Clark Gustafson, a 1966 graduate of the Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, was elected to Pacific’s Board of Regents. He is the founder of Kern Pharmacies, and of Optimal Health Services, a company which provides medical services to those receiving medical care in their homes or as a hospice patient.
Gustafson‘s three year term as a Regent will commence July 1, 2013. He was elected in January, 2013.
“Clark has spent his life helping care for others and always puts compassion before profits for those who needed it most,” said Kathleen Lagorio-Janssen, chair of Pacific’s Board of Regents. “We know that his intimate knowledge of Pacific’s values and history, as well as his interest in serving the community make him an excellent addition to the board.”
Gustafson began his career as a pharmacist, created Kern Pharmacies, Inc. in 1968 and remained its president until 1998. In 1984, he created Optimal Health Services and initially served as president, then was named Chairman of the Board in 2008, a position he currently holds.
Optimal Health Services arranges home nursing in the form of home health care and hospice services. He formed the company because he saw that some in the community with severe health problems were not receiving the care they needed, as such care often was out of their price range.
Today, Optimal provides services of home health and hospice in the San Joaquin Valley, as well as Santa Clara and Los Angeles Counties. It provides home nursing, therapy, social work and supportive end-of-life services to patients who have experienced serious illness or injury.
Gustafson was involved in the formation of its non-profit Optimal Hospice Foundation, which helps fill the gap in funding for uninsured or underinsured patients. The Foundation also provides support to children who have lost a direct family member, regardless of whether that family member ever received hospice care.
Gustafson has a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from University of the Pacific. He is past president of the California Pharmacists Association and just recently completed a term as treasurer of the American Pharmacists Association. He currently serves on the Dean’s Leadership Council of the Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Pacific. He has been married fifty years to Pamela Reynolds Gustafson, a 1967 graduate of Pacific’s Benerd School of Education. They have two adult sons and two grandsons.