Michael Cromer, M.D.

President

Dr. Michael Cromer is a board-certified family medicine physician who has been in practice since 1989. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in Tulsa in 1986 and completed his post-graduate training through the Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, Florida. Dr. Cromer is also Board Certified in Addiction Medicine and serves as the Medical Director for Passport Health located in Tampa. Dr. Cromer was installed as the 120th President of HCMA on May 9th, 2023. It is his second term serving the HCMA as President.

Damian Caraballo, M.D.

President - Elect

Dr. Damian E. Caraballo is an emergency medicine physician in Tampa and has over 16 years of experience in treating a wide variety of acute conditions and injuries. He graduated with honors from the University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine in 2007. Dr. Caraballo is presently engaged in medical practice at Excelis Medical Associates, and he maintains affiliations with several hospitals in the Tampa Bay area.

Nam Tram, M.D.

Vice President

Dr. Nam Tran is a neuro-oncology surgeon at Moffitt Cancer Center and assistant professor of oncology and neurosurgery at the University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine.  Dr. Tran completed his fellowship training at Moffitt, following a residency in neurosurgery at the Medical College of Virginia, serving as chief resident his final year. Prior to that, he was affiliated with the University of California-Irvine, where he received a PH.D. in neuroscience and served as an assistant project scientist. Dr. Tran’s research interests include regulation of the blood brain barrier, tumor and trauma-associated cerebral edema, central nervous system malignancies and spine biomechanics. He also has extensive experience in nervous system neoplasms and cranial neurosurgery. Dr. Tran has a strong commitment to community service, most recently working with the Guatemala Ministry of Health to establish medical missions to Guatemala City.

Michael Murphy, M.D.

Treasurer

With over 28 years of clinical experience in psychiatry, Dr. Michael Murphy, MD, MPH is a renowned expert in the treatment of major mental illness and substance abuse disorders. He is a member of the American Psychiatric Association and author of Blueprints in Psychiatry, a textbook for medical students, the sixth edition of which was published in 2018. Dr. Murphy served on the faculty of Harvard Medical School’s Consolidated Department of Psychiatry and as the Medical Director of the Appleton long-term treatment program at Mclean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts. Over the course of a 12-year period, Dr. Murphy held several leadership positions for numerous psychiatric hospitals and medical centers in Tennessee. Currently, he serves as Medical Director at the River Oaks Treatment Center in Riverview, Florida, where he provides leadership and support to the clinical team.

Arun Kalava, M.D.

Secretary

Dr. Arun Kalava is Board Certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology and European Society of Regional Anesthesia & Pain Therapy. He received his medical degree in 2004 from Siddharta Medical College in India and completed a post-residency fellowship in Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine from Mayo Clinic. Dr. Kalava is a distinguished Fellow of the American Society of Anesthesiologists and an internationally published researcher. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of Central Florida- College of Medicine and is the owner and Medical Director of TampaPainMD and Ultrasound Experts in Tampa.

Thomas Bernasek, M.D.

Chairman/Board of Trustees

Dr. Bernasek is an orthopaedic surgeon and founding member of the Florida Orthopaedic Institute in Tampa. He received his medical training at the Creighton University College of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska, completed his residency training at the University of New Mexico, and completed a fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and specializes in adult reconstruction. Dr. Bernasek is a recognized expert, both nationally and internationally, in joint replacement with vast experience in total hip and knee replacement. Dr. Bernasek has authored articles in numerous professional journals, and has presented research papers and lectured at medical conferences for over a decade. Dr. Bernasek is actively involved in numerous orthopedic research and development projects and has served as an Associate Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine.