Meet Our Executive Committee

Jason Jameson, MD, is affiliated with the Phoenix VA HCS and is Adjunct Assistant Professor at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix. He received a BS in Biology at Nebraska Wesleyan University, his medical degree at the University of Iowa, and he completed urologic residency at the University of Utah. He is an active member of the American Urological Association, and was the 2018 AUA Gallagher Health Policy Scholar. He has served as the AUA Alternate Delegate to the AMA since 2019. He is the Health Policy Committee Vice Chair for the Western Section AUA. As previous President of the Arizona Urologic Society and serving on the Board of the Arizona Medical Association since 2017 and as current Secretary, he has worked with State Legislators advocating for urology telemedicine and testifying at committee hearings. Men’s Health has been a focus in his clinical activities, including developing the Men’s Health Program at Mayo Clinic Arizona, his previous employer, and speaking at national and international conferences. He is a past president of the American Society for Men’s Health.

James M. Nachbar, MD, FACS, Esq. is a double-board-certified plastic surgeon, certified by both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery, and an attorney. Upon completion of his general surgery residency at the University of Arizona and his plastic surgery residency at the University of Virginia, he served as Chief of Plastic Surgery and Program Director of the Plastic Surgery Residency at the University of New Mexico, where he practiced from 1988-1995 and earned tenure. Ever since his return to Arizona in 1995, he has practiced plastic surgery in Scottsdale and been a member of both ArMA and the Maricopa County Medical Society. In 2015, he entered part-time law school, and in 2018 he became a licensed Arizona attorney, although he still spends the vast majority of his professional time practicing surgery. In addition to ArMA and MCMS, he is also a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the Arizona Society of Plastic Surgeons, and the State Bar of Arizona.

Dr. Sarah Patel is a board-certified sleep medicine physician and the founder of a growing independent sleep medicine practice, Sonoran Sleep Center, launched in 2020. Since opening during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, her practice has expanded from a solo provider to a multidisciplinary team of over 25 staff members, reflecting her strong leadership, vision, and dedication to high-quality patient care. Dr. Patel has been actively involved in both state and national medical organizations, holding numerous leadership roles and contributing to key policy and practice initiatives. Her national service includes a current position serving on Practice Management Presidential Committee and Coding and Compliance Committee with the AASM. She previously was AASM Chair of Early CareerPhysicians Assembly. She also co-chaired the AASM's 2024 Practice Management Virtual Course, a national program designed to educate sleep physicians on the operational, regulatory, and financial aspects of practice management. At the state level, Dr. Patel serves as a current Board Member and Early Career Director for the Arizona Medical Association (ArMA), where she contributes to multiple initiatives and committees, including: Private Practice Physician Section, Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) Committee, and the Membership Committee.

Corinna Saldanha, DO, was born in the small town of Los Angeles, California, and was lucky to be surrounded by an urban life of diversity. She has a unique ethnic background with a first-generation immigrant father from India and a mother who is third generation Japanese-American who lived through WWII during the Pearl Harbor attack and later served in the U.S. Army Reserves. Her parents' courage to live outside cultural norms have inspired her in so many ways with their unique worldly experiences. Dr. Saldanha's educational journey has taken her from southern to northern California and then Connecticut. She practiced medicine in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada, for 10 years prior to moving to Arizona in 2018. Her personal interests include piano, gardening, musical theatre, playing video games, and figure skating.

Nadeem Kazi, MD, is a 1986 graduate of Jinnah Sindh Medical University. He completed his fellowship in gastroenterology at Loyola University Medical Center in 1997. He started his own solo private practice in Casa Grande, Arizona, immediately after his fellowship. He served as a President of the Association of Physician of Pakistani-descent of North America, a national organization of physicians of Pakistani origin, during which time his team founded the APPNA MERRIT program to transfer the latest advancements in medical information and techniques to practicing physicians and hospital systems in Pakistan to drastically improve patient care. He served on APPNA’s Board of Trustees for 5 years until 2015. As ArMA's 133rd President, Dr. Kazi spearheaded successful efforts to reform medical insurance, increase Arizona's investment in graduate medical education, and more.

Laura Mercer, MD, MBA, MPH, is a native Arizonan and practicing OBGYN. She completed her undergraduate degrees at Northern Arizona University and her medical degree and master degrees at the University of Arizona. She currently practices at a community health center in Phoenix, and helps cover clinically in underserved areas of Arizona near the Mexico border. Administratively, Dr. Mercer serves as the chair of the undergraduate medical education curriculum committee and directs both the OBGYN clerkship and a course called Personal and Professional Development at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix.

Ricardo Correa, MD, EdD, FACE, FACP, FACMQ, is the PACH clinical director in Phoenix. He is dedicated to the community and serves as the medical director for an underserved clinic in Phoenix, where he created the endo and diabetes clinic. He also helped screened asylum patients as part of his volunteer work with the 100 Angels group, and he gives lectures to and mentors many underrepresented minorities to become part of medicine. Due to all his career, Dr. Correa has been awarded several recognitions, including Presidential Leadership scholar, 100 Hispanic Inspiring Scientist, Medscape Rising Start, N.M.Q.F. 40 under 40, ArMA's David O. Landrith Humanitarian Award, Medscape Rising Star, Eric Nilsen Award from AAIM, SGIM health disparities award, and many other prestigious national awards.. He is the founder of the health equity fellowship for Creighton School of Medicine. He completed medical degree and master’s in education (EdD) at the University of Panama. He completed a research fellowship in Epidemiology and Tropical disease at I.C.G.E.S. in Panama City and his internal medicine residency at Jackson Memorial hospital-University of Miami program. In 2012, he was honored with the A.O.A. and GoldDOC Award from the U.M. Then, he pursued his clinical and research fellowship in endocrinology with a particular focus on neuroendocrinology and adrenals at the National Institute of Health.

Ronnie Dowling, MD, currently serves as ArMA's American Medical Association Delegation Chair and Speaker of the House of Delegates. She is also the Speaker for the AMA Western Mountain States Conference. Dr. Dowling graduated from the University of Colorado Medical Center, where she also interned and was the first woman to complete a residency in orthopaedic surgery. She has practiced in Show Low since 1982. An ArMA member since 1983, Dr. Dowling is also a member of the Arizona Orthopaedic Society, the American Medical Association, the Association of Women Surgeons, Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society, the American Medical Women’s Association and the Western Orthopaedic Society. Dr. Dowling is a past president of ArMA. 

Heidi Tavel, MD, FASA, is a practicing physician anesthesiologist with Old Pueblo Anesthesia in Tucson, Arizona. A native Tucsonan, she is a graduate of the University of Arizona College of Medicine and the University of Arizona Anesthesiology Residency Program. In addition to her love for the practice of anesthesiology, her passion is advocacy for Arizona physicians. She is honored to serve as the Chair of the Arizona Medical Association’s (ArMA) Legislative & Government Affairs Committee and is Immediate Past President of the Arizona Society of Anesthesiology. Her greatest joy is being a mother to her three children.