A longtime resident of the greater Los Angeles area, Dr. Gilbert Varela holds a doctor of medicine from the University of California and a master of business administration from Pepperdine University. Over the course of a career that has spanned a quarter of a century, Dr. Gilbert Varela has served as a staff physician with the Healthcare Medical Clinic of Pomona, medical director of the El Proyecto Del Barrio Medical Clinic, and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Central City Community Health Center.

For the past 18 years, Dr. Gilbert Varela has served as medical director and CEO of Los Angeles’ Sadler Healthcare, an organization that provides comprehensive residential treatment for substance use disorders. He has concurrently served as president and CEO of Alliance Health Systems since 2014, and president and medical director of his own private medical group since 2017. Alliance Health Systems serves Los Angeles County residents through contracts with multiple HMOs, while Varela Medical Group focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of personal and work-related injuries.