing under East Sacramento, 3155 Zinfandel Drive; (916) 970-1761 and 2180 Golden Centre Lane; (916) 8224145; mimosahouse.com. B–L. American. $$

Mishima Wagyu bavette steak from Paragary’s

ROSEVILLE

CATTLEMENS This classic Western steakhouse serves up big slabs of prime rib, porterhouse, T-bone and cowboy steaks, plus all the trimmings: shrimp cocktail, loaded potato skins, deep-fried onions and more. 2000 Taylor Road; (916) 782-5587; cattlemens. com. D. Steakhouse. $$$

FAT’S ASIA BISTRO AND DIM SUM BAR For description, see listing under “Folsom.” 1500 Eureka Road; (916) 787-3287; fatsasiabistro.com. L–D. PanAsian. $$

LA PROVENCE RESTAURANT & TERRACE This elegant French restaurant o ers some of the region’s loveliest outdoor dining. The seasonal menu features items such as bouillabaisse and soupe au pistou. 110 Diamond Creek Place; (916) 789-2002; laprovence roseville.com. L–D–Br. French. $$$–$$$$

MIKUNI JAPANESE RESTAURANT AND SUSHI BAR

For description, see listing under “Downtown.” 1565 Eureka Road; (916) 797-2112; mikunisushi.com. L–D. Japanese/sushi. $$

THE MIMOSA HOUSE For description, see listing under East Sacramento, 761 Pleasant Grove Blvd.; (916) 784-1313; mimosahouse.com. B–L. American. $$

PAUL MARTIN’S AMERICAN GRILL The bustling, comfortable restaurant is a local favorite. The kitch en o ers a great list of small plates and robust, ap proachable entrées. 1455 Eureka Road; (916) 7833600; paulmartinsamericangrill.com. L–D–Br. New American. $$–$$$

P.F. CHANG’S CHINA BISTRO The extensive menu o ers dishes whose origins spring from many regions

in China but that reflect a California sensibility. 1180 Galleria Blvd.; (916) 788-2800; pfchangs.com. L–D. Chinese. $$

RUEN THAI Simple and serene, Ruen Thai is a fam ily-owned restaurant that o ers a surprisingly large selection of fresh-tasting food. 1470 Eureka Road; (916) 774-1499; ruenthai.net. L–D. Thai. $

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE This swanky dinner house serves some of the tastiest meat in town. Ex pertly cooked steaks are seared at 1,800 degrees. Don’t miss the cowboy rib-eye or the fork-tender filet mignon. 1185 Galleria Blvd.; (916) 780-6910; ruthschris.com. D. Steakhouse. $$$$

THE MIMOSA HOUSE For description, see listing under “East Sacramento.” 761 Pleasant Grove Blvd., Roseville; (916) 784-1313; mimosahouse.com. B–L–D. American. $$

ZÓCALO For description, see listing under “Midtown.” 1182 Roseville Parkway; (916) 788-0303; zocalosac ramento.com/roseville. L–D–Br. Mexican. $$

SIERRA OAKS

ETTORE’S This bakery is a convivial spot for a ca sual meal. It’s hard to take your eyes o the dessert cases long enough to choose your savory items. But you’ll soon discover the kitchen’s talent extends to the wonderful pizzas, cooked in a wood-burning oven, hearty sandwiches and burgers, and fresh salads. 2376 Fair Oaks Blvd.; (916) 482-0708; et tores.com. B–L–D. Bakery/New American. $–$$

LEMON GRASS RESTAURANT Lemon Grass serves delicious, upscale Asian fare such as salad rolls,

green curry and catfish in a clay pot. Everything tastes fresh, light and clean. 601 Munroe St.; (916) 486-4891; lemongrassrestaurant.com. L–D. PanAsian. $$$

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE For description, see listing under “Roseville.” 501 Pavilions Lane; (916) 286-2702; ruthschris.com. L (Fridays only)–D. Steakhouse. $$$$

WILDWOOD RESTAURANT & BAR Owned by the Haines brothers of 33rd Street Bistro fame, this chic restaurant serves New American and global cuisine, with naan, ahi poke and rock shrimp risotto sharing the menu with an all-American burger. The spacious patio is a great place to enjoy a drink and music. 556 Pavilions Lane; (916) 922-2858; wildwoodpavilions. com. L–D–Br. American/global fusion. $$$

SOUTHSIDE PARK

BINCHOYAKI Small plates of grilled meats, fish and vegetables are the stars at this izakaya-style res taurant. But you can also order ramen, tempura and other Japanese favorites. 2226 10th St.; (916) 469-9448; binchoyaki.com. L–D. Japanese. $$–$$$

TAHOE PARK

BACON & BUTTER Lively and delightfully urban, the place is packed with fans of chef Billy Zoellin’s homey flapjacks, biscuits and other breakfasty fare. 5913 Broadway; (916) 346-4445; baconandbuttersac. com. B–L. Breakfast/American. $–$$

MOMO’S MEAT MARKET This family-run business serves simply first-rate barbecue, smoked over wood in huge drums in the parking lot. Sides include pepper Jack mac ’n cheese, cornbread and deepfried cabbage. 5780 Broadway; (916) 452-0202. L–D. Barbecue. $$

WEST SACRAMENTO

DRAKE’S: THE BARN Located in a stunningly mod ern indoor-outdoor structure along the river, Drake’s serves excellent thin-crust pizzas, along with a few salads and appetizers. You can get table service indoors or on the patio. But if you prefer something more casual, grab a folding lawn chair, find a spot at the sprawling outdoor taproom and order a pizza to go. It’s fun galore, with kids, dogs, fire pits and a tap trailer serving beer. 985 Riverfront St.; (510) 423-0971; drinkdrakes.com. L–D. Pizza. $$

FRANQUETTE This contemporary French café from the owners of Canon is an open-all-day, drop-infor-a-glass-of-wine kind of place. You can order a freshly baked croissant or tartine at breakfast, a salad, quiche or jambon sandwich on a baguette for lunch, and something a little more filling—say, duck meatballs or a crock of boeuf bourguignon—at dinner. It’s grandma food—or, in this case, grandmère food: warm, satisfying and homey. 965 Bridge St.; hellofranquette.com. B-L-D. French. $$–$$$

Subscription rates: $19.95 for one year, U.S. only. All out-of-state subscribers add $3 per year. Single copies: $4.95. Change of address: Please send your new address and your old address mailing label. Allow six to eight weeks’ advance notice. Send all remittances and requests to Sacramento Magazine, 5750 New King Drive, Suite 100, Troy, MI 48098. Customer service inquiries: Call (866) 660-6247. Copyright 2022 by Sacramento Media LLC. All rights reserved. Repro duction in whole or part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. Prices quoted in advertisements are subject to change without notice. Sacramento Magazine (ISSN 0747-8712) Volume 48, Number 12, December 2022. Sacramento Magazine (ISSN 0747-8712) is published monthly by Sacramento Media, LLC, 1610 R St., Suite 300, Sacramento, CA 95811. Periodical postage paid at Troy, MI and additional offices. Postmaster: Send change of address to Sacramento Magazine, 5750 New King Dr., Suite 100, Troy, MI 48098

Seasonal chef’s pizza from Ettore’s

Holiday Cheer

Center for Sacramento History, Frank Christy Collection, 1998/722/1247

Seasonal decorations are sus pended above K Street in this December 1957 photo, taken at 10th Street looking west.

—DARLENA BELUSHIN MCKAY