Lamar Bushnell, MD
- Primary Specialty: Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Additional Specialty: daVinci
- Languages Spoken: English
About
Lamar Bushnell, MD, is a cardiothoracic surgeon and executive leader with Community Memorial Healthcare, bringing more than 30 years of clinical experience to his dual roles in patient care and health system leadership. A California native, Dr. Bushnell has served the Ventura community since 1995, specializing in cardiac and thoracic surgical care with a focus on advanced technologies, including da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery.
In his executive role as Co-Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Bushnell provides strategic oversight and clinical leadership to support Community Memorial’s mission of delivering exceptional patient care. Drawing on decades of hands-on surgical practice, he brings an invaluable physician’s perspective to executive decision-making. His leadership philosophy centers on fostering collaboration among physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, and care teams through strong relationships, open communication, and shared accountability.
Throughout his career, Dr. Bushnell has held key medical staff leadership positions at Community Memorial, including Chair of the Department of Surgery, Chief of the Medical Staff, Board Trustee, and Director of Cardiac Surgery. As Co-CMO, he continues to champion quality and safety across the health system. His key operational and strategic initiatives include developing physician-nursing dyad leadership models, implementing Balanced Scorecard quality metrics, and leading system-wide efforts to reduce hospital-acquired infections.
Looking to the future, Dr. Bushnell remains focused on expanding community access to leading-edge surgical innovations, specialty clinical programs, and value-based care initiatives that empower clinicians and improve patient outcomes close to home.
Dr. Bushnell earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of Utah, where he also completed graduate research in genetic engineering, medical school, and a general surgery residency. He completed his fellowship training in cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Iowa.
