A long-time San Luis Obispo children’s doctor has been given a well-deserved “bravo!” by his peers.
Dr. Rene Bravo, M.D., F.A.A.P., was recently named San Luis Obispo County’s “2017 Physician of the Year,” by the Central Coast Medical Association, the association announced.
“The honor is for a physician who has worked to improve the quality of health care, contributed to the education of other physicians, and engaged in community service and other activities outside of medicine,” according to a news release.
Dr. Fred Vernacchia presented the award and shared stories of Dr. Bravo, who was born in Florida to an Ecuadorian father and Cuban mother. The family moved to Bell, Calif., when Dr. Bravo was 4-years old. Ten years later, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and was treated at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles, “which inspired him to pursue a career in medicine.”
Dr. Bravo completed his undergraduate degree at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, where he also met his wife, Debra. He continued his education at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and completed his internship and residency in general pediatrics at Stanford University Medical Center.
The Bravos moved to San Luis Obispo and Dr. Bravo has been practicing medicine for more than 30 years.
Dr. Bravo has been involved in organized medicine since he moved to SLO and is a past president of the local medical association and has represented his colleagues at the California Medical Association’s House of Delegates.
He is politically active and ran unsuccessfully for State Assembly in 1998. Dr. Bravo also has served as president of the United States Pharmacopeia, which works to ensure drugs conform to specific safety standards.
Locally, he’s been involved with First 5, the American Cancer Society, The Women’s Shelter, and Boy Scouts. His hobbies include volunteerism, gardening, stamp collecting, backpacking, and restoring old cars. The Bravos have five sons and four grandchildren.
