George Joseph, M.D.
Executive Director Family Medicine and Urgent Care
Family Occupational Medicine

Dr. Joseph was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania, just outside of PIttsburgh; college and med school at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He moved to Southern California after medical school and did his internship and residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center where he met Dr. Shoji. Dr. Joseph is board certified in Family Practice and has practiced primary care and urgent care for 30 years. He enjoys taking care of acute illnesses and injuries as well as preventive medicine. He is married with three grown children, loves sports of all kinds, and exercises daily. He also plays golf, skis, loves to read biographies and history, and enjoys spending time with his wife in Palm Springs.

E-mail:  gjoseph@pvmedcenter.com

Alia Matthews, M.D.

Dr. Matthews grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh, attended college at Pennsylvania State University and medical school at the University of Pittsburgh. She moved to California for a residency in Family Medicine at California Hospital in downtown LA. Today she lives near Playa Vista in the area called Del Rey with her husband and two rescue dogs. She loves to be outside and exercising, and enjoys caring for people of all ages. She also has a special interest in aesthetic medicine, and looks forward to caring for you and your family.

E-mail:  amatthews@pvmedcenter.com

Kent T. Shoji, M.D., F.A.C.E.P.

Born in southern California and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Dr. Shoji attended UCLA for undergraduate and the Medical College of Wisconsin (nee Marquette University School of Medicine) for medical studies. He completed his internship and residency at Harbor/UCLA Medical center, Chief Residency and Fellowship in Rheumatology at St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach and Harbor/UCLA Medical Center and was full time faculty in Internal Medicine, Rheumatology and Emergency Medicine at Harbor/UCLA Medical Center. Dr. Shoji established one of the first Emergency Residency Programs in the United States in 1976 and was its first Residency Director. He became the Associate Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine before leaving for private practice as an Emergency Physician at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance and St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach in 1979. Dr. Shoji is board certified in Internal Medicine, Rheumatology and Emergency Medicine, and serves as a Senior Oral Board Examiner for the American Board of Emergency Medicine and has been active in many local, state and national medical organizations..

Dr. Shoji is currently the Medical Director of the Emergency Department at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance, President of the Emergency Department Physicians at Little Company of Mary Hospital—Torrance, Marina Del Rey Hospital and Memorial Hospital of Gardena. He has been active on the Medical Executive Committees of Marina Del Rey Hospital and Little Company of Mary Hospital and many community organizations. Dr. Shoji is also an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Geffen UCLA School of Medicine and an educator of medical and nursing students.

With over 38 years of emergency medicine clinical experience, Dr. Shoji brings several of his medical colleagues to service the Playa Vista Medical Center and its surrounding community to offer an expedient alternative access to quality medical care.

E-mail:  kshoji@pvmedcenter.com

Susan Ballton, R.N.
Clinic Manager

Susan Ballton was born and raised in Centralia Washington. She moved to Los Angeles in 1994 to attend college. She graduated with honors from USC in 1998 with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing. She has spent her entire career working in the Emergency Room, the last 5 of which have been as a Charge Nurse. She is currently a Charge Nurse and the acting Director in the ER at The Marina Del Rey Hospital.

Susan has lived in Playa Vista for the last 2 years and is extremely excited to be serving the community in which she lives. Susan will be the Clinic Nurse Manager and will be overseeing the everyday operations at the Playa Vista Medical Center.

E-mail:  sballton@pvmedcenter.com

Candice Myhre, M.D.

After graduating from USC medical school and USC Residency to become a Board Certified Emergency Medicine Physician, Dr. Myhre began traveling extensively beginning with an Emergency Medicine Symposium in Ghana, Africa to teach the physicians the practice of Emergency Medicine. She has also worked as the only physician on small islands such as Kandui in the Mentawi Islands providing free services to the locals and to surfers on schedule trips to the islands.

When at home she works as an Emergency Physician at Marina Del Rey Hospital and has been practicing Urgent Care Medicine for 6 years. Her interests include all water sports (warm or frozen), traveling, international education and treating patients at Playa Vista whether it be the common cold, vaccinations for travel, a complicated laceration or cosmetic enhancement. She lives in Manhattan Beach with her giant white german shepherd Beluga that looks like a polar bear and you might see her out surfing in El Porto.