A Successful Society Requires Decisive Leadership
As with any volunteer organization, strong leadership is essential for success. During July of each year, the Pima County Medical Society Elections Committee meets to begin the task of recruiting officers, Board of Directors, Resident and Student candidates. Election ballots are then mailed to vote-eligible members. Winning candidates are announced at our December Board of Directors meeting. Terms vary depending on the leadership position.
Members interested in playing a personal and more active role in the direction of the Society and organized medicine should seriously consider running for office. If interested or have any questions, please contact Executive Director Dennis Carey.
2026 Board of Directors Profiles
Executive Committee
Past President – Michael DeLong MD
Dr. DeLong is a practicing Nephrologist in northwest Tucson. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 1999, he came to Tucson for his residency and fellowship, then fellowship at the University of Arizona.
He practiced at Tucson Veterans Affairs Medical Center until entering private practice. He is now a partner in Arizona Kidney Disease & Hypertension Center, where his outpatient clinic has served Northwest Tucson since 2006. He practices inpatient Nephrology primarily at Northwest Medical Center and Oro Valley Medical Center and maintains privileges at all major hospitals in Tucson. He serves as Medical Director at Fresenius Kidney Care units in Central and South Tucson with active dialysis care at these units as well as Fresenius Northwest.
President – Wendy Huempfner MD
Dr. Huempfner is currently a board-certified OB-GYN physician transforming my practice toward consultation on Menopause and the aging woman's health, and work.
“As a public health nurse implementing high-risk mother-Infant follow up programs, then as a school health nurse, and Nursing Supervisor of a long-term care facility, taught me what a powerful role community health played. My experience on the Thai-Cambodian border in a refugee camp, reinforced the importance of communicable diseases and world health. In the past few years, I have been an active practitioner, administered medical practices, and developed an understanding of Specialized Physicians, Hospital Systems, the complexities of the business of everyday physicians including documentation, IT, credentialing, certifications, regulations, EMR, billing, and Insurance interfacing.
“I view PCMS as a collaborator of all levels of healthcare work including private and public sectors, all socioeconomic levels, including the needs of the homeless and shelters, bridging and supporting physicians with upcoming changes in IT, political regulations, essentially any changes affecting their day- to-day patient care flow. Also, to proactively and operationally interface with any platforms to support physicians legally, politically, and economically.
I worked as a Public Health Nurse prior to attending Medical School, so have knowledge and an appreciation of how both local and distance disease ultimately affects us all. I have traveled and worked abroad in a Refugee Camp on the Thai-Cambodian Border, so have an understanding of infectious disease, and cultural diversity issues. My private practice was culturally diversified.”
President Elect – Anil Prasad MD
Dr. Prasad is President and Medical Director of Arizona Diagnostic Pathology Associates PLLC, Tucson. He is a pathologist with special expertise in FISH assay development for bladder and prostate cancer. He is a staff pathologist at Northwest Medical Center and Medical Director at Santa Cruz Valley Regional Hospital Laboratory and Northwest Hospital, Sahuarita. He is an associate professor of pathology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and a member of the teaching faculty of Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine. He was elected to the PCMS Board of Directors in 2022 and is a representative on the Arizona Healthcare Advocacy Coalition.
He received his medical degree from Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pathology. His completed his residency in anatomic pathology and clinical pathology and received a fellowship in cytopathology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and earned a fellowship at Mayo Clinic in surgical pathology.
Vice President – Arthur Sanders
Dr. Sanders has served two terms the PCMS Board of Directors.
His primary areas of interest are the treatment of patients in cardiac arrest, the emergency care of older patients, biomedical ethics in emergency medicine and medical education. He is a tenured professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. He has served as Chair of the Residency Review Committee for Emergency Medicine, President of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, and Chair of the ACLS Committee for the American Heart Association. In 2012, Dr. Sanders was elected to the Institute of Medicine (now called National Academy of Medicine) and has served on an IOM committee assessing the progress in the treatment of patients in cardiac arrest.
Dr. Sanders graduated from medical school at Cornell University. He completed his residency at the University of Arizona. He has been published in several medical journals.
Secretary/Treasurer – Brad Dreifuss MD
Dr. Dreifuss is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine and Director of Rural and Global Emergency Medicine Programs at Banner University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson He is Co-founder and CEO of HCW HOSTED, Inc (a 501c3 non-profit) and Director, Partnerships & Innovation Executive Committee Member
He graduated from Oregon Health and Science University Medical School. He completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of Connecticut in 2010 and earned a fellowship in International Emergency Medicine at the University of Utah and American College of Emergency Physicians in Dallas.
Board of Directors
Lourdes Castañón MD
Dr. Castanon serves as the Director of the Burn Program at Banner University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona. She is a trauma surgeon with training in critical care and emergency surgery, leading multidisciplinary efforts to advance burn care, improve patient outcomes, and drive education and research within the division. In addition to her clinical leadership, she contributes to medical education by teaching at the medical school and mentoring the next generation of health care professionals.
Beyond her professional roles, Dr. Castañón is actively involved in advocacy for patient care and health equity. In her spare time, she fosters special-needs puppies and kittens, reflecting her commitment to compassionate care and community service. She and her family share their home with four dogs and two cats, finding balance and joy in caring for animals alongside a demanding career.
Roy Loewenstein MD
Dr. Loewenstein served on the PCMS Executive Committee from 2015-2019 and was President in 2018. He returned to the Executive Committee in 2021 and served as President in 2023 He also has served on the Board of Directors for the Arizona Medical Association.
He is a primary care internist at Rillito Internal Medicine, which is part of Arizona Community Physicians. He graduated medical school from the University of Washington and completed his residency at the University of Arizona. He is part of the faculty for the new internal medicine residency program at TMC.
He views the PCMS as a catalyst for physicians to improve health care in Pima County.
Berna Villanueva MD
Dr. Berna Villanueva is a first-generation immigrant born and raised in the Philippines. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Behavior at University of California Santa Cruz and Master of Public Health at the University of San Francisco. Prior to medical school, she worked as a public health professional, researcher, and community mental health worker with experience in prevention, health education, and health promotion in both domestic and international settings.
She’s a proud graduate of University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson with distinction in Community Service and Global Health. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at University of Arizona where she served as the Class of 2024 House Staff Representative and Pathways to Success Committee Member. Dr. Villanueva is an HIV Specialist™ (AAHIVS), certified through the American Academy of HIV Medicine. Her passion is driven by her commitment to service and medical education as well as taking care of patients from diverse communities especially underserved populations.
Karissa Wasiak MD
Dr. Wasiak is an incumbent member of the Board of Directors and a candidate for a second term. She was the alternate Resident representative on the PCMS Board in 2022. She is now on the faculty as an Associate Professor in the Family and Community Medicine Program at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and a candidate for the Board of Directors in 2023. She is from Las Vegas and graduated from the University of Nevada – Reno College of Medicine.
She and her husband enjoy time with their children hiking the Arizona mountains and finding new patios to eat on.
Intern/Resident
Emily Tishkoff DO
Dr. Tishkoff is a second-year internal medicine resident with the University of Arizona. She is am an Arizona native and was born in Scottsdale and grew up in Mesa. She briefly left Arizona for medical school in Pikeville, Kentucky, but is very happy to be back home.
Following residency, she plans to apply for both pulmonology and critical care fellowship, as well a second fellowship in Sleep Medicine, both in Arizona.
“I have always had a strong interest in health policy and served as the Parliamentarian of my medical school student government. Additionally, I travelled to Washington D.C. to lobby senate and congressional leaders regarding national health policy. I hope to continue to learn more about public health policy throughout my time in training and use that knowledge to serve not only my patients, but the community as a whole.”
Sydnie Weber MD
Dr. Weber is from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She graduated from the St. Georges University School of Medicine.
She came to the University of Arizona because of their deep commitment to supporting underserved communities and their continued work with a diverse patient population. I also chose UA Family Medicine because of the opportunities to be trained in the areas of Integrative and Preventative Medicine which are specific interests of mine.
“Having a background in Kinesiology gives me an interest in Sports Medicine, however Women’s Health has always held a special place in my heart and I would love to pursue a career focusing on that unique and wonderful world of medicine.
Here favorite ways to spend time outside medicine include starting the day with a cappuccino followed by checking out a farmers’ market and basketball, pickleball or go on a hike. Then I spend the afternoon with friends getting tacos and playing board games.
Students
McKenna Schultz
She is second-year medical student from Yucaipa, California. She graduated from the University of Arizona.
Missy Tran
Missy Tran is a second-year medical student at UA COM-T. She was born and raised in Phoenix, but Tucson has become her home for the last few years. Much of her experience within healthcare has come from navigating health insurance and the medical needs of her immigrant parents, as well as
working as an OBGYN medical assistant and primary care and ED scribe during her gap years.
“My desire to improve access and equity in medical care to those of all backgrounds and walks of life is what drove me to pursue a career in medicine, and I’ve continued this passion during my first few years as a medical student. I am very involved in organizations and activities advocating for healthcare and education for the underserved.”
Over the last year, she had the opportunity to serve as the lead coordinator for the Mind clinic under the UA Commitment to Underserved People (CUP) Clinics which provides free psychiatric care. I also worked to found the Diabetes Clinic, a clinic dedicated to providing focused and holistic care to diabetic and pre-diabetic patients in need. In addition to her roles in CUP leadership, she is a frequent volunteer at CUP clinics including Schubitz clinic, Women’s Clinic, and SHINE clinic which is focused on addressing unique health concerns of our senior population.
This past summer, she was accepted into the MSTAR program at UW where she did research on factors that facilitated communication with surrogate decision makers of dementia patients during EMS response. She was recognized by the Department of Medicine with the John T. Boyer Award for Outstanding Medical Student in Geriatrics. I am also a part of the Leadership and Medical education distinction tracks. Last April, she joined the AZ ACP in Washington to speak with congressional leaders on healthcare topics including cuts to Medicaid and research funding. She has worked on a variety of projects to run health screenings at the local Vietnamese church in Tucson and with Palo Verde High School to provide STEM and career support to students.