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My Office Hours
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5:30 pm | | 8:30 am
5:30 pm | 8:30 am
12:30 pm | 8:30 am
5:30 pm | |
Welcome to My Home Page!
What is My Practice Philosophy?
I am most interested in helping people achieve and maintain good health by developing healthy habits, and by taking action early on to prevent complications from chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. I strive to work with patients to help them make good decisions and manage their own health. This philosophy requires that the patient and the doctor work well together as a team.
Why Do I Practice at Kaiser Permanente?
I began my career with Kaiser Permanente in 2001 immediately after residency. Kaiser Permanente is a unique organization because it has a long history of commitment to prevention as well as great resources for patients. Please check out my links to some of these resources on the side bar. Working for Kaiser Permanente also makes my life easier because it allows me to make treatment decisions and refer patients to specialists without outside approvals.
Why Did I Choose to Practice Medicine?
I grew up in Compton, California, with three sisters and one brother. I received my undergraduate degree in biology from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. I also completed my Master of Public Health (MPH) in behavioral sciences and health education at the University of California, Los Angeles. This is the MPH on my name badge that so many of my patients ask me about. I completed medical school at Stanford University. My internship and residency in primary care internal medicine were completed at Alameda County Medical Center, Highland Campus in Oakland.
My career did not begin in medicine, but in public health and social services. I worked for the County of San Diego as a public health educator, hazardous materials specialist, administrative analyst, and as an assistant district manager of a social service office prior to attending medical school at Stanford University. My work experience exposed me to many different influences and stressors on health—from classic public health problems such as flu outbreaks, tuberculosis, obesity, and smoking, to environmental hazards such as food poisoning and toxic chemical releases into the air and water. I also was well versed in repetitive motion injuries like carpel tunnel syndrome and the impact stress can have on an individual’s life. While I enjoyed my career, I decided to go to medical school because I wanted to use my knowledge and skills more directly to help people. As you can imagine, I was not your typical young medical student when I arrived at Stanford, but I was relieved that I was not the oldest person in my class either. I chose primary care internal medicine as my specialty because it allows me to get to know patients over the years, and to be actively involved in their total health care.
On My Free Time
I'm quite busy when I'm not at work. I am married and have 12 children, all furry or feathery. My husband and I have four horses, three dogs, one cat and four chickens. I am an active trail rider and also compete in Team Penning, a sport in which three riders separate three cows from a herd of 30 and put them in a pen, usually in less than 90 seconds. I also swim for exercise in a masters swim program. My husband and I also scuba dive, and enjoy traveling and visiting family and friends as much as possible.
My Credentials
| Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA |
| Highland General Hospital, Oakland, CA |
| Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine |
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Disclaimer
If you think you have a MEDICAL OR PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY, CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY or go to the nearest hospital. DO NOT attempt to access emergency care through this web site. An emergency medical condition is a medical or psychiatric condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in any of the following: serious jeopardy to your health, serious impairment to your bodily functions, or serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part. An emergency medical condition is also "active labor," which means a labor when there is inadequate time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery or if a transfer poses a threat to the health of the member or unborn child.
This site may contain links to other web sites outside of www.permanente.net. Kaiser Permanente has no control over the content or the availability of these sites, and is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such Web sites. Web links are provided as an educational tool, and should not be relied upon for personal diagnosis or treatment. A link or reference to a web site should not be construed as an endorsement of the site or its contents. Any medical content that you feel may be important to your health should always be discussed with your Kaiser Permanente physician.
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