Press Release

Joseph Habis, MD — Local Physician Thinking Globally

Terra Linda, C.A. April 24 - Dr. Joseph Habis, M.D. illustrates the true meaning of the phrase, "Think globally, act locally." With extensive training in travel medicine and personal travel experience, he is preparing local residents for international destinations with personalized travel consultations that focus on the individual's needs and intended destination. After all, nothing is worse than being sick while traveling.

Ecuador-born Habis has stories to share from his extensive travels. After completing his residency, he took a year-long trip around the world, beginning in the South Pacific and extending to South-East Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America. On these trips he observed other travelers who were ill-prepared or taking the wrong medications and it became clear to him that there was an acute need for a physician that travelers could trust to make their trips healthy and safe.

Habis' parents lived the classic "American dream." His French-Palestinian father and Ecuadorian mother moved to San Francisco when Habis was four years old. Their intent was to live in the area for a few years and, if successful, stay and educate Habis and his younger sister. Though his father had a background in engineering, he took a job with an insurance company in an entry level position. By the time Habis and his sister were in college, his father had worked his way up to the position of General Manager of Aetna Life and Casualty Insurance. His parents are now semi-retired with a home in Ecuador and well-used passports.

Habis' U.S. education served him well. He went to college at UC Davis and discovered his passion for health and working with underserved populations as a sophomore student working with "Clinica Tepatia," a student-run clinic in Sacramento that works with a mainly low income Hispanic population. He decided to pursue a career in health and graduated with a degree in Biological Sciences and Latin American Literature in 1985.

While he was exploring the different interests in medicine to determine what he would most want to do, Habis decided to get involved in a research project with NASA at Johnson Space Center in Houston. Here he investigated the health effects of a variety of medications in weightless environments. Recognizing his interest was more in clinical medicine than research medicine he accepted the offer of UC Davis Medical School to join their class of 1990.

Medical school ended up being a great fit for Habis. He chose UC Davis mainly because of its strong primary care program and because he was already very familiar with the area. He went back to the "Clinica Tepatia" and became their Medical Director in his Junior year. He won two prestigious awards while in Medical school, the "Golden Cup" (voted on by his Medical School colleagues and faculty) and "Ciba-Geigy" for outstanding community health leadership. He chose to use the award money to take a much needed and well deserved six week motorcycle trip with five of his medical school colleagues throughout coastal Thailand.

Upon completion of his residency program in San Francisco, Habis took a job in Napa Valley as a primary care physician with a specialty in Travel Medicine. He chose to move to Marin in 2001 and joined a practice in Novato. Over the next two years his practice grew to a level where he felt comfortable starting his own medical, Prima Medical Group.

Habis currently practices in San Rafael with the newly recruited at the Terra Linda Health Plaza. He and Joel Criste, CEO of the Marin IPA (Individual Physicians Association), recognized the pressing need for new physicians in Marin to replace the large number of physicians who would soon be retiring. They formed Prima Medical Group to develop a program to make it possible for physicians completing medical school to establish themselves in Marin given the high cost of living. They offer competitiveincentives to young physicians to enable them to settle and remain in Marin. The group encourages versatile interests and focuses on quality measurement and improvement. New physicians are supported in their efforts by the mentorship of Prima's more experienced physicians.

Habis, a water-sports enthusiast, swims every weekday during lunchtime at the Marin Bay Club. He's always looking for ways to improve his technique and plans to do the Alcatraz swim this year. Habis enjoys photography and has published some of his photographs in travel magazines. He now lives in Novato with his wife and son and continues to take advantage of travel opportunities with this family.

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