Mission Viejo Man Named CEO of Medical Foundation

The following comes courtesy of MemorialCare Medical Foundation:

Dr. Mark Schafer of Mission Viejo was recently named CEO of MemorialCare Medical Foundation.

Schafer is replacing Patrick Kapsner, who is retiring Jan. 1, 2014 after four decades as a distinguished health care executive.

Schafer has served as Chief Medical Officer of MemorialCare Medical Foundation since its inception in early 2010.

MemorialCare Medical Foundation, a nonprofit public benefit corporation, is part of MemorialCare Health System in Southern California. More than 2,000 employed and affiliated physicians are part of the Foundation’s two divisions—MemorialCare Medical Group and the Independent Practice Association (IPA), Greater Newport Physicians (GNP).

In addition to medical offices in Orange and Los Angeles counties, the Foundation oversees MemorialCare’s medical imaging facilities, ambulatory surgery centers and HealthExpress retail clinics.   

"It is an honor to be selected to lead MemorialCare Medical Foundation," Dr. Schafer said. "The Foundation, MemorialCare Medical Group and Greater Newport Physicians have a long and distinguished record of providing the highest quality, compassionate care available to our patients in Los Angeles and Orange counties. I am looking forward to expanding these efforts in partnership with our exceptional physicians, staff and all members of the MemorialCare team as we continue to transform health care services in Southern California." 

Schafer has experience in physician leadership, performance and quality improvement and implementation of Electronic Medical Records, utilization management and disease management programs for physician groups. 

Prior to joining MemorialCare, Dr. Schafer was Chief Medical Officer for 10 years at Bristol Park Medical Group, a large Orange County medical group, which joined MemorialCare Medical Foundation in 2010. He also practiced as an Internal Medicine physician in Orange County and was a founder and developer of the software programs for Ascender Software, LLC, a leading health information technology company. 

Dr. Schafer serves on the Board of Directors of California Association of Physician Groups and co-chairs its Clinical Leadership Committee. He is also on Boards of MemorialCare Innovation Fund, Wave Imaging and Beach Surgical Holdings.

He earned his bachelor’s degree with distinction in Neurobiology from University of Michigan, his medical degree from The Chicago Medical School and completed his internal medicine residency at University of California, Irvine (UCI).

A fellow of the American College of Physicians, he served as Associate Professor of Medicine on the UCI clinical faculty. An avid skier, triathlete and Ironman competitor, Dr. Schafer and his wife have two children.