About
Dr. Jeffrey Karns graduated Magna Cum Laude from The Ohio State University with a BS in Anthropology and Japanese before earning his MD from New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York. During his undergraduate years, he spent a year abroad at Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan, where he received the JASSO Japanese National Scholarship. He completed both his Family Medicine residency and his Geriatrics fellowship at Kaiser Fontana Medical Center. He holds board certification in Family Medicine and Geriatric Medicine through the American Board of Family Practice.
Dr. Karns is fluent in Japanese, a skill he built through years of study and daily conversation with his wife Erina, whom he met during his time in Japan. He cares deeply about continuity across care settings and pursued concierge medicine as the natural way to link office, hospital, urgent, and nursing home care into a unified experience. His clinical focus centers on quality of life and optimal longevity. He works to help patients keep doing what matters most to them while managing current conditions and preventing future ones. New patient paperwork at the practice is available in Japanese for his Japanese-speaking patients.
Education & Training
Undergraduate
BS Magna Cum Laude in Anthropology and Japanese, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Medical School
New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY
Residency
Family Medicine, Kaiser Fontana Medical Center
Fellowship
Geriatrics, Kaiser Fontana Medical Center
Additional Training
Year abroad at Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan (awarded JASSO Japanese National Scholarship)
Certifications
Languages
English, Japanese
Conditions Treated
Who is Dr. Karns right for?
Dr. Karns is a strong fit for adults seeking a primary care physician with deep geriatric expertise. Older adults managing multiple chronic conditions benefit from his fellowship training and continuity across care settings. Japanese-speaking patients find his language skills and bilingual paperwork especially helpful. Patients who want a physician focused on long-term quality of life will connect with his approach.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Dr. Karns treats a broad range of conditions across family and geriatric medicine. His focus includes chronic disease management, preventive care, and conditions common in older adults. He also supports patients with memory concerns and complex care needs that span multiple settings.
Yes. Dr. Karns holds board certification in both Family Medicine and Geriatric Medicine through the American Board of Family Practice. He also completed his Geriatrics fellowship at Kaiser Fontana Medical Center.
Dr. Karns earned his MD from New York Medical College. He completed his Family Medicine residency and his Geriatrics fellowship at Kaiser Fontana Medical Center. He also studied at Nanzan University in Japan, where he received the JASSO Japanese National Scholarship.
Yes. Dr. Karns speaks Japanese fluently. He built this skill through formal study, a year abroad in Japan, and daily conversation. The practice offers new patient paperwork in Japanese for Japanese-speaking patients.
Dr. Karns focuses on quality of life and long-term longevity. He works with patients to manage existing conditions while preventing new ones. He values continuity across care settings and follows his patients in the office, hospital, and nursing home environments.
Yes. Dr. Karns follows his patients across care settings, including the office, Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Little Company of Mary Torrance, and nursing homes. This continuity is a central part of how he practices medicine.
Dr. Karns pursued concierge medicine to connect office visits, hospital care, urgent care, and nursing home care into a single unified experience. He values the access and continuity this model allows him to provide each patient.
Doctor profile last updated March 21, 2026