About
PAC is the Voice for California’s Independent Physicians and Small Group Practice
The Physician Association of California (PAC) stands as the exclusive statewide association dedicated to representing the interests of independent physicians and small practice groups across California. Our trusted members serve as vital community providers, ensuring critical access to quality care. In the diverse landscape of California, where legislative and regulatory complexities impact healthcare providers statewide, PAC serves as your advocate, persistently championing the issues crucial to our members and their patients in the halls of the State Capitol and beyond.
Our commitment extends beyond advocacy; PAC actively shapes California’s healthcare policies to help physicians run and defend their practices. PAC was established in 2023 and anticipates continued growth and impact. As the sole entity singularly focused on representing independent physicians and small practice groups, we engage in effective dialogue with independent physicians, small group practices, the general public, policymakers, and the media. We monitor legislative and regulatory developments allowing us to support healthcare-friendly initiatives and oppose proposals detrimental to our members and the millions of patients they serve. PAC remains at the forefront, ensuring that independent physicians can concentrate on delivering the highest quality care to their patients while navigating the complex healthcare landscape in California.
Our Mission
To protect and enhance healthcare delivery by small group medical practices and independent physicians while promoting the overall well-being and care of their patients.
Our Vision
We are committed to advocating for a healthcare landscape that empowers and champions small group and independent practices, ensuring their resilience and autonomy. Our advocacy forges a path to a healthcare system that prioritizes and amplifies the presence of high-quality independent providers. We envision a world where the excellence of small medical practices and independent physicians is not only sustained but continually elevated. By ensuring widespread access to these healthcare professionals, we will create a future where every person, regardless of their circumstances, can readily connect with providers delivering exceptional care, ultimately fostering healthier and more equitable communities.
Our Values
Patient-Centered Approach
Patient-Centered Approach
Advocacy for Autonomy
Advocacy for Autonomy
Excellence in Care
Excellence in Care
Equity and Accessibility
Equity and Accessibility
Collaborative Advocacy
Collaborative Advocacy
Board of Directors
Dr. Kenneth Sim
General Surgeon
Dr. Wayne Kleinman
Anesthesiologist
Dr. Pedram Salimpour
Pediatrician
Dr. Join Luh
Radiation Oncologist
Dr. Andrew Stein
Orthopedic Surgeon
Dr. Omer Deen
Internal Medicine
Debra Phairas
Practice and Liability Consultant
Douglas Shin, J.D.
General Counsel
Dr. Lamia Gabal
Urologist
Executive Staff
Matthew Robinson, J.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Physician Association of California
Bio
Matthew Robinson is an experienced healthcare advocate with decades of experience in California policy and politics. Prior to joining PAC, Matthew held senior government affairs roles at some of the highest-profile healthcare companies including Kaiser Permanente and Amazon. In these roles he successfully advocated for patients, employees and physicians’ interests in the challenging legislative and regulatory environment of California. He also represented the California Association of Health Facilities where he played a pivotal role representing the interests of over 850 skilled nursing facilities, 500 intermediate care facilities for the developmentally disabled, and 120,000 employees. His responsibilities included developing and executing advocacy strategies, cultivating relationships with legislators and government agencies, managing political activity and consultants, and
fostering collaboration across the healthcare continuum.
A licensed attorney in California, Matthew has also successfully defended clinicians against medical malpractice claims and provided legal representation to medical physicians, hospitals, care facilities, and insurance companies across Northern and Southern California.
Matthew received his juris doctorate degree from McGeorge School of Law where he was a member of their award-winning mock trial team. He completed his undergraduate studies at St. John University where he was a student-athlete on their Division I baseball team.
A native of Sacramento, Matthew continues to live in the community with his wife and two kids.
Devon Berrier
Executive Chief of Staff
Physician Association of California
Florence ("Flo") Di Benedetto
General Counsel
Physician Association of California
Bio
Florence (“Flo”) Di Benedetto is the owner of Di Benedetto Solutions, Inc. (DBS), which offers leadership development training, executive coaching, assessments of, and action planning for, enhanced team culture and effectiveness, and reputation management, including internal and external crisis communications.
Ms. Di Benedetto speaks across the country on a variety of topics related to values driven, accountable leadership, team management, culture, diversity, and resilience.
DBS also provides advice and counsel to governing boards, interim and fractional executive leadership and general counsel services, and complex litigation strategy and management. Ms. Di Benedetto serves as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association, as an arbitrator and a mediator for the American Health Lawyers Association, and has extensive experience as a medical staff hearing officer.
Before forming DBS, Ms. Di Benedetto served for over fourteen years as the Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Sutter Health. Sutter Health is a $15 billion integrated healthcare delivery system with 55,000 employees, over 12,000 affiliated physicians, 26 acute care hospitals, approximately 300 ambulatory clinics, 33 ambulatory surgery centers, home health and hospice and a variety of ancillary services. At Sutter Health, Ms. Di Benedetto had accountability for the Office of the General Counsel, which included Legal Services (a multispecialty group of attorneys and other professionals who provided the majority of all legal services to the organization), Risk Services (including Sutter Insurance Services Corporation (“SISCO”), a captive insurance company, and Sutter Health Emergency Management System (“SHEMS”), (a centralized incident command operation which provides an organized structure to assist affiliates in maintaining optimal patient care in the event of a catastrophe), and Privacy and Information Security, including cyber security. From 2009 to 2018, Ms. Di Benedetto had accountability for the Ethics and Compliance Program. Ms. Di Benedetto reported directly to the Sutter Health President and CEO, serving as a strategic business advisor to the CEO and other members of senior leadership. She served as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, which provided strategic and operational direction to the organization, as well as serving on the broader senior leadership team. Ms. Di Benedetto provided primary advice and counsel to the Sutter Health Board (“Board”) and Board Committees, including Finance, Audit and Compliance, Governance, and Compensation. She managed a department of approximately 360 team members, and a budget of approximately $85M.
In addition to her traditional General Counsel duties at Sutter Health, Ms. Di Benedetto was the Executive Sponsor of the Leadership Academy, a ten (10) month intensive leadership development program offered to a small, elite group of rising leaders selected by the Executive Leadership Team. For many years, she also served as the Executive Sponsor of the Administrative Fellow Program and Summer Intern Program. She also served as the Executive Sponsor of the Military and Veterans Inclusion Resource Group.
Ms. Di Benedetto left Sutter Health in September of 2023. In recognition of her years of outstanding leadership and many contributions, Sutter Health recently announced the Flo Di Benedetto Academic Grant program, which awards two grants annually to complete an Executive Education Certificate Program at a top tier university (e.g., Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA). This grant was created to promote diversity in leadership which is a cause that Ms. Di Benedetto has championed throughout her career.
Prior to joining Sutter Health, Ms. Di Benedetto was a senior partner of the Sacramento-based law firm Hunter Richey Di Benedetto & Eisenbeis, LLP. She started the firm’s litigation practice and chaired the litigation section. Throughout her career, she has litigated cases in state and federal court and in a variety of administrative tribunals. She then served more than ten years as the firm’s health law section senior partner, representing clients across the State of California, including Sutter Health, Dignity Health, Stanford, and John Muir Health System.
Ms. Di Benedetto earned her bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Georgetown University and studied economics and economic planning at London University and the Central School of Planning and Statistics in Warsaw, Poland. She earned her law degree from the University of San Francisco and her M.B.A. in Health Services Management from Golden Gate University.
For many years, Ms. Di Benedetto served in the leadership ranks of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, including serving as the Chairman of the Board in 2005-2006.
From 1992 to 1999, Ms. Di Benedetto served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of California, Davis, King Hall School of Law, where she taught basic and advanced Health Law classes. She also taught Health Law in the MBA, MHA and MPH programs at the University of San Francisco, Golden Gate University, and Chapman University.
In 2022, Ms. Di Benedetto served as co-chair and faculty for the Consero Leadership Development Institute, which focuses on the skills necessary to provide authentic, effective, and accountable leadership. She has taught modules on character based and accountable leadership, self- reflection and self-awareness, organizational culture, power and politics, critical thinking and strategy, communications, including crisis communications, and governance.
Ms. Di Benedetto is a Commercial Pilot with Flight Instructor, Flight Instructor – Instrument, and Flight Instructor – Multiengine ratings, and an avid downhill skier.
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