SCCIPA Leadership

SCCIPA President

J. Kersten Kraft MD.

Dr. Kraft has served as President of the SCCIPA since 2008. He also serves as the Chief Medical Officer of PPMSI, the MSO for SCCIPA. After spending 16 years at Stanford University (undergraduate, medical school, residency in Urology) he established his medical practice at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, more than 30 years ago. He was general partner and president of Mobile Kidney Stone Centers of California, a joint venture of physicians, physician groups and Good Samaritan Hospital, which grew to be the second largest lithotripsy operation in the country. He continues to practice Urology and is listed in Best Doctors annually. Kersten has served on the boards of APG (American Physicians Group), Health Access Solutions, and was a member of the NCQA committee for standards of specialty physician excellence.

SCCIPA Board of Directors

Peter Contini MD.

Dr. Peter Contini’s career encompasses multiple aspects of both clinical medicine and medical management. He received his medical degree from Georgetown University and completed his residency at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, IL. Dr. Contini served in a number of clinical positions including fellow in Pediatric Endocrinology at UCSF, and as a Pediatric Hospitalist, before settling on private pediatric practice. Dr. Contini has been in private practice in San Jose since 2001. In 2009 he opened his own practice in Almaden which has expanded to include an office in Morgan Hill.

Dr. Contini has been an active member of the local community and has a broad range of leadership experience. He has served as Medical Director of the Physicians Choice Medical Group, Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics, and as a member of SCCIPA’s Utilization and Management committee.

Samuel Wu MD.

Dr. Samuel Wu is a caring physician who has served the local community for over 20 years. His excellent medical skills and dedication in patients’ health have been well recognized in the medical community. Doctor Wu’s practice consists of a friendly staff team, state of the art medical equipment, and a high quality on-call team that can respond to patients’ urgent medical needs 24-7. Dr. Wu is a very personable physician. His belief of good health is a combination of a healthy diet, regular exercise, and treats the disease process before it becomes a disaster! He is specialized in diagnosing and treating disease of the adult (age 15 and up), neurological disorders, and has a special interest in managing sports recovery. His practice also provides a detailed diabetes program to enable patients managing blood sugars themselves, in addition to medication management.

Marc Zare, MD

Dr. Marc Zaré joined the SCCIPA Board of Directors in 2022. Dr. Zaré is a successful independent surgeon in Los Gatos, specializing in laparoscopic and bariatric surgery. He is a very active member in the Bay Area medical community, serving as Director of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery at Good Samaritan Hospital and the past chair of Board of Trustees for Good Samaritan Hospital. He served on the previous Board of Directors of SCCIPA for several years. Dr. Zaré has presented at local and national conferences and has had his been published in several books and peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Zaré completed his Graduate Medical Education at Kasturba Medical College in India, and completed his residency in General Surgery at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC. Dr. Zaré held a fellowship in advanced laparoscopic and bariatric surgery at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, while serving as a Clinical Instructor of Surgery at the University of North Carolina. After completion of his training he worked as Attending Surgeon and Director of Minimally Invasive Surgery & Surgical Stimulation at Boston VA Healthcare System, while holding the position of Assistant Professor of Surgery at Boston University. He moved to California in 2007. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children. He also participates in endurance sports such as marathons and triathlons and was an Ironman finisher in 2016.

Pacific Partners Management Services, Inc. (PPMSI) – MSO for SCCIPA

Lee Huskins – Chief Executive Officer

Lee Huskins was appointed CEO, PPMSI, in 2022. Lee is a proven senior executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience in ambulatory care strategy, development and expansion, value base care/risk, Physician practice management, joint ventures, managed care strategy and contracting as well as physician recruitment. Skilled at establishing operational excellence within diverse environments, translating conceptual models into specific growth strategies, and planning/executing multi-faceted health care business development campaigns designed to improve market share, revenue and margin (EBIDA) while improving quality and patient experience. Respected for achievements in working with physicians, performance management, communications, Health plan risk models, team development and building partnerships. Mr. Huskins has a Bachelor of Arts in History and a MBA with a focus on Healthcare Administration and prior to his appointment at PPMSI, most recently served as Chief Administrative Officer and President of John Muir Physician Network for 15 years. In his spare time, he enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and skiing

Kersten Kraft MD. – Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Kraft has served as President of the SCCIPA since 2008. He also serves as the Chief Medical Officer of PPMSI, the MSO for SCCIPA. After spending 16 years at Stanford University (undergraduate, medical school, residency in Urology) he established his medical practice at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, more than 30 years ago. He was general partner and president of Mobile Kidney Stone Centers of California, a joint venture of physicians, physician groups and Good Samaritan Hospital, which grew to be the second largest lithotripsy operation in the country. He continues to practice Urology and is listed in Best Doctors annually. Kersten has served on the boards of APG (American Physicians Group), Health Access Solutions, and was a member of the NCQA committee for standards of specialty physician excellence.

Marsha Bluto MD. – Vice President of Medical Management

Dr. Bluto is a physician executive with 40 years of experience in both clinical and corporate healthcare. She currently serves as Vice President of Medical Management for PPMSI. Dr. Bluto graduated from Penn State Medical School, trained in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Stanford, and after several years of private practice, transitioned to healthcare Operations, Leadership & Management. Dr. Bluto began her career as a pediatric Registered Nurse in the operating rooms in Australia and later obtained a Business Degree from the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia. Dr. Bluto has worked for companies such as Stryker, Synthes and Boston Scientific in an operations capacity prior to obtaining her medical degree. As the founding Director of the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Department for San Mateo Medical Center, Dr. Bluto oversaw the growth of the department across 4 campuses servicing San Mateo County. Prior to her current role, Dr. Bluto was Director of Medical Operations, Bay Area, for Concentra Urgent Care, the largest occupational medicine group in the country. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening and driving fast cars.

Tina Buop – Chief Information Officer

Tina Buop joined the organization in January 2019 as the CIO. She brings 20+ years of technical innovation, alignment and strategic leadership to SCCIPA. Prior to joining the team, Tina served in technology and business leadership executive positions within Fortune 100, Managed Care, IPA’s, FQHCs and most recently as the CEO of a medical startup.

Tina is a graduate of Cal State University Hayward, has her PMI/PMP and serves on editorial and advisory boards for interoperability. Tina actively participates in HIMSS, CHIME, ACHE, PMI and Women Who Code. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and cycling.

Don Thompson – Chief Finance Officer

Don Thompson joined PPMSI in 2022 as the Chief Financial Officer. He brings over 25 years of Finance and Accounting experience in health care to PPMSI. Don graduated from California State University, Fullerton in Business Administration/Accounting with high honors. Don began his career as a staff auditor & controller leading a successful pathway to CFO. Don’s finance experience ranges across local and national health care systems, hospitals and he has over 20 years in the IPA Managed Care Finance and Operations. In Don’s spare time he enjoys spending time with his family and friends.

Robert Wilson – Vice President of Operations

Rob is a healthcare industry professional who believes cost-effective quality healthcare is achievable through continuous process improvement. With over 29 years in Operations and IT roles for Payers and Provider Organizations, Rob’s broad experience across domains positions him to lead PPMSI’s success at delivering affordable “best in class” MSO services while exceeding quality program goals for SCCIPA’s health plan partners.