Procedure Volume Patient Data Patient Conditions Reviews General Payments Back to Top

Home > CA Providers > Oncologists

Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD

(Joseph A. Califano III, MD)

(220 Ratings)

Specializes in: General Surgery, Oncology (Cancer Care), General Practice and Otolaryngology (Ear Nose and Throat)

Harvard Medical School

Professional interests include: cancer, head and neck problems, tumor, and more.

3855 Health Sciences Drive
San Diego, CA 92037

(858) 822-6100

Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD is a general surgeon in San Diego, CA specializing in general surgery, oncology (cancer care), general practice and otolaryngology (ear nose and throat). He graduated from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD is affiliated with UC San Diego Health and UC San Diego Health.

Office Locations

3855 Health Sciences Drive
San Diego, CA 92037

open_in_new

16950 Viaduct Tazon
San Diego, CA 92127

open_in_new

200 W. Arbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92103

open_in_new

4250 First Avenue
San Diego, CA 92103

open_in_new

In The News (see more mentions in the news)

“Leading the study were head and neck surgeons Robert Saddawi-Konefka and Joseph Califano, interim chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology at the UC San Diego School of Medicine.”—"Careful treatment timing can improve results against oral cancer, UCSD study says", The San Diego Union-Tribune, August 2025

“The study used insurance data to look at the association of cannabis use disorder with head and neck cancers, said Dr. Joseph Califano, the Iris and Matthew Strauss Chancellor's Endowed Chair in...”—"Daily marijuana use linked to deadly head and neck cancers, study finds", CNN, August 2024

“"Fortunately, we have really good data that's been published over the past decade that NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers provide better survival for patients with cancers," says Dr....”—"Where to Go For Cancer Treatment", Washington Top News, August 2024

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2012 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD treated as a general surgeon in San Diego, CA during 2012 were minimally invasive procedures and laryngeal (voice box) procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	287
laryngeal (voice box) procedures	68
minimally invasive procedures	68

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2013 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD treated as a general surgeon in San Diego, CA during 2013 were minimally invasive procedures, laryngeal (voice box) procedures, dissection and neck surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD for Medicare patients.

diagnostic procedures	15
dissection	18
doctor visit	338
excision	18
laryngeal (voice box) procedures	86
lymph node procedures	18
minimally invasive procedures	86
neck surgery	18

2013 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD.

**Gender**
Male	132
Female	82

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	185
Black	18
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	109
From 75 to 84	62
85 and over	19
Less than 65	24

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD in 2013

Hypertension	64
High Cholesterol	60
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	31
Depression	21
Chronic Kidney Disease	20
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	13
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	19
Diabetes	25
Dementia	6
Cancer	10

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2014 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD treated as a general surgeon in San Diego, CA during 2014 were minimally invasive procedures, laryngeal (voice box) procedures, dissection and neck surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD for Medicare patients.

dissection	15
doctor visit	296
excision	15
laryngeal (voice box) procedures	62
lymph node procedures	15
minimally invasive procedures	62
neck surgery	15

2014 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD.

**Gender**
Male	128
Female	78

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	177
Black	16
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	114
From 75 to 84	64
85 and over	12
Less than 65	16

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD in 2014

Hypertension	61
High Cholesterol	55
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	28
Depression	17
Chronic Kidney Disease	16
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	9
Heart Failure	9
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	17
Diabetes	21
Dementia	0
Cancer	10

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2015 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD treated as a general surgeon in San Diego, CA during 2015 were minimally invasive procedures and laryngeal (voice box) procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	183
laryngeal (voice box) procedures	30
minimally invasive procedures	30

2015 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD.

**Gender**
Male	200
Female	86

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	238
Black	26
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	166
From 75 to 84	78
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD in 2015

Hypertension	71
High Cholesterol	57
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	33
Depression	19
Chronic Kidney Disease	21
Asthma	15
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	8
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	17
Diabetes	24
Dementia	0
Cancer	13

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2016 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD treated as a general surgeon in San Diego, CA during 2016 were minimally invasive procedures and laryngeal (voice box) procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	88
laryngeal (voice box) procedures	32
minimally invasive procedures	32

2016 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD.

**Gender**
Male	48
Female	39

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	66
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	36
From 75 to 84	24
85 and over	13
Less than 65	14

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD in 2016

Hypertension	67
High Cholesterol	47
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	40
Depression	23
Chronic Kidney Disease	26
Asthma	18
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	16
Heart Failure	21
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	17
Diabetes	18
Dementia	0
Cancer	16

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2017 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD treated as a general surgeon in San Diego, CA during 2017 were minimally invasive procedures, laryngeal (voice box) procedures, dissection and neck surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD for Medicare patients.

dissection	13
doctor visit	92
excision	13
laryngeal (voice box) procedures	84
lymph node procedures	13
minimally invasive procedures	84
neck surgery	13

2017 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD.

**Gender**
Male	83
Female	57

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	108
Black	0
Hispanic	12
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	65
From 75 to 84	44
85 and over	16
Less than 65	15

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD in 2017

Hypertension	61
High Cholesterol	41
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	42
Depression	29
Chronic Kidney Disease	26
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	13
Heart Failure	20
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	17
Diabetes	24
Dementia	11
Cancer	14

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2018 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD treated as a general surgeon in San Diego, CA during 2018 were minimally invasive procedures, laryngeal (voice box) procedures, dissection and neck surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD for Medicare patients.

dissection	11
doctor visit	138
excision	11
laryngeal (voice box) procedures	90
lymph node procedures	11
minimally invasive procedures	90
neck surgery	11

2018 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD.

**Gender**
Male	109
Female	56

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	117
Black	0
Hispanic	23
Asian	0
Other	11
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	76
From 75 to 84	47
85 and over	22
Less than 65	0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD in 2018

Hypertension	63
High Cholesterol	51
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	44
Depression	24
Chronic Kidney Disease	27
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	14
Heart Failure	20
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	15
Diabetes	19
Dementia	10
Cancer	13

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2019 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD treated as a general surgeon in San Diego, CA during 2019 were minimally invasive procedures, laryngeal (voice box) procedures, rehabilitation and dissection.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD for Medicare patients.

dissection	11
doctor visit	141
excision	11
laryngeal (voice box) procedures	60
lymph node procedures	11
minimally invasive procedures	60
neck surgery	11
rehabilitation	26

2019 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD.

**Gender**
Male	113
Female	55

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	117
Black	0
Hispanic	26
Asian	13
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	95
From 75 to 84	33
85 and over	18
Less than 65	22

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD in 2019

Hypertension	57
High Cholesterol	52
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	48
Depression	22
Chronic Kidney Disease	30
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	14
Diabetes	24
Dementia	9
Cancer	17

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2020 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD treated as a general surgeon in San Diego, CA during 2020 were minimally invasive procedures and laryngeal (voice box) procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	148
laryngeal (voice box) procedures	53
minimally invasive procedures	53

2020 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD.

**Gender**
Male	82
Female	52

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	100
Black	0
Hispanic	15
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	66
From 75 to 84	37
85 and over	16
Less than 65	15

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD in 2020

Hypertension	63
High Cholesterol	57
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	41
Depression	25
Chronic Kidney Disease	31
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	16
Heart Failure	18
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	24
Dementia	11
Cancer	16

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2021 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD treated as a general surgeon in San Diego, CA during 2021 were minimally invasive procedures and laryngeal (voice box) procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	127
laryngeal (voice box) procedures	66
minimally invasive procedures	66

2021 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD.

**Gender**
Male	73
Female	57

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	79
Black	0
Hispanic	22
Asian	0
Other	14
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	73
From 75 to 84	32
85 and over	14
Less than 65	11

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD in 2021

Hypertension	56
High Cholesterol	56
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	25
Depression	21
Chronic Kidney Disease	30
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	0
Heart Failure	13
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	12
Diabetes	24
Dementia	8
Cancer	13

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2022 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD treated as a general surgeon in San Diego, CA during 2022 were minimally invasive procedures and laryngeal (voice box) procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit	137
laryngeal (voice box) procedures	40
minimally invasive procedures	40

2022 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD.

**Gender**
Male	67
Female	62

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	95
Black	0
Hispanic	17
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	61
From 75 to 84	45
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD in 2022

Hypertension	67
High Cholesterol	70
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	22
Depression	19
Chronic Kidney Disease	19
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	17
Atrial Fibrilation	16
Heart Failure	16
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	13
Diabetes	31
Dementia	0
Cancer	14

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2012 - 2022

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD treated as a general surgeon in San Diego, CA were minimally invasive procedures, laryngeal (voice box) procedures, rehabilitation and diagnostic procedures.

diagnostic procedures	15
dissection	13
doctor visit	179
excision	13
laryngeal (voice box) procedures	61
lymph node procedures	13
minimally invasive procedures	61
neck surgery	13
rehabilitation	26

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2012 - 2022

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD.

**Gender**
Male	94
Female	56

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	5
Asian / Pacific Islander	1
Non-Hispanic White	116
Hispanic	10
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Other	2

**Age**
85 and over	11
75 to 84	42
Less than 65	10
65 to 74	78

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD From 2012 - 2022

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, ischemic heart disease and chronic kidney disease.

Hypertension	57
High Cholesterol	49
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	32
Depression	20
Chronic Kidney Disease	22
Asthma	4
Osteoporosis	6
Heart Failure	13
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	13
Diabetes	21
Atrial Fibrillation	10
Cancer	12
Dementia	5

Education & Training

Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD graduated from Harvard Medical School. He completed residency at Johns Hopkins University Affiliated Hospitals. He is certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery and has a state license in California.

Medical School: Harvard Medical School

Residency: Johns Hopkins University Affiliated Hospitals

Board Certification: American Board of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery

Licensed In: California

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

UC San Diego Health

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD has an exceptional overall rating with an average of 4.88 out of 5 stars based on 220 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD from all over the web to help you find the right in San Diego, CA.

4.88

Overall Rating

(220 Ratings)

Leave a Review

General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Joseph A. Califano III, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.	$1,043 Da Vinci Surgical System $1,043
Entellus Medical, Inc.	$103 XprESS Multi-Sinus Dilation System $103
Tactile Systems Technology Inc	$65 ENTRE $65
Atos Medical Inc	$25 TheraBite ActiveBand $25
Stryker Corporation	$20 SPIROX - LATERA $20

**Types of Payments**
Travel and Lodging	$1,026
Food and Beverage	$230

Biography

Dr. Joseph Califano's medical specialty is general practice, general surgery, and oncology (cancer care). Patient ratings for Dr. Califano average 5.0 stars (out of 5). Dr. Califano's areas of expertise include salivary gland tumor, pharynx cancer, and skull base surgery. He is affiliated with UC San Diego Health and Regents of the University of California. After completing medical school at Harvard Medical School, he performed his residency at a hospital affiliated with Johns Hopkins University.