The Southern Medical Association (SMA) is proud to feature Jeffrey W. Brettler, MD, FAHA, as a speaker for the Hypertension Summit 2025 taking place November 6-8, 2025, in North Charleston, SC.

Dr. Brettler is an experienced internal medicine physician based in Los Angeles, California. A 1986 medical school graduate, he brings nearly four decades of clinical expertise to his work. Dr. Brettler is affiliated with Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center and serves as Faculty Director of Global Health at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, where he also holds a faculty appointment as Associate Professor in the Departments of Health Systems and Clinical Science.

In his role at the medical school, Dr. Brettler leads the development and oversight of a comprehensive global health strategy focused on student education and service. He also serves as a consultant to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), where he supports the implementation of integrated cardiovascular care programs across Latin America and the Caribbean. His contributions include leading an innovation group of 12 countries to create a robust data monitoring system, and collaborating on the development of blood pressure management courses for PAHO’s virtual campus.

He also serves as the physician co-lead of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Hypertension Program, which oversees a million patients with hypertension in 16 medical centers and over 230 medical office buildings. KPSC is a national leader for high blood pressure control, with both commercial and Medicare rates among the highest in the country.

Dr. Brettler has served as a technical expert to the World Health Organization (WHO), assisting in the selection and prioritization of noncommunicable disease indicators for primary care settings. Clinically, he has spent his career as a practicing internist at Kaiser Permanente’s West Los Angeles and South Los Angeles Medical Centers. He remains committed to underserved communities, currently providing care at a Federally Qualified Health Center in South Los Angeles and through the LA County Department of Public Health’s Refugee Health Assessment Program.