Family Physicians and Specialists
Faculty members at Northridge Hospital work as a team to ensure that Residents receive the educational experiences necessary in preparing them for their futures after Residency. In addition to the Faculty listed here, the residents are mentored by an exceptional team of Specialists who volunteer their time in the hospital and in their offices. Our Medical Staff is an invaluable part of our teaching program and their support to the Residency is exceptional.
The faculty see their patients in the Family Practice Center, along side the Residents, to model the role of the family physician in practice. They are members of collaborative teams made up of faculty, residents and rursing staff to ensure patients are provided the utmost quality and continuity of care.
Pamela M. Davis, M.D., FAAFP, Program Director
Dr. Davis joined the Family Medicine Residency Program in 1982 following her graduation from UCLA School of Medicine. She was awarded the Outstanding Resident Award upon graduation from residency and continued her dedication to medical education as faculty and through her work with visiting medical students. She worked as faculty, and associate director, before taking on the role of Program Director in 2001. She was twice awarded the Outstanding Teaching Award by the residents.
Dr. Davis serves as a consultant to the Medical Board of California. Dr. Davis held leadership roles in the CAFP Resident and UCLA Medical Student Committees. She has a firm commitment to the underserved patients of the community. She sees her patients in the Family Practice Center along side the residents. Dr. Davis husband, Dr. Carl Jonokuchi, is also a graduate of our program and has a private practice in Newbury Park. They have two sons, Jeffrey and Daniel.
Mark Amico, M.D., MSPH, FACP
Dr. Amico is the Associate Director and spends much of his time teaching on the inpatient service. He is a graduate of Georgetown University Medical School and the Internal Medicine Residency at Cedars-Sinai/UCLA. His internal medicine knowledge is supplemented by his Master's in Public Health from UCLA.
Joni Zapata, M.D.
Dr. Zapata joined the program in September 2001 as Associate Director. A graduate of University of Iowa - College of Medicine and Cedar Rapids Family Practice Residency Program, Dr. Zapata brings to the program her experiences from being in private practice, as medical director in women's health clinic and from her many years of teaching at Hindsdale Hospital Family Practice Residency Program in Illinois.
Kathy Cairo, M.D.
Dr. Cairo's interests include geriatrics and community outreach. She graduated from the Northridge Family Medicine Residency in 1998 and attended UCLA School of Medicine. Her undergraduate degree was in humanities at the University of Pennsylvania.
Catherine Cho, M.D.
Dr. Cho is a board-certified pediatrician and serves as the Pediatric Coordinator for the residency program. She completed her undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley, then attended medical school on the east coast at New York Medical College where she received a combined degree of MD, MPH. She was happy to come back to California for her residency program at USC and work with the underserved population of Los Angeles County.
Christopher Kuhlman, M.D.
Dr. Kuhlman first spent time at Northridge Family Practice as a part of a research fellowship during his first year of medical school at UCLA. Following his residency at Hinsdale Hospital in Illinois, Dr. Kuhlman gained experience as faculty at their residency program. Chris and his wife Paula, a Pediatrician, moved back to Northridge in the summer of 2000. In 2001, he joined the faculty here at Northridge. In addition to his regular faculty duties, Dr. Kuhlman is coordinating the effort to implement an electronic medical record system for the residency. Outside of medicine, he enjoys hiking, playing basketball, reading about history and playing with his son.
Jim Ting, M.D.
Dr. Ting has been a member of the Northridge faculty since 2004. After graduating from UCLA with a degree in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics in 1995, he obtained his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin in 2000. He completed the Northridge Family Medicine Program in 2003. Dr. Ting subsequently pursued post-graduate training, completing a Sports Medicine Fellowship at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in 2004. In addition to the time he spends lending his expertise in orthopedics and sports medicine to the residency program, Dr. Ting enjoys working out, playing golf, tennis, and basketball.
Lucy Hwe-Seung Whang, M.D.
Dr. Whang is the faculty coordinator for community medicine and active in the residency programs many community outreach efforts. She has a strong commitment to caring for the under-served. She completed her training here at Northridge and returned after a fellowship in Community Medicine at the Glendale Adventist Medical Center in Glendale, California. She graduated magna cum laude in Biology from Harvard University and moved to Los Angeles after attending the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii in her home state. She does not surf but does love the beach. She also enjoys reading, eating out, and spending time with friends.
Joel Crohn, PhD
Dr. Crohn is a clinical psychologist who has worked in the mental health field for over thirty years. He is the author of two books on cross cultural and religious issues in marriage. In addition to private practice, he has consulted for a variety of social service agencies, non-profits, and private schools. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and received his doctorate at the Wright Institute in Berkeley. Dr. Crohn has recently relocated with his family to Los Angeles from the bay area and is in private practice in Calabasas, specializing in working with couples and families.
Sheryl Rosenberg-Thouin, RD, MPH, CDE
Sheryl teaches nutrition problem evaluation and counseling skills to the residents and visiting medical students, in addition to seeing patients at the Family Practice Center . She received her training at UCLA and UC Berkeley and has consulted for numerous residency programs and medical facilities throughout California. Sheryl resides with her husband and children in Woodland Hills.
