Dignity Health – St. Bernardine Medical Center has announced the election of Mir Wasif Ali, MD, FACS, as its new Chief of Staff. Dr. Ali, renowned for his distinguished tenure marked by innovation and compassionate patient care, will assume this critical role for a two-year term starting January 2026. He will be instrumental in upholding medical staff standards and representing the medical community on the Hospital’s Community Board, shaping the future of patient care.
Dr. Ali brings a wealth of experience in surgical governance and quality improvement. As Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery since 2016 and one of the region's most respected surgeons, he currently contributes to key hospital committees, including the Surgical Executive and Credentials Committees. Dr. Ali is also a cardiothoracic surgeon at Dignity Health Medical Group – Inland Empire, a service of Dignity Health Medical Foundation. His concurrent roles as Vice Chair of Surgery and Vice Chair of Cardiology further demonstrate his commitment to cross-disciplinary collaboration and enhancing patient outcomes.
"We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Mir Wasif Ali, a physician of exceptional skill and profound compassion, to lead our Medical Staff as Chief of Staff,” Erin Donnell, Interim President & CEO, Dignity Health – St. Bernardine Medical Center. “His deep commitment to patient care, combined with his proven leadership and collaborative spirit, makes him the ideal choice to advance our mission and elevate our standards of excellence at St. Bernardine.”
A highly accomplished practitioner, Dr. Ali is Board Certified by both the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. He earned his medical degree from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, followed by residencies at UC San Diego Medical Center and the prestigious University of Michigan Health System, where he also completed an advanced fellowship and served as a Clinical Lecturer. With over two decades of clinical, academic, and leadership experience, his expertise has been recognized in numerous professional publications including including St. Luke’s Health Beat Magazine, Physician’s Practice Magazine and Mercy Touch Magazine.
Dr. Ali is also a recipient of multiple Dignity Health "Acts of Humankindness" and "Values in Action" awards, reflecting his nationally recognized commitment to compassionate, patient-centered care. A graduate of the Dignity Health Physician Leadership Development Program, he is also an Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine, where he actively mentors the next generation of medical professionals.
Fluent in Urdu and proficient in Spanish, Dr. Ali is a passionate advocate for improving access to high-quality care across diverse patient communities. His extensive clinical expertise, proven leadership, and dedication to education are invaluable assets to Dignity Health – St. Bernardine Medical Center's mission of compassionate, patient-centered care.
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About Dignity Health California
Dignity Health California is a nonprofit network of over 9000 physicians, more than 35,000 employees, 29 acute care hospitals, and 200-plus care-centers, including community hospitals, urgent care, surgery and imaging centers, home health, and primary care clinics. Dignity Health California provides award-winning care to communities in five primary markets across the state: North State, Sacramento, Central Valley, Central Coast, and Southern California.
Dignity Health is a member of CommonSpirit Health, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit Catholic healthcare organizations, dedicated to providing compassionate, high-quality, and affordable patient-centered care with special attention to the poor and underserved. Learn more at DignityHealth.org and CommonSpirit.org.