By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY – Staff Writer

The new doctor in Crestline is Dr. Andro Sharobiem, who is working out of the same office building on Forest Shade as Dr. Walter Bramson did, as Optima Health. He purchased the medical practice from Dr. Bramson in the Lake Gregory Professional Complex when the longtime Crestline doctor decided it was time to retire after 40 years of being Crestline’s town doctor.

Dr. Sharobiem hopes he can enjoy practicing in Crestline as long as Dr. Bramson did, as he finds the community delightful and inspiring. He also has offices in Riverside where he has been practicing family medicine since 2017.

The offices in Crestline will be open five days a week, with Dr. Sharobiem sharing the doctoring duties with three other doctors, all of whom specialize in primary care for all ages.  He decided to purchase the office after he met Dr. Bramson in January and discovered his deep concern for his patients, his commitment to excellence and his love of the community. Dr. Bramson didn’t want to sell his office to just anyone, but to the right person and the two men felt an instant connection upon meeting and connection on what the community would need and like.

Dr. Sharobiem intends to continue the high quality of care that Dr. Bramson provided, hoping to continue that support that Dr. Bramson had for the community through his Optima Health office, so much so that he was one of the main sponsors of Jamboree Days.  His office sponsored a TV giveaway from the Fun Zone, with the drawing on July 4.

Dr. Sharobiem has fond memories of Crestline from when he was a child, visiting the mountains with his family. He chose to come to Crestline as the town’s doctor as he felt a calling to fill the need in the community, in a place that could use his skills and where he could help people on a one-on-one basis.

The office is still in the transition stage, with four fulltime caring staff members welcoming both new patients and Dr. Bramson’s longtime patients, many of whom have chosen to remain with Dr. Sharobiem, as they like his caring manner and are impressed by his experience and level of education.

Dr. Sharobiem grew up in Moreno Valley and Yucca Valley, attended UC Riverside for his undergraduate degree and volunteered at Riverside Community Hospital. He received his medical degree at Ross University School of Medicine in Miami, Fla., and completed his residency and internship at Los Angeles County Hospital and USC Medical Center in Los Angeles.

He started practicing medicine in 2009 and has built his Optima Health practice from the ground up. He has a special interest in treating geriatrics and those patients with diabetes and hypertension. He has been married for 18 years, has two children, 9 and 11, and loves the sense of community he is feeling in these mountains.  His hobbies include playing basketball with his kids, coaching basketball, fishing and trying out new restaurants. He speaks English, Arabic and Spanish.

The three other doctors working in the office include family physicians Dr. Sindy Tadros, D.O., Dr. Vicente Vazquez, M.D. and Dr. Humera Rana, M.D., who specializes in internal medicine. The office specializes in internal medicine, family medicine and offers primary care for all ages.

Dr. Sharobiem’s Optima Health Care is a part of the Regal Medical Group and Lakeside Community Health Care community. This gives him access to the best hospitals and specialists, radiology labs and support programs available. The insurance programs he accepts are Aetna, Alignment, Anthem Blue Cross, Astiva (from Orange and San Diego County), Blue Shield, CalOptima (Orange County), Blue Shield, Promise, Cigna, Health Net, Humana, L.A. Care, Molina Health Care, SCAN, UnitedHealth Care/Pacific Care, Secure Horizons and Wellcare.  Dr Sharobiem believes he will be able to assist most anyone in the community with these health plans; however, if you still have any concerns, his office staff will be glad to answer your questions at (909) 338-1851.

The Optima Health office building is in the Lake Gregory Professional Complex-Medical Center at 580 Forest Shade Road, which is located across the street from the tennis courts in Crestline. Office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon. You can contact him through www.OptimaHealthGroup.com. His other office is located at 3634 Elizabeth Street in Riverside with that phone number (951) 788-0008.

Dr. Sharobiem believes that “a good doctor-patient relationship is knowing that a patient’s needs should always come first, and they should be treated with dignity and respect.”