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Maria Elena Lai, MD

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My specialty:
Geriatrics,Palliative&contcare

My provider affiliation:
Kaiser Permanente physician

I speak: English, Spanish

My gender: Female

Where I practice

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Available services
  • Emergency service
  • Urgent care services
  • After-hours services
  • Pharmacy services
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About me

Thanks for taking the time to view my Web page. I am glad to have this opportunity to introduce myself to you and tell you about my practice.

Biography

I know it sounds like a cliché, but the truth is I wanted to be a physician from the time I was a child; I just wanted to help people. And that's still true today. Though life as an adult is much more complicated than I could have imagined as a child (having a family and a mortgage), I find that with each new day I am living in the most rewarding time of my life. As a physician I am doing what I've always wanted to do; as a mother and a wife I am finding personal fulfillment that is beyond description. I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I went to college at UC Berkeley, where I met my husband-to-be, then spent four years in Milwaukee attending medical school. After residency and fellowship in San Diego (my husband's hometown), we decided it was just too beautiful a place to ever leave, so I worked in private practice for a few years before making the wonderful decision to join Kaiser Permanente.

About my practice

I am a geriatrician in the Continuing Care Services Department, where I care for members at several skilled-nursing facilities. I also provide in-home hospice care for members living in San Diego's East County.

How I thrive

The key to how I thrive lies with my family. We love taking the kids to new places, parks, and museums. My husband and I also make it a point to have "date nights" for dinner and a show. Another important part of how I thrive is keeping an active and healthy lifestyle. This includes eating right and exercising regularly. I love running and have run a number of marathons and half marathons. My favorite so far was running the Big Sur International Marathon with my husband.

My office

Languages spoken by medical staff

Help is available in your language. Learn more.

My provider type

Physicians and Surgeons

My training, certifications and licensing

Medical school

Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee , WI

Board certification

Family Medicine

American Board of Family Medicine

Geriatric Medicine

American Board of Family Medicine

Hospice and Palliative Medicine

American Board of Internal Medicine

Medical training

Fellowship

Geriatric Medicine

UC San Diego School of Medicine
San Diego , CA

Internship

Family Medicine

Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista
Chula Vista , CA

Residency

Family Medicine

Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista
Chula Vista , CA

Joined Permanente Medical Group

2007

Active license information

License number

A73439

License type

Physician and Surgeon

License issuing state

CALIFORNIA

National Provider Identifier (NPI)

1588645048

Cultural Competency Training (CCT)

Completed  

My 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.

KP San Diego Medical Center
9455 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92123
KP San Marcos Medical Center
360 Rush Dr, San Marcos, CA 92078
KP Zion Medical Center
4647 Zion Ave, San Diego, CA 92120

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Kaiser Permanente uses the same quality, member experience, or cost-related measures to select practitioners and facilities in Marketplace Silver-tier plans as it does for all other Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (KFHP) products and lines of business. The measures may include, but are not limited to, HEDIS/CAHPS performance, member/patient complaints, patient safety scores, hospital quality measures, and geographic need. Members enrolled in KFHP Marketplace plans have access to all professional, institutional and ancillary health care providers who participate in KFHP plans’ contracted provider network, in accordance with the terms of members’ KFHP plan of coverage. All Kaiser Permanente Medical Group physicians and network physicians are subject to the same quality review processes and certifications.
 
Kaiser Permanente uses the same geographic distribution consideration to select hospitals in Marketplace plans as it does for all other Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (KFHP) products and lines of business. Accessibility of medical offices and medical centers in this directory: All Kaiser Permanente facilities are accessible to members.

 

This page was last updated on: 12/12/2024