Rick Chavez

BOARD CERTIFICATION

BOARD CERTIFIED, AMERICAN BOARD OF PAIN MEDICINE
BOARD CERTIFIED, AMERICAN BOARD OF FAMILY PRACTICE
BOARD CERTIFIED, AMERICAN BOARD OF ADDICTION MEDICINE
DIPLOMATE OF AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PAIN MANAGEMENT
FELLOW & DIPLOMATE, AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PAIN MEDICINE

POSTGRADUATE
TRAINING
HARBOR-UCLA/SPPH JOINT FAMILY PRACTICE RESIDENCY
1979-1982

MEDICAL SCHOOL
UCLA DAVID GEFFEN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Degree: M.D.
1975-1979

UNDERGRADUATE
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
Degree: BA- PSYCHOLOGY
1971-1975

Pain Management - Medicine Addiction Medicine

I practiced primary care medicine for the first 20 years of my practice, and in addition I added my expertise in Pain and Addiction medicine to my practice over the last last 10 years. I honestly believe that few physicians have had the breadth of experience in medicine that I have achieved. I am quite proud of my level of medical expertise and when I speak to a patient about a hip replacement or a hysterectomy, I have actually first assisted in over 150 hip and knee replacements and 100 hysterectomies over the last 30 years so my knowledge and reassurance about these procedures, the potential complications, and the pre and post op care required is accurate. The same is true in treating painful disorders. I have treated almost every kind of acute and chronic pain disorder during my career and I know when someone is in need of immediate resolution of their pain or other clinical problems, so I make it my priority to be there to comfort and care for them as soon as possible, often saving them a trip to urgent care or the emergency room. Elderly patients, especially those who suffer with dementia need medical expertise and relief of pain and suffering immediately. Their quality of life is of utmost importance, so preventing an unneeded emergency room trip or handling their urgent situation rapidly and accurately can mean so much to the geriatric patient and their families as well as to to the staff of the center.

Primary care medicine: newborn care, well child care, geriatric care, internal medicine, gynecology, occupational medicine, orthopedics, neurology, cardiology, urgent care, chemical dependency and chronic pain management.

Experience with Practice Partner Electronic Medical Record System, HealthFusion EMR, extensive experience with Dragon Speak Medical Auto-Dictation System, Meditech, Versyss, and PAX radiology system.

After 30 years of clinical experience in medical practice and teaching young doctors in training there is very little that Dr. CHAVEZ has not experienced or seen. Procedures include: minor trauma and laceration care, excisional biopsies of skin neoplasms, Norplant implantation, sigmoidoscopies, applying casts and splints for uncomplicated fractures and ligamentous injuries, trigger point and joint injections of the hip, knee, wrist, fingers, ankle, elbow, shoulder, cervical spine, scapula, deltoid, Acromio-Clavicular joint, TMJ, toes, groin, facet blocks, culdocentesis, lumbar puncture, plantar wart therapy, ganglion and sebaceous cyst removal and aspiration, abscess Incision and Drainage, Ingrown toenail removal, ear lavage, bladder cath, corneal abrasion recognition and treatment, nasopharyngeal cautery of bleeding, cryotherapy, Nerve blocks include greater and lesser occipital nerves, Femoral Nerve, Abdominal Wall/Rectus Abdominis Nerves, Costochondral, and many more Nerves. Experience with botox injections, Tendon and bursa injections, Schiotz tonometry, venous cutdowns, neonatal circumcision, Synvisc injection to the knee, Blind thoracic, lumbar, and sacral Facet Blocks, Dermabrasion, and indirect laryngoscopy.

Extensive Experience reading routine X-rays and Electrocardiograms. Experience with
Auricular Acupuncture.

Hospital care includes: UnrestrictedAdmission privileges to all medical and surgical floors, telemetry, nursery, intensive care units, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Chemical Dependency Units, Step Down Units, SNF, and Rehabilitation at Torrance Memorial Medical Center and Little Company of Mary Medical Center.