Press release

The Rotary Club of Bishop gains a new member and The Community of Bishop gains a new Doctor.

Pictured:  Dr. Leo Pisculli, Dr. Bennett Pafford, Randy Van Tassell and Ed Nahin/Text and photo submitted by Pat Nahin

At the Rotary Club of Bishop’s February 5^th meeting, Randy Van Tassell inducted Dr. Bennett Pafford into the Club.  Dr. Leo Pisculli was Dr. Pafford’s sponsor.  Being a Rotarian isn’t new to Bennett as he was a member of the Rotary Club in Modoc county.   He enjoyed helping in community activities and plans to participate in The Rotary Club of Bishop’s many programs in the community and international service.

Dr. Pafford served as a Navy Corpsman (medic) with the Marines, then later, after completing officer qualifications, as a platoon commander for the Navy SEALS.  Dr. Pafford retired from the SEAL Teams in 2000 after 20 years of military service and then enrolled in Atlanta’s nationally ranked Emory University for a Master’s in Public Health.

Taking advantage of his prior experience in conflict areas, on graduation he worked in international disaster response with various governmental and non-governmental organizations helping those displaced by fighting in Iraq, Liberia and over 20 other countries.

Fulfilling his lifelong dream of becoming a physician, he attended medical school in Tennessee, graduating with honors, following with residency training at UC Davis in Sacramento and George Washington University in Washington D.C.

He is now a board-certified Internal Medicine Specialist, skilled at diagnosing and treating a broad variety of illnesses and disorders in adults and children.  He specializes in geriatrics.   When needed, Dr. Pafford will make house calls.

Dr. Pafford moved to Bishop to enjoy the Eastern Sierra Mountain outdoor activities such as trail running, mountain and road biking and rock climbing in our local mountains.

Pafford Health is located at 686 West Line Street, Bishop.  Call 760-873-4373 for further information or to make an appointment.