Volume 16 Number 4, SUMMER 1999

Introducing the President

ROGER PEEKS, MD, CLASS OF '78, carries many responsibilities as the medical director for Alameda County Medical Center but that isn't stopping him from taking on yet another: the role of president of the Stanford Medical Alumni Association.

Peeks, the new SMAA president, says the position will help him fulfill one of his chief professional aims -- advancing medical education. He addresses his other fundamental objective -- providing care to medically underserved populations -- through his work for Alameda County, which involves supervising all patient care at the three hospitals and five outpatient clinics that make up the medical center.

In 1990, Peeks, an internist, began serving as a primary care physician at Highland General Hospital in Oakland, Calif., and in 1996 he became the medical director of the Alameda County's medical center, which includes Highland Hospital. Peeks has also served as medical director at UC San Francisco's Summit Medical Center Hypertension Research Clinic, as a physician-specialist at Stanford University School of Medicine and the VA Palo Alto, and as an internist in pr ivate practice in Oakland.

Peeks says he is looking forward to an unusually active year for the alumni association. "This year coincides with the 40th anniversary of the school's move from San Francisco to Palo Alto. We're planning a lot of events to commemorate the move. And the symposium at the alumni reunion will be extra special this year," Peeks says.

Commitment to Stanford School of Medicine is not new for Peeks, who served as assistant dean of student affairs from 1983 until 1996 and also as assistant director of admissions July 1981 through July 1982.

"I'm glad to have Stanford back in my life," says Peeks, who temporarily lessened his involvement when he took on the role of Alameda County's medical director.

"Being in love with Stanford, it was hard to say 'no' to this opportunity," he adds.