Dr. Maria Garnica Albor, MD is double board certified in Internal Medicine and Addiction Medicine. She is a physician educator, primary care physician and addiction specialist with special interest in care for the underserved. She joined the Sutter Memorial Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency Program as Associate Program Director in September 2025. Prior to that, Dr. Garnica Albor was core faculty for the Internal Medicine residency program at UC Davis Health where she forged community partnerships between UC Davis Health and community organizations to increase access to addiction medicine, was co-director of the addiction medicine rotation for the internal medicine residents and was awarded a $50,000 grant through the Tobacco Cessation Policy Research Center at UC Davis to conduct a pilot curriculum focused on tobacco cessation and advocacy. She completed a one-year program in psychiatry (Train the New Trainer, Psychiatry through UC Irvine, 2022-2023) in order to provide more robust primary care and addiction medicine services to the communities she serves. She is an active member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) and the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine (APDIM). Within the residency program, Dr. Garnica Albor serves as the primary care track program director, is a member of the Clinical Competency Committee and Program Evaluation Committee, and is actively involved in the writing and establishment of program policies and procedures given her experience as Chief Resident.  She is also building a new service line for addiction medicine services at Sutter Memorial Medical Center and Sutter Gould Medical Foundation in both the inpatient and outpatient medical settings, respectively. 

Dr. Garnica Albor’s philosophy of care is grounded in relationships built on trust, honesty, and mutual respect. She believes in getting to know her patients as whole people and in creating a safe, nonjudgmental space where they feel comfortable sharing their experiences, concerns, and goals. She strives to meet patients where they are, ensuring they feel heard while providing the education and support needed to help them become active, empowered participants in their care.