About
Meet the face
behind the posts
Hi, I'm Dr. Toni Brayer.
I attended University of Arizona for medical school and did my post graduate training in San Francisco in Internal Medicine. I have been practicing non-stop for the past 36 years and one of my favorite things to do is help patients stay healthy and live long and well. I’ve had the privilege of working with thousands of patients and I am grateful for what I learned from each one.
I have learned that food is medicine, patients can heal themselves (with the right information) and that working with mind, body and spirit is the key to staying healthy. Medicine in America is often “sick care” instead of “health care”. But having the right information about how to stay healthy is the key.
I love to learn and write so I took both of those passions and developed this blog so I could provide factual information in a way people could understand. With constant changes in science and “fake news” and confusing news on the internet, I know how important it is to provide information that is valid and researched. That is what EverythingHealth is designed to do.
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I love taking care of patients 1:1 as well as influencing health care at a larger level. This blog is meant to teach and inform. The information on this site is not designed to replace a physician’s advice and this site is self funded.
Thanks for checking me out.
Professional Work and Bio
Dr. Brayer graduated cum laude from Arizona State University and received her Medical Degree from the University of Arizona. After residency training in San Francisco, she ran a group practice and continues to practice Internal Medicine in San Francisco. She was named a national “Best Doctor” annually from 1997-2006 and again in 2010-2015. She has been named “Top Doctor” by Castle-Connolly repeatedly including 2020.
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She was the first (and only) woman Chief of Staff at California Pacific Medical Center and President of the San Francisco Medical Society. She was a delegate to the California Medical Association and served as vice-chair of the Board for the Institute for Medical Quality until 2003. She is a Fellow in the American College of Physicians and served on the governor’s council of ACP. She is an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and Dr. Brayer also served as clinical faculty at California Pacific Medical Center where she designed an ambulatory elective for Internal Medicine residents. She is a graduate of the California Health Care Foundation health leaders fellowship.
Dr. Brayer is immediate past CEO of Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation, (SPMF), an affiliate of Sutter Health. She was responsible for 70 medical clinics, 300+ physicians and 1000+ employees in Northern California, including Sutter Health’s Institute for Health & Healing, a national leader in integrative medicine. Under Dr. Brayer's leadership and vision, revenues increased from $250m to $340m (74%) from new program growth, physician recruitment, new facilities and clinic consolidation.
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Dr. Brayer joined Sutter Health, a $13 Billion revenue non-profit company, in 2004 as the Chief Medical Officer for Sutter Bay Area and West Bay Division of Sutter Health. In that role she was responsible for hospital and ambulatory medical quality in 8 hospitals and Physician Foundations housing five separate medical groups. She also had responsibility for the electronic ICU (eICU) and she expanded that innovative program to serve 12 hospital ICUs with remote clinical intensive care including selling and implementing the eICU program to other health system hospitals, thereby increasing net revenue.
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During her tenure at Sutter Health, she provided leadership for the implementation and role out of Epic electronic medical record (EHR) throughout the organization.
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Throughout her medical career, Dr. Brayer has been passionate about philanthropic and health related projects. In 2010 she received the American College of Physicians, Northern California Chapter award for volunteerism and community service for her medical work at Katrina, Honduras and the Haiti earthquake. She was named a “Health Care Hero” for her mission work by the San Francisco Business Times in 2012. The San Francisco Business Times has named Dr. Brayer to its list of “The Bay Area’s 100 Most Influential Women in Business”, from 2005-2012. In 2013 she was named to the San Francisco Business Times “Forever Influential Honor Role”.
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Her board experience is extensive. She has served on multiple hospital boards of directors including Alta Bates-Summit, Marin General Hospital, and California Pacific Medical Center where she was Vice-Chair. She was the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Northern California Chapter of Make-a-Wish Foundation and she is chairwoman for the Michael Franti “Do-It-For-The-Love” Foundation, an organization that brings healing music to ill patients.
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Brayer is a board officer for the Medical Insurance Exchange of California, a medical mal-practice insurance company serving policy-holders in four states, where she is the Secretary/Treasurer and chairs the Investment and Finance Committee. She is an advisor for Global Women Leaders for the World and a supporter of “How Women Lead."
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Dr. Brayer is a well known physician leader and speaker and has written extensively about health care issues, medical economics, physician leadership, women’s health and leadership, social justice, public policy and quality. She currently consults for a number of organizations and continues her practice of Comprehensive Internal Medicine in San Francisco.
“Top Doctor” - Castle Connolly
“Forever Influential Honor Role Award”
- SF Business Times
Awards and Recognitions
"Health Care Hero Award" - San Francisco Business Times for her mission and medical relief work
“Bay Area’s 100 Most Influential Women in Business”
- SF business Times
“Volunteer and Community Service Award”
- American College of Physicians
As Seen & Heard
