Celebrating excellence: Highlights from the 2025 Diamond Doc Awards

A bundle of UC Davis Health physicians and their loved ones gathered at the Crocker Art Museum Wednesday night. The event honored recipients of the 2025 Diamond Doc Award, a celebration of clinical excellence, compassion and unwavering commitment.

The Diamond Doc Award is rooted in patient feedback, reflecting the trust and connection our physicians build every day. Honorees achieved the 90th percentile or higher on patient surveys, demonstrating their dedication to UC Davis Health’s values of Kindness, Trust and Inclusion.

A new award this year was the Diamond Award for Outstanding Service, recognizing the exceptional contributions of physicians whose work is not patient-facing. Their steadfast service strengthens our teams and ensures every patient receives the highest quality care. Congratulations to:

• Jorge Catrip, Surgery
• Karen Matsukuma, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
• Julia Magana, Pediatric Emergency Medicine
• Lorin Scher, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

The evening also recognized 16 physicians who have received the Diamond Doc Award every quarter for the past three years—a remarkable testament to consistent excellence:

• Mark Avdalovic, Internal Medicine
• Jeffrey Caspar, Ophthalmology
• Scott Christensen, Internal Medicine
• Daniel Eisen, Dermatology
• Mark Moriwaki, Internal Medicine
• Karen Panek, Family and Community Medicine
• Jeffrey Southard, Internal Medicine
• Benjamin Stripe, Internal Medicine
• Danielle Tartar, Dermatology
• Victor Baquero, Family Practice
• Jason Chang, Internal Medicine
• Karin Kordas, Internal Medicine
• Karen Mo, Family Practice
• Ben Rasmussen, Internal Medicine
• Linda Woo, Internal Medicine
• Christopher Young, Family Practice

“Tonight’s gathering is a meaningful one, as we come together to celebrate the extraordinary physicians whose dedication defines the very best of UC Davis Health,” said Joseph Galante, Chief Medical Officer for Hospital Clinical Care, in his remarks. “The doctors we honor tonight have earned that trust time and again, through genuine compassion and an unwavering commitment to patient-centered care.”

Congratulations to all our Diamond Doc honorees—your impact is felt every day, and your commitment inspires us all.