OCEANSIDE — After a nation-wide search, Tri-City Healthcare District announced on June 29 the appointment of Dr. Gene Ma to the permanent role of president and chief executive officer of the organization.
Dr. Ma has served in the interim president and CEO position since March 2023 following the retirement of long-time CEO Steve Dietlin.
“I am pleased to announce that the board of directors selected Dr. Ma for this incredibly important role,” said Tracy Younger, the new chairperson of TCHD’s seven-member publicly elected board of directors. “Board members were impressed with Dr. Ma’s longtime commitment to Tri-City, as well as his achievements over the past several months of interim leadership, both of which weighed heavily on our decision.”
Ma is an emergency department physician at Tri-City for over 20 years and a 10-time honoree as one of San Diego Top Doctors in Emergency Medicine.
Prior to his time as interim president and CEO, Ma served in numerous administrative roles within Tri-City, including as chief medical officer from 2019 to 2023, and as chief of staff of the medical center’s independent medical staff, a role which he held from 2015 to 2017. From 2012 to 2022, Ma also served as CEO of WorkPartners, overseeing the turnaround of what would become the region’s dominant occupational health practice.
“It is absolutely the honor of my career to be chosen to serve as president and CEO of this amazing medical center, and to continue to work side-by-side with the dedicated members of the Tri-City Family,” Ma said. “I am so appreciative of every one of our partners, both within the hospital and in our community, and look forward to working with them to continue to advance our mission.”
Ma earned his Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of California, Irvine, and attended medical school at the University of California, San Francisco. He then completed his internship at Stanford Medical Center, followed by a residency in emergency medicine at UC San Diego Medical Center. He joined Tri-City Emergency Medical Group in July of 2000, subsequently becoming their executive director and managing partner.
The Tri-City board of directors also announced changes to their leadership. Tracy Younger, a healthcare business owner who lives in Carlsbad and represents Zone 6, has stepped into the chairperson position. Rocky Chavez, an Oceanside resident and retired United States Marine Corps colonel, stepped down from the chairperson role, a position he has held since 2022.
Dr. Nina Chaya, an anesthesiologist who has served on the board since 2020 and represents Zone 7, will now serve as vice chairperson of the board.
