Ronald L. Smith, MSB

Ron came on board as the Business Manager for the Medical Group of North County, dba San Diego Cancer Center in 1992. Soon after, he was promoted to the Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer.

The first ten years of his career in health care were spent with North County Health Services, Inc. a comprehensive health care center with locations throughout Northern San Diego County. When he left there, his position was Chief Financial Officer.

Ron credits his experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer with sparking his interest in health care and giving him the understanding of the importance of staffing San Diego Cancer Center with people who have a high “willingness to please.”

Ron earned his BS and MBS (Master of Science in Business) from Southern Illinois University. He is married and is the proud father of two daughters.

Claudio A. Garcia, CFA

Claudio A. Garcia joined the San Diego Cancer Center as Director of Finance in 2009. His previous experience includes more than 20 years in financial and executive positions in service industries.

Claudio started his professional career in Arthur Andersen & Co working in the audit and consulting departments for many Fortune 500 clients. Later, he spent eleven years in Waste Management holding several leadership positions in several countries around the world. He was the Director of Finance for Latin America from 1996 through 1998.

In 1998, he joined AIG Capital Partners and was responsible for the management of a private equity fund specialized in Latin America. From 2003 to 2009, he served as Regional Controller and later as Regional Manager for the Pacific Northwest for United Subcontractors Inc.

Claudio earned his CPA license while working for Arthur Andersen. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Buenos Aires. He holds a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation from the CFA Institute.

Cindy Emswiler – Billing Manager

Cindy Emswiler has been in healthcare administration for over 25 years. She enjoys what she does because of her passion for patient advocacy.

Initially, Cindy thought a nursing degree would allow her to fulfill this professional desire so she pursued a degree in nursing. She changed her education path when she realized that she felt more effective as a patient advocate in the administration of insurance reimbursement. While she and her husband raised their family, Cindy completed her AA degree in business in 1984 and went on to complete a certification in Medical Administration in 1985.

During her career, Cindy has acquired vast experience at all levels of the complex process of medical billing, the appeal process, contract negotiations and working with numerous patient advocacy groups at the local and national level. In 1997 she joined the staff at the San Diego Cancer Center and in 2005, became manager of the billing department. During this time, she has been instrumental in establishing policies and procedures throughout the department which uphold and maintain her professional passion which has always been to advocate on behalf of the patients so they can receive the highest standard of care.

She is an integral part of the San Diego Cancer Center and her role is vital for many patients and their loved ones who are often dealing with complex problems at a time in life which they are most vulnerable. While not at work, Cindy enjoys a variety of outdoor activities with her husband and adult children.

Elena O’Brien

Elena and her family have lived in San Diego's north county her entire life. After completing her Medical Assistant certification she began working for the San Diego Cancer Center over 15 years ago. Throughout this time she has developed a depth of knowledge in front and back office procedures, mentoring new staff, coordinating care for new patients and expertise in working with a large variety of insurance payers.

Elena has developed longstanding relationships with numerous care facilities and personnel throughout North County and is a vital part of the day to day operations of our clinic.

Currently, Elena is utilizing her leadership abilities in an administrative role and is now the Oncology Administrative and Patient Services Manager.

Elena enjoys spending her free time with her husband Scott, son Jake and their dog Jojo.

Barbara H. Koziel, PHR

Barbara joined the Medical Group of North County, Inc/San Diego Cancer Center in 1995 and holds the position of Human Resource Manager. She has extensive experience in Human Resources with most of her career spent working in labor relations, benefits administration and other generalist areas.

“I feel very fortunate to work with such a high caliber of personnel; speaking not only of their medical skills, but also to know that they truly care. In this era of rapid change in healthcare, I know that our patients are getting the finest treatment possible.”

Barbara earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business with a concentration in Management from the University of Illinois. She earned a second Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, also from the University of Illinois. She is accredited as a Professional in Human Resources.