Philip R. Delio, M.D., was named the 2019 Santa Barbara County Physician of the Year by the Central Coast Medical Association.
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.
Dr. Andy Gersoff presented the award to Delio and described him as a physician, healer, teacher, and nurturer.
After graduating from Georgetown University School of Medicine, Delio sought an internship at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and was interviewed at the time by Gersoff. Gersoff still has his notes from that interview, and he had written, “A keeper.”
Following his time at Cottage Hospital, Delio completed his neurology residency and fellowship at Stanford University and returned to Santa Barbara to join Neurology Associates in 2001. Dr. David Frecker said, “Bringing him into the practice was the best thing I’ve ever done.”
Delio was Cottage Hospital’s Internal Medicine Residency Program’s Teacher of the Year twice, was instrumental in obtaining advanced certification for Comprehensive Stroke Centers by the Joint Commission, and is currently chief of staff. He is also the vice chair of the Department of Neurology and medical director of the stroke program.
Besides his work at Cottage, Delio is an adjunct professor in the UCSB Department of Psychology. He served as president of the Santa Barbara County Medical Society in 2010 and was also a delegate to the California Medical Association’s House of Delegates.
Upon receiving his award, Delio recognized his colleagues who continuously raise the bar on the practice of medicine in our community, and said he tries to emulate the physicians he admires. He also thanked his wife and two daughters for their support and said the award is as much theirs as it is his.
The mission of the Central Coast Medical Association is promoting the science and art of medicine, care and well-being of patients, protection of the public health, and betterment of the medical profession. The 600-physician member organization includes medical doctors of all specialties throughout San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. For more information, visit www.CCMAHealth.org.