San Diego Hospice Appoints New Board Chair

Four New Members join the 35-year-old Nonprofit’s Board of Directors

SAN DIEGO, CA—San Diego Hospice and The Institute of Palliative Medicine has appointed Emanuel Kauder, MD, as the new Board Chair of the organization's Corporate Board of Directors for 2012. Dr. Kauder has been a member of the San Diego Hospice Board of Directors for many years and replaces outgoing Board Chair Ames Early, who will continue to serve as a Board Trustee.

San Diego Hospice also welcomes new members Mika Buffington, Paul Kurtin, MD, Joseph Martinez, and Richard Woltman as they each begin three-year terms on its Board of Directors.

"We are honored to have Dr. Kauder lead our Board of Directors and equally honored to have Ms. Buffington, Dr. Kurtin, Mr. Martinez, and Mr. Woltman join our Board,” said Kathleen Pacurar, president and CEO of San Diego Hospice and The Institute of Palliative Medicine. “We are happy to welcome these talented business and healthcare leaders to our team, who are knowledgeable experts in their respective fields - expertise that will enhance San Diego Hospice’s ability to carry out its mission.”

Mika Buffington

Mika Buffington is in her eighth year at Meketa Investment Group. A Senior Vice President of the firm, Ms. Buffington currently works as the lead consultant to a variety of clients on their Defined Benefit, Endowment, and Defined Contribution plans. Her work includes developing asset allocation policies, selecting investment managers, and developing investment strategy for clients. She is also a member of the firm’s Compliance, Defined Contribution, and Sustainability Committees. Ms. Buffington is an active speaker at investment industry conferences, including the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP), Opal, and Informational Management Network (IMN) events.

Paul Kurtin, MD

Paul Kurtin, MD is Chief Quality and Safety Officer and the Director of the Sadler Center for Quality at Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego. In this role, Dr. Kurtin is responsible for the design, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of health services for children. This work was acknowledged by the JCAHO with the 2002 Ernest A. Codman Award for the outstanding use of process and outcomes measures for the improvement of clinical care. Dr. Kurtin is also founding medical director of the Child Health Accountability Initiative, a national collaborative of children’s hospitals working together to improve care for hospitalized children and children with special health care needs.

Joseph Martinez

Joseph Martinez is a founding principal of Martinez + Cutri Corporation with headquarters in San Diego. Since its inception in 1980, Mr. Martinez has directed the firm’s educational and resort divisions. Some of his award-winning projects include Cesar Chavez Elementary and Rancho del Rey Middle School, as well as the Logan Heights Library. In addition to his private practice, Mr. Martinez taught architecture and urbanism from 1978 to 1993 at the University of California, Berkeley, San Diego State University, University of California, San Diego, and The New School of Architecture. Similarly, Mr. Martinez has served on numerous boards and commissions, including a gubernatorial appointee to the San Diego Regional Government Efficiency commission, Qualcomm Stadium Advisory Board, NTC Arts & Culture Foundation, the San Diego Dialogue, the Mariachi Foundation, and CONVIS. In 1984, Mr. Martinez was named UCSD’s Alumni of the Year, and in 1985 he was named Centennial Alumni. Most recently, California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. awarded him The Jessie de la Cruz Lifetime Community Service Award at their 2005 San Diego Tardeada Event. 

Richard Woltman

Richard Woltman is Founder, former President and Chairman of the Board of Girard Securities, Inc., a privately owned securities organization in San Diego, CA. Pre-dating any innovations by other securities luminaries, Mr. Woltman created a new concept in the securities business: He produced a national organization built entirely upon a network of remotely operating independent contractors, which was considered a milestone in the securities business. Girard Securities grew from Mr. Woltman's $15,000 initial investment to one of the largest privately held securities dealers in the United States. In 1998, the brokerage was sold to AIG SunAmerica while Mr. Woltman remained as a managing executive until December 2001. Mr. Woltman is currently Chairman of the Board of Financial Database Services, Inc. a leading provider of software systems to the securities industry. He is also a Trustee Emeritus of University of San Diego and a two term Chairman of the Mercy Hospital Foundation. Mr. Woltman is also a Board Member for the Scripps Foundation of Medicine & Science. He is a graduate of Indiana University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Economics and a Master’s degree in Banking from the University of Washington.

About San Diego Hospice and The Institute for Palliative Medicine

San Diego Hospice and The Institute for Palliative Medicine is one of the largest community-owned, nonprofit hospices in the country, bringing compassionate, expert medical care to more than 1,200 seriously ill adults and children each day throughout San Diego County.  For more information, visit www.sdhospice.org or call toll-free 866-688-1600. Join San Diego Hospice's online communities on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, and The Caregiver's Corner Blog.