Dr. Gemma Kim is the Designated Institutional Official, Chief Academic Officer, Chair of the Department of Family Medicine and past Chief of Staff for Desert Regional Medical Center. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and then obtained her Medical Degree and Master of Science degree from the American University of the Caribbean in 2003. Dr. Kim completed her family medicine residency training at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine – Scott & White Memorial Hospital and was chief resident of her class. She stayed on as senior staff and was an associate program director for the Texas A&M HSC College of Medicine – Scott & White Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program from for 5 years. Prior to becoming DIO for Desert Regional Medical Center, Dr. Kim was Professor for the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine, where she was the Vice-Chair of Family Medicine and the founding program director of the UCR School of Medicine Family Medicine Residency Program from 2013-2020. She is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and has completed the American Department of Family Medicine Fellowship and Primary Care Psychiatry Fellowship.
Dr. Kim remains active in both undergraduate and graduate medical education. She has participated in LCME (Liaison Committee on Medical Education) and ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education) institutional site visits. Her professional interests include academic medicine, health maintenance, preventative medicine, women's health, chronic disease management, and outpatient procedures. She has obtained multiple Song-Brown Health Care grants and CalMedForce grants to improve health care access and increase the number of family physicians to provide medical services to the medically underserved in California. She is committed to train the next generation of physicians to serve their communities with social responsibility and go on to become culturally diverse leaders in the community to improve health, promote wellness, and improve access to healthcare.