Luminary: Gary Huffaker
Gary Huffaker, M.D., is a retired Kaiser Permanente physician, now working on an M.A. in Integral Theory from John F. Kennedy University. For eighteen years he was a staff physician at the Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Riverside California in the specialty of pediatric ophthalmology. While in this position, he served as a Communication Consultant on the Physician-Patient Communication Committee, presenting programs to local physicians as well as serving as a video coach. He has continued these activities after retirement.
During three years, from 2004-2006, he was an Assistant Area Medical Director in Riverside California with Service and Quality of Care as his two main responsibilities. Additional duties included Culturally Responsive Care, Community Relations and Sales and Marketing. One major hurdle which occurred during this time was the completion of a successful JCAHO Survey which was one of his major responsibilities. Awards during this time included Physician of the Year in 1991 and 2007 as well as Exceptional Contribution Award in 1998, both of which were given by the Riverside Permanente Medical Group.
Because of an interest in Integral Medicine, he began the above-mentioned M.A. degree in September 2008. After a more comprehensive knowledge in Integral Theory is obtained, he intends to pursue applications to the field of medicine and especially to Kaiser Permanente.
