1953-2020

Dr. Bick always imagined he would be a kibbutz or village doctor. Instead, he fulfilled this vision with his love of medicine, culture, and people, right here in the heart of Los Angeles. He founded Synergy in 1999 with the goal of creating a perfect *Synergy* between physicians of all backgrounds, state of the art medicine, and a philosophy of treating the whole patient, not just the disease.

Many still remember how he would burst into the office singing, and how he played the accordion for his patients to their pure delight. He spoke 5 languages and was strongly immersed in those communities, creating a diverse and lively practice, and in many ways fulfilling the dream of being the “village doctor” of those communities. He was a truly talented physician who often helped his patients beat cancer or other chronic diseases, but he also took *the journey* very seriously, whether it was the lifelong management of a chronic condition, or accompanying a patient and their family on their last journey in a meaningful and heartfelt way. He was always available to his patients via his cell phone, often thought about them and called to check in, and his inherent lack of patience meant that he always expedited tests and test results. He was creative and innovative when it came to practicing medicine, and also strongly believed that he could do almost everything a hospital could do to treat his patients but in an outpatient setting, often sparing them unnecessary risk, expense or disruption to their lives. He maintained that his was a very happy office – despite treating mainly cancer. He often said, “It is not about life or death – it is about LIFE.” Dr. Bick is remembered so fondly and sorely missed by his patients, staff and colleagues, and it is with pride that Synergy continues to honor his vision and principles.