Oakland, Calif., June 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brown & Toland Physicians announced today the selection of Joseph Aquilina, MD, MBA, as president of BTHealth, Brown & Toland’s growing physician practice. Together with Brown & Toland Physicians’ leadership team, Aquilina will carry out the strategic vision of BTHealth, sharing accountability for the overall growth and financial success of the organization. He will report directly to Chief Strategy Officer Ryan Faulkner.
“Among his many impressive achievements, Dr. Aquilina has deep experience managing a large, regionally distributed network of outpatient practices and has been a physician leader and entrepreneur throughout his career,” said Faulkner. “We’re thrilled to have him join the team and lead BTHealth into its next phase of growth.”
Aquilina joins Brown & Toland Physicians from Sharp HealthCare in San Diego where he was chief medical officer and president of SharpCare Medical Group. Prior to that role, he capped a 22-year medical career in the U.S. Navy as director of outpatient health clinics and a member of the executive steering committee at Naval Medical Center San Diego. While serving in those roles, he established and led an integrated system of 23 outpatient clinics for the Navy’s largest hospital system, comprised of more than 1,100 employees providing care for 130,000 patients. He was also actively involved in building two state-of-the-art medical clinics in San Diego and oversaw the development of nine NCQA Level 3-certified medical homes throughout the Navy.
Aquilina was a co-founder of I-Chart, a successful web-based dental software company and has a keen interest in using mobile health to improve patient wellness, reduce hospitalizations and decrease overall health care costs.
A recognized subject matter expert in the patient-centered medical home, Aquilina frequently presents at national conferences and is a member of the American Academy of Family Medicine. He has received numerous honors for his leadership, including the Navy Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal with two gold stars, the Navy Achievement Medal, and various service and unit awards.
Aquilina earned his medical degree from the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago. Following an internship at Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital, he received training as a flight surgeon and was assigned as a squadron flight surgeon stationed at El Toro, Calif. Following two years with a U.S. Marine helicopter squadron, which included a six-month deployment to the Western Pacific aboard the USS Tarawa, he went on to complete a residency in family medicine at Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital. Aquilina received an MBA from the Rady School of Management of the University of California, San Diego.
“I am excited to join the Brown & Toland leadership team in supporting the growth and success of the BTHealth physician group,” said Aquilina. “I’m looking forward to helping expand our network of primary care clinics and bringing innovative solutions to improve patient health and ensure the highest clinical quality and patient satisfaction. We want to continue to be the go-to place for physicians, patients and payors alike.”
About Brown & Toland Physicians
Brown & Toland Physicians is a leading network of independent doctors focused on delivering personalized and high-quality health care to the San Francisco Bay Area. Its network of more than 2,700 physicians, serving more than 355,000 HMO, ACO and PPO patients, is dedicated to improving care and reducing costs through innovative care management and care coordination programs, use of health care technology, and population health management strategies. Brown & Toland, a Bay Area health care beacon since 1993, collaborates with leading hospitals and health plan providers to provide high-quality care in the Bay Area. To learn more, visit www.brownandtoland.com.