Bio

Dr. Primbas is a board-certified physician in both Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine who practices at Stanford Concierge Medicine.

Dr. Primbas was raised in Ohio. She completed her undergraduate studies at Harvard University where she graduated with honors. After college, Dr. Primbas worked as a middle school teacher before deciding to pursue her career in medicine.

She moved to the west coast to attend medical school at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She was active in multiple free clinics and completed additional training in global health. She spent several months in Peru conducting public health research. Her work was published in peer-reviewed medical journals and presented at multiple national conferences. Upon graduation, she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society.

Dr. Primbas completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Stanford University, where she helped found the Ambulatory Care Excellence Program, a resident training track aimed at enhancing skills needed to provide excellent comprehensive care in the primary care setting.

During residency, Dr. Primbas developed a particular interest in healthy aging and longevity, and pursued a fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at UCSF.

Dr. Primbas joined the faculty at the UCLA School of Medicine after completing her residency and fellowship training. She practiced in both inpatient and primary care settings while at UCLA. She also worked with her endocrinology colleagues to provide care in the osteoporosis clinic, and has a particular interest in bone health and postmenopausal aging. Dr. Primbas was very involved in education of medical students, residents and geriatrics fellows while at UCLA, and served as a co-lead for the Early Authentic Clinical Experience program for first-year medical students.

Dr. Primbas is excited to be back at Stanford, and to continue her work providing comprehensive and patient-centered primary care.

Dr. Primbas enjoys cooking and hiking with her family and her mischievous Australian Shepherd, Archie.

Clinical Focus

  • Internal Medicine
  • Geriatric Medicine

Academic Appointments

Honors & Awards

  • Inductee, Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society (2018)

Professional Education

  • Fellowship: UCSF Geriatric Medicine Fellowship (2022) CA
  • Residency: Stanford University Internal Medicine Residency (2021) CA
  • Medical Education: University of Washington School of Medicine (2018) WA
  • Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine (2023)
  • Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine (2022)
  • Bachelor of Arts, Harvard University (2012)

Contact

  • Academic
    aprimbas@stanford.edu
    Department: Med/Primary Care and Population Health Position: Clinical Assistant Professor
  • Clinical (Primary)  Stanford Concierge and Executive Medicine 3301 El Camino Real Ste 220 MC 5358 Atherton, CA 94027 (650) 736-5380 (fax)

Additional Clinical Info

Additional Info

  • Mail Code: 5702

All Publications

  • Lesbian gay bisexual transgender queer intersex+ (LGBTQI+) health Geriatrics Review Syllabus: A Core Curriculum in Geriatric Medicine Burton, C. H., Primbas, A. D. American Geriatrics Society. 2025; 12
  • Medical Issues Affecting Older Lesbian and Bisexual Women CLINICS IN GERIATRIC MEDICINE Primbas, A. D., Ogawa, A. 2024; 40 (2): 251-260

    Abstract

    Lesbian and bisexual (LB) women are a growing and understudied population in the United States. LB women have unique histories and health experiences and encounter numerous resource and health care disparities that impact healthy aging. Despite LB population growth, little research has investigated the experiences of LB women separately from the broader lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, or another diverse gender identity (LGBTQ+) community. The research that does exist largely focuses on the experiences of younger LB women. Nonetheless, there are unique care considerations providers can enact to improve clinical care and address lifetimes of disparities and discrimination.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.cger.2023.12.001

    View details for Web of Science ID 001217975800001

    View details for PubMedID 38521596

  • Special Considerations for Headache Diagnosis and Treatment in the Geriatric Patient Comorbid Conditions in the Treatment of Headache Primbas, A. D. 2024: 19
  • Sexual and gender minority health-related content in geriatric fellowships JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY Burton, C., van Zuilen, M. H., Primbas, A., Young, M. E., Swartz, K., Colburn, J., Kumar, C., Klomhaus, A., Chippendale, R., Streed Jr, C. G. 2024; 72 (3): 866-874

    Abstract

    Despite a growing number of older lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) adults in the United States, education on care for this vulnerable population has historically been inadequate across all levels of training. This research assessed the extent of LGBTQ education in geriatric medicine fellowship curricula across the United States.We designed a survey to anonymously collect information from geriatric medicine fellowship programs on LGBTQ curricular content. Eligible participants included all 160 fellowship directors on record with the American Geriatrics Society. The survey addressed demographics of the fellowship program, current state of inclusion of LGBTQ content in didactic curricula and in clinical settings, and other available training opportunities.Out of those contacted, 80 (50%) completed the survey. Of the programs surveyed, 60 (75%) were housed in internal medicine, 19 (24%) were in family medicine, and one was in their own department. Forty-seven fellowships (59%) reported some formal didactic session (e.g., lecture or case based), with the majority of these programs (72%) featuring 1-2 h of formal instruction. Forty-five programs (56%) reported offering no formal clinical experiences. There was less than 50% coverage for all surveyed topics in the required curriculum (range 46% for discrimination to 9% for gender affirming care). Time and lack of expertise were cited as the main barriers to content inclusion.Curricular content regarding care for LGBTQ older adults is inadequate in geriatric medicine fellowships. Faculty development of current educators and providing standardized guidelines and curricula are steps toward addressing this deficit.

    View details for DOI 10.1111/jgs.18563

    View details for Web of Science ID 001067003500001

    View details for PubMedID 37710405

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC11642707

  • Linkage to care after HIV diagnosis among men who have sex with men and transgender women in Lima, Peru. AIDS care Primbas, A. D., White, E., Long, J. E., Wilson, J., Pasalar, S., Sanchez, H., Cabello, R. L., Sanchez, J., Meneses, G., Villaran, M. V., Lama, J. R., Duerr, A. 2021: 1-5

    Abstract

    In Lima, Peru, HIV prevalence is estimated to be 15% among men who have sex with men (MSM) and 30% among transgender women (TW). We investigated timely linkage of MSM and TW to HIV care, as linkage to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is critical to protect the health of those living with HIV and to prevent onward transmission. We investigated linkage within 90 days of HIV diagnosis by matching data from two studies conducted in Lima between 2013 and 2015 to national ART program records. We used generalized linear modeling to assess predictors of timely linkage and late presentation to care. Of 487 newly-diagnosed MSM and TW, only 44% presented for care at an HIV clinic within 90 days. Timely linkage was less common among TW (aPR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5-1.0), those younger than 24 (aPR 0.8, 95% CI 0.6-1.0), and those reporting a history of sex work (aPR 0.7, 95% CI 0.6-0.9). Proximity to an ART program clinic was not associated with linkage; most participants linked to clinics offering "LGBTQ-friendly" care. The pattern of clinics selected by participants suggests the importance of concerns about confidentiality and stigma in decision-making about where to link to care.

    View details for DOI 10.1080/09540121.2021.1929818

    View details for PubMedID 34011233

  • Impact of pre-diagnosis awareness of HIV-related stigma and dispositional coping on linkage to HIV care among newly diagnosed HIV plus Peruvian patients AIDS CARE-PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIO-MEDICAL ASPECTS OF AIDS/HIV Molina, Y., Ulrich, A., Greer, A. C., Primbas, A., Wandell, G., Sanchez, H., Bain, C., Konda, K. A., Clark, J. L., De la Grecca, R., Villaran, M. V., Pasalar, S., Lama, J. R., Duerr, A. C. 2019; 31 (7): 848–56

    View details for DOI 10.1080/09540121.2018.1563282

    View details for Web of Science ID 000467746400010

  • Impact of pre-diagnosis awareness of HIV-related stigma and dispositional coping on linkage to HIV care among newly diagnosed HIV+ Peruvian patients. AIDS care Molina, Y., Ulrich, A., Greer, A. C., Primbas, A., Wandell, G., Sanchez, H., Bain, C., Konda, K. A., Clark, J. L., De la Grecca, R., Villaran, M. V., Pasalar, S., Lama, J. R., Duerr, A. C. 2019: 1–9

    Abstract

    A substantial body of literature has characterized how psychosocial factors, including HIV-related stigma and coping, are associated with HIV testing and HIV care utilization post-diagnosis. Less is known about if certain psychosocial characteristics pre-diagnosis may also predict linkage to care among individuals who receive an HIV-positive diagnosis. We examined if pre-diagnosis awareness/perception about HIV-related stigma and dispositional coping styles predicted linkage to HIV care within three months post-diagnosis with a secondary analysis of 604 patients from a randomized controlled trial (Sabes Study). Awareness/perception about HIV-related stigma, dispositional maladaptive and adaptive coping were measured before patients underwent an HIV test. Linkage to care was measured as receipt of care within three months of receiving the diagnosis. After adjusting for covariates, individuals who reported greater dispositional maladaptive coping pre-diagnosis had lower odds of linking to care, OR=0.82, 95%CI [0.67, 1.00], p=.05. There was also a non-significant inverse association between dispositional adaptive coping pre-diagnosis and linkage to care. These preliminary data suggest the need for further longitudinal research and highlight the potential utility of pre-diagnosis psychosocial assessment and tailored counseling when providing positive HIV diagnosis results.

    View details for PubMedID 30616376