John William Clifford, MD
I speak: English
My gender: Male
Where I practice
- Emergency service
- Urgent care services
- After-hours services
- Pharmacy services
- No emergency services
- No urgent care services
- No after-hours services
- No pharmacy services
About me
My name is Dr. John Clifford, and I am board certified in both orthopedic surgery and surgery of the hand. I have been practicing since 1997 and have been a member of the Kaiser Permanente San Diego Orthopedic Surgery Department since 2000.
Biography
I completed medical school at UC San Francisco, my residency at UC Irvine School of Medicine, and a fellowship in hand surgery at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Since joining Kaiser Permanente over 25 years ago, I have served as the lead for hand surgery, spent over 10 years on the quality review committee, and published several book chapters and scientific articles in my career. I am actively involved in the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons.
I was born in Long Island, New York, but was raised here in San Diego. Despite my father being a physician, I decided to major in engineering during my undergraduate studies. While I enjoyed the technical nature of engineering, I realized my true interest lay in people and biology. Orthopedic surgery was the perfect combination of my interests and skillset. After so many years away during training and other roles, I am grateful to get to work in beautiful San Diego serving my community and surrounded by family.
About my practice
My orthopedic practice focuses on the surgical treatment on the hand, wrist, and elbow. Over the course of my career, I have had significant exposure to and experience treating a wide variety of pathologies, whether they impact the bone, muscle, tendon, or nerve. I value working jointly with members to understand their needs and devise a treatment plan that matches their unique circumstances.
One of the biggest strengths of the Kaiser Permanente system is how it encourages teamwork. All the hand surgeons work together to review and devise solutions to complex cases, ensuring members get the expertise of our team. Whether in the clinic, the operating room, or during rehabilitation, we treat members like family and are committed to providing members with high-quality musculoskeletal care.
How I thrive
Family is at the center of my life. I have a lovely wife and 3 children. Through them and for them, I work to thrive emotionally, physically, and spiritually. We are active as a family in our local church and do many outdoor activities including biking, skiing, and hiking. I am also passionate about serving others and have been on several medical mission trips to developing countries.
My office
Languages spoken by medical staff
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My provider type
Physicians and SurgeonsMedical groups, plans, and locations
Southern California Permanente Medical Group
- Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO)
- HMO
- Medi-Cal Managed Care
- Point-of-Service Plan (POS)
- Senior Advantage
Contact information
- Advice/appointments/cancellations/messages
- 1-833-574-2273 (toll free)
- After-hours advice
- 1-833-574-2273 (toll free)
- California Relay Service
- 711 (TTY for the hearing/speech impaired)
- Information
- 1-833-574-2273 (toll free)
- Pharmacy information/refills by phone
- 1-866-385-2634 (toll free)
My training, certifications and licensing
Medical school
University of California San Francisco School of MedicineBoard certification
Orthopaedic Surgery
American Board of Orthopaedic SurgerySurgery of the Hand
American Board of Orthopaedic SurgeryMedical training
Fellowship
Hand Surgery
Allegheny General HospitalInternship
General Surgery/Orthopedics
UC Irvine School of MedicineResidency
Orthopedics
UC Irvine School of MedicineJoined Permanente Medical Group
2000Active license information
License number
G76363License type
Physician and SurgeonLicense issuing state
CALIFORNIANational Provider Identifier (NPI)
1952460586Cultural Competency Training (CCT)
CompletedMy hospitals
All Kaiser Permanente physicians and podiatrists have admitting privileges or the ability to refer patients to our plan hospitals. Admitting privileges of other providers may vary by plan and facility. Contact your plan administrator for details.
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Setting the standard: Measuring care quality in our hospitals(PDF)
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This page was last updated on: 01/13/2025