“It’s better to give with a warm heart than a cold hand.”
The lesson, shared with him by his mother, has guided Dr. Angel Iscovich throughout his life — shaping his approach to medicine, community leadership, and philanthropy.
Born in Argentina, Dr. Iscovich immigrated to the United States at the age of seven. Like many immigrant families, his parents worked tirelessly to build a new life while instilling in him a deep sense of compassion and responsibility for others.
Those early values helped shape his educational journey. He attended the University of Puget Sound on an athletic scholarship, where he studied philosophy before ultimately pursuing medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
“Philosophy encouraged me to think about meaning, purpose, and our responsibility to one another,” he said. “Those ideas naturally lead you toward service.”
Through his work in emergency medicine, Dr. Iscovich developed a deep understanding of the needs and challenges facing communities across Santa Barbara County. His experience in emergency departments throughout the county later informed his work as CEO of Envision Healthcare West, where physician management services supported hospitals across the region.
“It really gave me a window into the different realities people experience across the county,” he said. “Each community has its own strengths and its own challenges.”
Over time, those experiences working across the county inspired a growing commitment to community leadership and nonprofit work.
Dr. Iscovich’s introduction to the Santa Barbara Foundation came while he was serving as Board Chair at Direct Relief. At the time, neighborhood clinics serving tens of thousands of residents in Santa Barbara County were facing a critical funding crisis.
The Foundation brought together healthcare leaders and community partners, including Dr. Iscovich, to develop a plan to stabilize the clinics and ensure that community members would continue to have access to essential care.
“That experience showed me the power of bringing people together,” he said. “Sometimes the most important thing an organization can do is convene the right people and create a path forward.”
Today, Dr. Iscovich believes institutions like the Santa Barbara Foundation create the long-term stability communities need to thrive.
“The Foundation has been serving the community for nearly a century,” he said. “That kind of longevity reflects something very important — trust.”
This belief is one reason he supports the Santa Barbara Foundation’s Community Engagement Fund, which allows the organization to respond quickly and strategically to emerging community needs.
“The Community Engagement Fund provides flexibility,” he explained. “It allows the Foundation to respond in the moment when the community needs support the most.”
Beyond his philanthropic and leadership roles across the county, Dr. Iscovich draws on his years in medicine in his book The Art of Routine, where he explores how consistency and routine shape health, well-being, and longevity. He continues to explore these ideas through his involvement with the UCSB Center for Aging and Longevity Science where he serves as a member of the Directors Council and helps advance research on aging, health, and well-being. He also serves as Advisory Board Chair for ONEai Health.
Dr. Iscovich believes that his interests in health, philosophy, and philanthropy all point toward a belief that purposeful action can help create stability in the world around us.
“There is a transformative power in both philanthropy and service that drives significant and sustained impacts through everyday actions,” he said. “It is that aspect of being human that can make a vision a reality and a life of meaning and purpose.”
Today, as Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Santa Barbara Foundation, Dr. Iscovich continues to help strengthen the community and support lasting stability in Santa Barbara County. Guided by the lesson his mother shared with him years ago, to give with a warm heart, he remains committed to building a future where compassion, service, and purposeful action continue to shape the well-being of the community for generations to come.
Learn more about the Community Engagement Fund and where to donate here.
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