Dr Christopher Chidi

Dr. Christopher Chidi leads the La Vida Medical Group & IPA, also serving as President and CEO of American Physicians Management Inc. (APMI). As head of APMI since 1989, Dr. Chidi has overseen the growth of one of California's leading managed care groups. The firm currently operates 15 large clinics throughout Southern California, with locations in Orange County, Los Angeles, and the Central Valley. APMI's managed care system encompasses more than 500 private practices, serving approximately 220,000 health plan members.

Raised in Nigeria, Christopher Chidi, M.D., pursued studies in chemistry, zoology, and physics at St. Patrick's College in Asaba prior to moving to the United States and entering Hiram College. Graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Dr. Chidi next undertook medical studies at Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. After receiving his M.D., he stayed at Case Western Reserve University for several years, undertaking a series of surgery internships and residencies. From 1975 to 1976, Dr. Christopher Chidi pursued fellowship work at Rockefeller University in New York City. During this time, he also performed research at Cornell Medical Center's Department of Pathology on the use of electron microscopes in the study of arterial injuries and reparative processes. Dr. Chidi notably coauthored the 1976 paper "Model of Arterial Injury by Balloon De-Endothelialization: Reappraisal, Improvement, and Application to Measurement of Endothelial Growth" in the journal Arteriosclerosis.

From 1980 to the present, Christopher Chidi, M.D., has fulfilled responsibilities as a private physician specializing in vascular and general surgery. He also served as Medical Director of American Physicians Management Inc. from 1989 to 2010. Dr. Chidi has held privileges with a number of hospitals throughout his career in medicine, including Centinela Medical Center, Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, and the Memorial Hospital of Gardena.

Dr. Chidi stays engaged with the community by participating in philanthropic activities with the La Vida Foundation and La Vida Kids Club, both associated with La Vida Medical Group & IPA. He also spearheads medical development initiatives in his native Nigeria, which are aimed at creating an internationalized health care system.