Medical Board approves two special faculty permits for USC and Stanford

The Medical Board approved two special faculty permit appointments during its Dec. 4 meeting. Dr. Ayala Rodriguez presented recommendations from the Special Faculty Permit Review Committee to authorize special faculty permits for Dr. Farzad Pagdell, recruited to USC Keck School of Medicine to support orbital and oculoplastic services and research, and for Dr. Antonio Amodeo, recruited to Stanford University School of Medicine for pediatric advanced cardiac therapies and thoracic transplantation.

After Dr. Ayala Rodriguez presented each candidate’s qualifications and the committee’s recommendation, a board member moved to approve the appointments; the motion received a second and passed on a roll‑call vote. The board recorded affirmative votes from members present and announced, “That motion carries.”

The approvals were procedural and focused on each applicant’s academic and clinical qualifications as described in the committee’s report. No public commenters opposed the committee recommendations during the period allocated for public comment on this agenda item.

The applicants will proceed under the Board’s special faculty permit process; staff said the meeting packet contains a full report on each candidate’s qualifications and the committee’s deliberations.