Lamar J. Bushnell, M.D.

I have been providing Cardiovascular and Thoracic surgical care for patients in the Ventura County area for the past 25 years. As such, it has become increasingly common for me to meet new patients whose family or friends I have already had the privilege to treat. Over these years I have served as the Chair of Surgery and Chief of the Medical Staff at Community Memorial Hospital, and am currently the Director of Cardiac Surgery, and a member of the hospital board for Community Memorial Health System. Our practice has also maintained close relations with the other programs in the county, and I am currently the Director of Thoracic Surgery at Ventura County Medical Center. This experience, and my visits to multiple major referral hospitals throughout the country have demonstrated to me that we have a level of expert medical care in our community that is truly exceptional for an area of our size.

Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, I grew up watching the surrounding orchards transform into Silicon Valley. This enhanced my interest in technology and innovation, which has stayed with me throughout my medical career. As a premed student in biology at the University of Utah I closely followed the first successful artificial heart implantation.  I stayed there for medical school and residency in general surgery.

Moving to the University of Iowa for my three year Cardiothoracic surgery fellowship, I spent a year of dedicated research with experimentation in the newly developing field of immunotherapy versus lung cancer. There was no shortage of heart disease in the heartland, but three Iowa winters motivated a move back to coastal California.  Here in Ventura I have been able to apply my academic center training in a community hospital setting which has been very supportive in developing state-of-the-art, evidence-based Cardiothoracic surgical care.

Joined recently by Dr. Jennifer Wan, and with the assistance of our dedicated Cardiothoracic Physician Assistants, our program has continued to expand locally available treatment options in minimally invasive thoracic and cardiac surgery.

My interests outside of medicine, include surfing, skiing, and hiking.  Getting outside keeps me in touch with the beauty of coastal California. Providing advanced medical treatments and therapies that allow patients to return, as soon as possible, to the activities and lifestyles they enjoy while staying in their local community will always be one of our group’s primary goals.

EDUCATION

College: University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
1974-1978
Degree: Bachelor of Arts 1983 - Cum Laude

Medical School: University of Utah School of Medicine
Salt Lake City, Utah 
Degree: M.D.

POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION

Residency: University of Utah Affiliated Hospitals
Salt Lake City, Utah
General Surgery 
1987-1992

Fellowship: University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
Iowa City, Iowa
Cardiothoracic Surgery 
1992-1995

LICENSES

California Medical License: #G081373

CERTIFICATIONS

American Board of Surgery – 1994 Certification #39133
American Board of Thoracic Surgery – 1996 Certification #5774
National Board of Medical Examiners – 1988 Certification #340679

HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS

Community Memorial Hospital
147 N. Brent Street
Ventura, CA 93003

Ojai Valley Community Hospital
1306 Maricopa Hwy
Ojai, CA 93023

Ventura County Medical Center
3291 Loma Vista Road
Ventura, CA 93003

St. John’s Regional Medical Center
1600 Rose Avenue
Oxnard, CA 93030

Simi Valley Regional Medical Center