Kristina Austin, MD
“Dr. Austin is a compassionate and authentic leader. She fosters engagement and empowerment in her colleagues and has led the GSAA eye services department in achieving its’ goals. She genuinely cares, not just as a colleague, but as a person. Because of this, so many of our patients have benefited.”
— Kapil Dhingra, MD, physician-in-chief, KP Greater Southern Alameda Area
Kristina Austin, MD, has an innate ability to connect with her staff and colleagues. Widely lauded as a wise and trusted leader, Dr. Austin knows providing exceptional care is inevitable when a team is engaged, inspired, and feel their contributions matter.
Since becoming chief of the eye services department in the Greater Southern Alameda Area (GSAA), Dr. Austin has transformed the culture with her kind, authentic leadership style. She formalized systems to encourage collaboration and skill development, and ensures every member of her team feels valued and part of a larger, meaningful effort.
Her team’s collaborations include numerous successful performance improvements: the department now leads the KP region in diabetic retinopathy screenings; they ensured patients received uninterrupted, high-quality care during a prolonged provider shortage; and in 2017, Dr. Austin led the launch of the Corneal Crosslinking Program throughout the GSAA. This new treatment halts the progression of certain corneal diseases and reduces the need for corneal transplant procedures. The program has been a tremendous benefit to our patients.
Dr. Austin believes success comes from building strong, cohesive teams. “No one can provide superior care all by themselves,” she says. “We need to have teams to work together, and I think the foundation is trust and belief in common goals.”