Podcast: Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact
Host: Bret Schanzenbach, President & CEO, Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce
Guest: Dr. Gene Ma, President & CEO, Tri-City Medical Center
In this episode, Bret welcomes Dr. Gene Ma, a long-time emergency physician and now President & CEO of Tri-City Medical Center, for a candid and hopeful conversation about the future of healthcare in North County San Diego.
Dr. Ma traces his journey from a globally mobile childhood (Hawaii, Burma, Japan, Hong Kong) to growing up in Arcadia, then on to UC Irvine, UCSF, Stanford, and UCSD, where he trained in emergency medicine. He shares what it’s really like behind the scenes in the ER, the importance of humility in medicine, and what 27 years on the front lines taught him about people, teams, and community.
Listeners will hear how Dr. Ma:
- Discovered his passion for community-based medicine at Tri-City
- Served as Chief of Staff and later Chief Medical Officer
- Led and helped grow a democratic emergency medicine group and an occupational health business
- Was honored 10 times as one of San Diego’s Top Doctors in Emergency Medicine
The conversation dives into the financial and regulatory pressures facing hospitals today, including:
- How DRG-based payments and long COVID hospital stays pushed hospitals to the brink
- The impact of underfunded Medicare and growing staffing costs
- The staggering costs of new construction and seismic compliance, with per-bed costs in the millions
- California’s 2030 (and 2033) seismic standards, and what they actually require
From there, Dr. Ma shares the transformational plan for Tri-City:
- Tri-City is entering a long-term lease and operating agreement with Sharp HealthCare
- The hospital will become Sharp Tri-City, pending voter approval in June
- The agreement brings the scale, resources, and experience of San Diego’s largest not-for-profit health system to North County
- The board’s decision, he explains, reflects a commitment to put community before titles and secure a sustainable future for the district
Dr. Ma paints an inspiring vision that includes:
- Reopening Labor & Delivery at Tri-City in partnership with Sharp Mary Birch
- Returning and expanding NICU and high-risk maternal-fetal medicine services to North County
- Developing a comprehensive cancer center on the Tri-City campus so patients can receive radiation and chemotherapy locally
- A revitalized, state-of-the-art flagship medical center that drives both better health outcomes and economic growth along the Highway 78 corridor
Bret and Dr. Ma also discuss the upcoming public vote, clarify that no new taxes are being requested, and encourage district residents to vote YES to allow Sharp to manage and invest in the hospital.
The episode closes on a personal and heartwarming note, as Dr. Ma talks about his five daughters, their life paths across California and New York, and what it’s like to transition from sideline sports dad to a new season of life.
If you care about the future of local healthcare, economic vitality, and quality of life in Carlsbad and North County San Diego, this episode of “Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact” is a must-listen.
Key Topics:
- Dr. Gene Ma’s global upbringing and medical training
- 27 years in emergency medicine and leadership at Tri-City
- Financial and regulatory realities of running a hospital
- COVID’s impact on hospital operations and finances
- California seismic standards and hospital infrastructure
- The long-term partnership between Tri-City and Sharp HealthCare
- Reopening Labor & Delivery and bringing high-risk maternity care back to North County
- Plans for a comprehensive cancer center on the Tri-City campus
- The importance of the upcoming community vote
- Dr. Ma’s family and life in North County
Call to Action:
Be sure to follow “Carlsbad: People, Purpose and Impact” and share this episode with friends, colleagues, and neighbors who want to understand what’s at stake for healthcare in our community.
Quotes (for Reels / Audiograms)
- “The moment you think you know everything in medicine is the moment you become dangerous. You have to be humble—or medicine will humble you.”
- “People think hospitals made money during COVID. The truth is, it was devastating. Patients stayed for weeks or months while we were paid for just a few days of care.”
- “If the 2030 seismic standards were enforced today, more than half the hospitals in California would have to close. That’s how expensive this is.”
- “There’s no realistic path for Tri-City to reopen labor and delivery on its own—but with Sharp, not only can we reopen, we can expand and bring high-risk maternity care back to North County.”
- “One day, people won’t be able to imagine a North County without Sharp Tri-City—they’ll just assume world-class care has always been here.”
